Total Productive Maintenance–An Implementation
Experience
Pradeep Kumar Soni
Abstract--‘Resistance to Change’ becomes global concern as an implementation issue for any new concepts like Total Quality Management (TQM), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Just In Time (JIT) etc. in the industries which are facing tough and fluctuating market conditions. In India, the numbers of industries are implementing these new concepts since last 15- 20 years and about 65% or more could not get the expected results that in turn forces industries to abandon that mission and suffer tangible as well as intangible losses. This paper is based on author(s) experiences over sustainability problems faced during TPM implementation and discuses a brief case study that highlight importance of 5-S and Visual Management (VM). It is clear that 5-S is the foundation for any new philosophy or concept and if it is supported by visual management then due to change in work environment, the change to resistance slowly goes away and plant becomes ready to set a new culture.
Keywords-- Five S, Visual management, TQM, TPM I.INTRODUCTION
HE worldwide industrial focus is over improvements in their technology as well as systems of working towards achieving competitive price for their products and earning customer confidence. Nowadays, Total Quality Management, Total Productive Maintenance, Toyota Production System, Just in Time, Six Sigma etc., have become global words which are known for their significant effects over manufacturing effectiveness and this too is proved by renowned companies. Most of the manufacturing and process industries adopt these buzz words just to spread out their brand value among literate external customers but are not able to get real benefits in terms of profit and internal customer confidence and it results in bad sufferings on long term business prospects. Thus, a large percentage of industries could not sustain the economical pressure and remains in struggling stage. The struggling industries lacks in building the foundation for stabilizing these philosophies or concepts as their culture and ultimately working environment. In this paper the focus will be TPM and TQM sustainability as applicable to Indian industries.
Soni Pradeep Kumar is Assistant Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal (MP) – 452051(India)
TPM stands for Total Productive Maintenance. It describes a synergistic relationship particularly between production and maintenance, for the continuous improvement of product quality, operational efficiency, reduction of expenses and creation of better working conditions. TPM links the principles of total quality management and maintenance management [1]. Among various maintenance strategies Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) has widely been accepted as an effective strategy for improving maintenance in the manufacturing companies [2].
TQM is a customer focused philosophy that aims at the continuous improvement of the processes and management of an organization through statistical techniques, policy deployment, procedure design and human resource management.
II.MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES
Maintenance strategies have significantly evolved during the last 50 years progressing from breakdown to preventive, then predictive and pro-active which are summarized below in table 1[3]
TABLE I STRATEGY CHARACTERISTICS Period Strategy Characteristics
< 1950 Breakdown No budget constraints, Fix at Fail < 1970 Preventive Periodic part inspection or
replacement
> 1970 Predictive Health trend monitoring and prognosis > 1980 Pro-active TPM, performance monitoring
Various researchers & academicians have classified and characterized the maintenance strategies as follows:
Unplanned Maintenance: These strategies are not accepted
or desired yet exist in industries due to several reasons and one of the causes is ‘improper planning’ & no compliance to plans. Such activities are further classified as follows;
(i) Run-To-Failure (RTF): It is the oldest type of maintenance & suitable for small, non-critical, low cost equipment as per Ismail [4].
(ii) Reactive Maintenance: Shad [5] described it as a concept in which a highly skilled maintenance team is kept ready to step in whenever maintenance problem faced in production and the repairs are made by working overnights and on weekends. The required spare and replacement parts held in heavy stock in anticipation of breakdowns. It is also
T
known as GITAFI (Get in There and Fix It). This is very undesirable strategy, now-a-days and almost no industry can adopt its principles.
(iii) Corrective Maintenance or Failure Based Maintenance or Breakdown Maintenance: Ismail [4] defined CM or FBM or BM as the unplanned activities undertaken to make the failed operating equipment into operating condition. Li et al. [6], and Chang-Ching Lin [7] interpreted it as the maintenance or repair actions that executed after systems failure. Prasad Iyer [8] added it as unscheduled maintenance required as a result of failure to restore a system to acceptable performance level. M. Bevilacqua et al. [9] highlighted its main feature that actions are only performed when a machine breaks down. There are no interventions until a failure has occurred [10]. Dr. Tim Claypole et al. [3] called it restoration maintenance which meant “return equipment to its original condition so it can be maintained normally” while focus is on chronic minor breakdowns that collectively often total the highest amount of lost time. Ling Wanga et al. [11] emphasise that such a firefighting mode of maintenance often causes serious damage of related facilities, personnel and environment. Mechefske [12] studied & found that it is the original maintenance strategy appeared in industry.
Planned maintenance: Maintenance actions based on
pre-planned basis can be termed as pre-planned maintenance by Ismail [4] further classified as follows;
(i) Scheduled Maintenance (SM): Periodic replacement of parts based on their age or service is defined by Ismail [4]. In industries this has very close meaning to preventive maintenance as discussed below;
(ii) Preventive Maintenance (PM): Ismail [4] described that it encompasses all planned, scheduled and corrective actions before the equipment fails and Prasad Iyer [8] defined it as the Scheduled maintenance required in order to operate a system at an acceptable level of performance. As per Patton JD [13] it denotes all actions intended to keep equipment in good operating condition and to avoid failures. Wang, H.[14] precisely featured as the maintenance that is performed before systems failure in order to retain equipment in specified condition by providing systematic inspections, detection, and prevention of incipient failure. Ling Wanga et al. [11] classified PM in three categories i.e. time-based preventive maintenance (TBM), condition-based maintenance (CBM), and predictive maintenance (PdM). In the TBM the word ‘‘time’ may refer to calendar time, operating time or age of part and this is decided as per the reliability characteristics of equipment to plan & perform maintenance periodically to reduce frequent and sudden failure.
On equipment failures, the corrective & preventive actions are required to be performed by the maintenance function which adopts suitable maintenance concepts and strategies to meet out the functional & economic aspects of the set business objectives [15]
The Fig.1, represents the maintenance concepts & strategies classifications that is useful to the practitioners as a reference.
TPM since 1969 has continuously been upgraded through various versions by industries and researchers, so, despite of improvisation of TPM it cannot be transformed into reality. Over this aspect McCone and Weiss [16] explores significant gaps between TPM practice and its academic research. The
TPM working too differs from country to country as per culture and Hartmann [17] specified many differences between TPM in Japan vs. the United States. Human resources are the main factors in TPM implementation that are similar to those in Total Quality Management (TQM) [18]. If the company already implemented TQM, it will be definitely easier to implement TPM.
Fig. 1 Maintenance Strategies [15]
Similarly over TQM extensive studies have been conducted and it is found that there is no established methodology or industry standard for introducing TQM [19, 20, 21 and 22].The degree to which its implementation is successful goes beyond training and education [23], to knowledge of products, processes and quality standards, and depends on the ability of the organization to learn [24], with empowerment symbolizing the “learning mindset approach” the company tackles quality by becoming a learning organization'' [25].
The table II shows the common factors among TQM and TPM as studied by various authors
TABLEII
TPM&TQMSTUDIED FACTORS
Factors TPM literatures TQM literatures
a b c d e f g h i j k l Employee involvement √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ Education & training √ √ √ √ √ √ Process management √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
A:[26], b: [16], c & d: [27], e: [28], f & g:[29], h: [30], i: [19], j: [31], k: [32], l: [33] Conventional strategies (A+B) Maintenance Proactive concepts Planned (Preventive) Run to fail (Breakdown Maintenance) Total Productive maintenance (A+B+C) Reliability centered maintenance (A+B+C) CBM & Predictive
Scheduled and/or Opportunity based maintenance A. Reactive
B. Corrective
C. Advance strategies
Design out maintenance
From table II, it is clear that to get successful achievements for the objectives of TPM and TQM; the industries must work towards Employee involvement, Education & training and Process management on priority by initiating and firmly maintaining some techniques like 5-S & Visual management. This can be discussed by a brief case study.
III.CASE STUDY
It is based upon the author’s experiences during working in an Indian engineering company XYZ as additional responsibility to plan and implement TPM. The company vision was to become world class in manufacturing the competitive products and to achieve it, complete restructuring in management, layouts, systems etc., were carried out at fast rate with due care over human resources. Various teams were formed to adopt the new concepts like TQM, TPM, SMS (Synchronous Manufacturing System) etc. and class room trainings, visits to other group plants, were organized. TPM implementation plan were developed for about one and half year (the time limit was set by top management) and activities were initiated by team members (lead by maintenance staff as additional duty). The other new concepts related to quality, production, marketing were also in process of implementation simultaneously.
The results in terms of breakdown percentage, MTBF(Mean Time Between Failure), MTTR (Mean Time To Repair), spares cost, response time to breakdown, PM adherence etc., were analyzed on monthly basis and slight improvements was observed but found not stable and their trend fluctuation causes embracement to TPM implementers.
It leads to review of implementation plan; some of the causes to failure related to maintenance function are listed below:
• The bottom line workforce were neither educated nor
interested in following the improvement activities.
• The training course schedule and delivery lecture
material were not properly made as per the understanding of workforce which comprises of literate and illiterate persons.
• The maintenance department was not up to the mark
with respect to spares location, repairing facilities, information system display and analysis, documents arrangements.
• The maintenance tools and accessories were not
standardized.
The above factors were creating unfavorable working environment with low morale. Thus in order to rectify such problems new plan was prepared which included:
• The Five s concept proper implementation in every
department
• Visual management application in the departments and
on machines/ equipments
• Modified training material in local language with on
the job learning sessions
This modified approach leads to significant change in the working environment and maintenance performance with positive attitudes.
IV.IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES
These are commonsense based practices which are known to everyone involved in either industrial or social activities.
Five S: This system is foundation for every new concept
and technology and keeps the working environment enjoyable and efficient. The 5 S’s Program has applicability in various types of companies and organizations, including family houses, because it brings benefits to everybody that share the same place, improve the environment, the workplace, health, hygiene and brings efficiency and quality. According to the experience of some companies that have already implemented the program, the “key point” is not only to apply the concepts, but the cultural change of all involved people and the acceptance that each one is important to improve the workplace, the physical and mental health of the workers and the quality system. Thus, its essence is to change attitudes, thinking and personal behavior.
These are ‘housekeeping’ activities commonly known by their
Japanese terms which are seiri (organization), seiton (tidiness), seiso (purity), seiketsu (cleanliness), and shitsuke (discipline) [28],[34].
According to the Japanese concept, the waste can be eliminated, and consequently the extra cost as well, in these five phases that will help to implement the Quality System.
1st S: SEIRI: sense of usefulness Concept; “to separate the
useful from the useless, eliminating the unnecessary”. 2nd S: SEITON: sense of order Concept; “to identify and sort out everything, allowing any person to find easily”.
3rd S: SEISO: sense of cleaning Concept; “keep the place always clean, eliminating the sources of dirt and learning not to dirt”
4th S: SEIKETSU: sense of health and hygiene Concept; “keep the workplace always favorable to health and hygiene”.
5th S: SHITSUKE: sense of self-discipline Concept; “utilize this methodology as a habit; making the 5 S’s a life style”.
The assessment on suitability, importance, difficulties and benefits of 5-S implementation in the industry has found: a) 5-S suitable for implementation at workplace and at home
b) Self-discipline as the most important step out of the 5-S. c) Resource, time, co-operation, top management support and sub-ordinate’s participation relevant hurdles have been observed and amongst these, top management support and sub-ordinates’ participation are most crucial.
d) Safety, quality and productivity are more important to achieve using ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and OHSAS 18001 and for such systems 5-S is useful as a stepping stone for their certifications.
Visual Management: In the present era of developed means
of communication and information technology, it has still predominant role in the industries especially at the shop floor area. Now a day, computers keep the vital information in the form of data to be used for quick decision making but it is not accessed by the workforce who are the key players for sustaining the new philosophies into realities. Thus, visual management means controlling or checking malfunctions or wrong practices through displaying right information at right place. Visual Factory Management (VFM) is a simple, but
effective solution to increasing and refining communication to employees through visual aids. These "aids" can be signs, charts, pictures, color coding or scoreboards that show employees the information they need to understand their role and contribute in a positive way to company success.
Visual communication benefits are:
• Reduction in wasted time and money
• Increased productivity and flexibility
• Improvement in quality and operational consistency
• Increased employee motivation and morale
Some of the practical applications of Visual Management in the maintenance function as discussed in the above case study were:
Well organized workplace i.e. easy identifications of
maintenance items that reduced search time 30 minute to 1 minute
Making problems visible i.e. Machines related
chronic problems were displayed with their most probable solutions
Communicating goals and objectives i.e. everyone in
the plant was able to see the set targets and their trends etc.
Publishing results of continuous improvement efforts
PM check sheets were displayed at machines and
important points like lubrication oil level, type of oil used etc. were marked on machine.
V.CONCLUSIONS
Change in organization would, in the long run, lead to change in the organizational culture. So, to challenge the ‘resistance to change’, it need to initially put efforts into actions to transform human behavior or fixed mindset through improved environment, working conditions and then set mission and vision to implement any new concepts which is based upon cultural change.
Action ==> Behavior ==> Mission ==> Vision ==> Culture The fig.2 proposes the above mentioned theme as framework that includes 5-S and VM both along with team work.
Since 5-S practice is a well-recognized key to quality and productivity and for improving the work environment, so it becomes the starting point of a TQM or TPM programme. Visual Factory Management too begins with implementing a Five S program
5-S » ISO 9000 / ISO14000 / OHSAS 1800 » TQM
It is expected that this paper will serve as a seed, however, it seems to be outdated but fact is that majority of Indian industries still ignores these basic concepts concerned with human psychology and starts implementing TQM, TPM etc. directly and fails to achieve desired results.
Fig. 2 Proposed Framework
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