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Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): What Is It?
TPM is a set of techniques used to keeps machines in good order, reduce downtime, increase quality and capacity and the life of the machine.
The four steps for TPM are very similar to a Lean Transformation:
- Return Equipment to Reliable Condition: Perform 5s to remove unnecessary tools or debris, change filters or lubricants and create a scheduled maintenance of the desired machine.
- Eliminate breakdowns: This means getting rid of the factors that contribute to failure. Fishbone analysis or the 5 Whys are a great tool for this.
- Develop a TPM Information Database: Document all the preventative maintenance procedures and keep them in an easily accessible location.
- Eliminate defects: Here we look at ways to make it impossible for our machine to encounter defects or break down in the future. Poka Yoke and Autonomation are great tools for this.
Often a short Kaizen event will be able to go through all of these steps and get your machines in good standing.
By David McLachlan
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