Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is an initiative for optimizing the effectiveness of manufacturing equipment. TPM is team-based productive maintenance and involves every level and function in the organization, from top executives to the shop floor. The goal of TPM is "profitable PM." This requires you to not only prevent breakdowns and defects, but to do so in ways that are efficient and economical. To achieve this goal you will need to master four techniques:

• Preventive maintenance - preventing breakdowns
• Corrective maintenance - improving or modifying equipment to prevent breakdowns or to make maintenance easier
• Maintenance prevention -designing and installing equipment that needs little or no maintenance
• Breakdown maintenance - repairing after breakdowns occur

FACTS AND CONCEPTS

• TPM addresses the entire production system life cycle and builds a concrete, shop floor-based system to prevent all losses. Its aims include the elimination of all accidents, defects, and breakdowns.
• Everyone participates in TPM, from top executives to shop floor employees
• TPM achieves zero losses through overlapping team activities
• A TPM development program consists of activities aimed specifically at eradicating the six big losses that sap efficiency and drain productivity:
  • Breakdowns
  • Setup and adjustment loss
  • Idling and minor stoppages
  • Reduced speed
  • Defects and rework
  • Startup yield loss

• Team activities are basic to TPM. TPM activities are carried out by teams at top management, middle management, and shop floor levels. Each type of team has its own objectives and part to play.
• Safety is a cornerstone of TPM. The basic principle behind TPM safety activities is to address dangerous conditions and behavior before they cause accidents.
  • Workplace organization and discipline, regular inspections and servicing, and standardization of work procedures are the three basic principles of safety. All are essential elements in creating a safe workplace.

• Sustaining smooth production means avoiding equipment breakdowns and defects. You will need to install suitable equipment in the first place and keep it functioning properly through three types of activities:
  • Daily maintenance (cleaning, checking, lubricating, and tightening) to prevent deterioration
  • Periodic inspections or equipment diagnosis to measure deterioration
  • Restoration to correct and recover from deterioration

• Achieving the goals of TPM requires activities in eight key areas:
  • Focused improvement (kaizen) to make equipment more efficient
  • Autonomous maintenance activities
  • Planned maintenance for the maintenance department
  • Technical training in equipment maintenance and operation
  • An early equipment management program
  • Quality maintenance activities
  • A system for increasing the efficiency of administrative and support functions
  • A system for management of safety and environmental issues

The following 8 activities are the most common for implementing TPM effectively. They form the foundation to support any TPM effort. Not all of these strategies are implemented at once...you will develop a sequence that fits your situation.