Total Preventative Maintenance (TPM) is a set of techniques designed to involve operators in maintaining their equipment to ensure that it performs at optimal efficiency. When TPM is fully applied, your entire production process will be improved and output will be maximised.
Total Preventative Maintenance revolves around giving production operators all of the relevant training required to handle routine maintenance on a regular basis. This includes training them in any new processes that may be added to your production system, as this way they remain confident in keeping all machinery running at peak performance.
By handing this responsibility over to your production operatives, time is freed up for your engineers so that they can focus on more specialised tasks. The result is a well-oiled machine both literally and figuratively, your teams feeling empowered within their departments.
As the name suggests, Total Preventative Maintenance requires all employees to be involved. This means not only the production operatives but also managers and engineers, as everyone must participate in order for TPM to work.
The “total” part of TPM also refers to machinery and equipment, as even the smallest errors and constraints can have a domino effect and lead to much larger problems. For instance, one machine going wrong can result in speed losses, downtime, delays, unnecessary waste and a clog in your production line, so always factor in the “total” element of Total Preventative Maintenance.
Total Preventative Maintenance takes many forms and depends on the types of machinery you use. This could include cleaning, lubricating, tightening and inspecting equipment, as well as any other maintenance tasks that will keep everything functioning as required.
Whilst the focus of TPM is to keep all of your equipment running efficiently, there’s a specific way to gauge how thoroughly the technique has been applied. This is called Overall Equipment Effectiveness, or OEE.
OEE measures how effectively your equipment is being used and calculated using three elements:
The formula to use is A x P x Q = OEE. This will give you your OEE score, making it a foolproof and precise way to measure the performance of your machinery.
Needless to say, an OEE score of 100% is what you will aim to achieve. However, 85% is generally considered world class, 60% is actually fairly typical for many manufacturers and 40% is also pretty common, although the lower the score, the more there will be room for improvement.
Even if you work out your current OEE score and it’s sitting around 85%, there’s still the opportunity to increase it. The more your score rises, the more efficient, reliable and cost-effective your production lines become. In the process, product quality and machine lifecycle are enhanced, which is beneficial to your business, its clients and the end users.
Clarity’s TPM workshops and TPM Visual Management boards are just two examples of products that facilitate Total Preventative Maintenance. For more information about how we can help and to book a consultation, get in touch with our team on +44 (0)1482 296451 or fill in our contact form.
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