What is the Total Productive Maintenance – TPM?

What is the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)?

Total Productive Maintenance is one of the lean management methods as a way to keep a greater effectiveness of the machines and devices and at the same
time ensure the access to critical devices. Find out more about the TPM, the TPM goals, pillars and big losses. Find out about the benefits of implementing
the TPM method at your company.

What is the TPM method?

The TPM method is a complex system of maintenance; promoting employee engagement as an indicator limiting the time lost during the stops, at every
stage of the production, and as a result of the following occurrences: late deliveries, maintenance, failure, machine changeover, delayed deliveries of
intermediate goods or precast products. Besides, the TPM assumes the use of machines that are undemanding in upkeep, easy to change over and to service,
with production processes not overly complicated to implement. In other words, the Total Productive Maintenance is a maintenance system, aiming at a greater effectiveness, which translates into the maximum use of machines and devices available, in order to produce high quality goods.

What are the goals of the TPM?

Apart from assuring high levels of effectiveness and motivation among employees, the focus point of the maintenance system is to achieve multi- level
objectives, which in turn will eliminate potential glitches or loses in the production.
The basic goal of the Total Productive Maintenance is to achieve the concept of zero:

• zero breakdows
• zero accidents
• zero defects

To implement and follow the TPM method effectively, a set of modern tools is worth a try: QRmaint CMMS is precisely the tool you are on a lookout for- it is
intuitive and functional.

6 major losses in the TPM

6 major losses occurring during the implementation and the use of the Total Productive Maintenance, are a waste discussed in the context of lean
management to describe actions that burn up supplies without assuring the value for internal and external customers. What is considered a loss in the TPM
method?

• losses due to equipment failures
• losses due to start-ups
• losses due to change- over, set- up and adjustments
• losses due to equipment inactivity
• losses due to reduced speed
• quality losses, due to defects and rework

What the objectives of the Total Productive Maintenance?

For the goals to be realistic and available for a company, it is necessary to include 7 basic pillars in the Total Productive Maintenance method.
Below are the pillars and a brief description of each of them.

• autonomic production maintenance: getting the operators acquainted with
  the machines and processes- for quicker diagnostics and limited losses
  caused by equipment failure
• planned CMMS maintenance: experience sharing during the purchase
  process, start-up, or machine park configuration
• Kaizen improvement: constant monitoring and analysing of the machinesto
  work out the best solutions for loss prevention
• quality maintenance: using the right tools and solutions- to ensure best
  quality of end product
• global administration maintenance: optimization of administrative
  processes- for improved communication between the employees
• training and education: raising qualifications among employees- for
  heightened competence
• HSE management: Health Safety and Environment- to ensure safety in the
  work environment and while using the machines

What are the benefits of using the TPM method?

The advantages of using the Total Productive Maintenance method can be considered on two levels: employees and the machine park.
The main benefits of the TPM use is an increased motivation among employees, which translates into higher effectiveness and a more favorable collaboration
in- between departments. Using the TPM method leads to an improved work environment, increased safety and greater awareness among employees as well
as, a desire for change and improvement of the maintenance system within the company. Total Productive Maintenance will also result in an increased
effectiveness of the machine park, while configuring the machines and devices.