What TPM is
TPM stands for Total Productive Maintenance and is a production system that aims to achieve the highest business efficiency.
- Total: means through the active involvement of all staff.
Productive: stands for the objective of improving plant productivity - Maintenance: indicates activity aimed at maintaining the efficiency of the equipment over time
TPM: Where and how does it apply?
The application of TPM brings the greatest advantage in process or capital intensive industries, where equipment and machinery contribute decisively to the production process, and improvement activities are often associated with large investments and the use of external expertise, or are carried out sporadically.
The activities to achieve high efficiency in each company area are based on methodological paths, called pillars, which guide the various activities in a structured and systematic way.
TPM: the methodological approach
- The development steps
The steps for the development of the methodology are as follows:- Policy Deployment and master plan development
- Introduction and extension of the pillars:
- Focused Improvement: continuous improvement of production processes based on kaizen and on OEE performance indicator
- Autonomous maintenance: the proper management of equipment done by operators
- Planned maintenance: the proper management of equipment by maintenance technicians
- Quality Maintenance: continuous improvement and zero defects with the prevention of equipment deterioration
- Education & Training: management of corporate skills and involvement of people
- Initial Phase Control (Early Management): improvement of the industrialization process of new products and equipment
- TPM Office: efficiency and improvement applied in staff offices
- Safety & Environment: management of safety and energy waste
- Follow-up of the activities and support to the working teams
- Alignment and auditing (alignment with the methodology?)
- Training on methodologies and improvement tools
The pillars can be introduced either individually to address a specific area or company issue or all together in a multi-year improvement project that may have as an aim the Certification by a third party institute.
The Certification will reward the commitment to follow the method, the growth of employees and the undeniable results in terms of OEE, cost reduction and increase of profitability.