TPM optimizes the availability of machines and improves productivity

TPM Process management method

Total Productive Maintenance is a process management method which aims to increase productivity by improving the availability of machines. TPM is a process improvement method which closely involves the production operators. It is assumed that machine operators know the daily working of a machine better than anyone else. That is why they can quickly see when a machine failure is imminent or that the quality delivered by a machine is deteriorating.

 TPM is a maintenance strategy which originated in Japan in the early 1960s in the delivery field of the automotive industry.

The TPM principle goes as follows:

  • Zero errors
  • Zero industrial accidents
  • Zero losses.

TPM can be considered as a proactive maintenance feature as it focuses on the early detection of problems and on problem prevention.

OEE as a measuring instrument for TPM

TPM success is measured in the Overall Equipment Effectiveness of machines.
Machines which are producing without any losses, have an OEE of 100%.
OEE can be expressed as the product of the machine availability, the machine's performance (production speed) and the production quality of the machine.

OEE = Degree of Availability x Degree of performance x Quality degree.

Generally speaking, an OEE of 80%-85% is set as an objective.

In order to be able to apply TPM, one should be aware of the possible machine losses, so as to reduce them. Machine losses arise in both planned and unplanned ways and are caused by: down time, change-over times and quality losses (planned quality losses caused by start-up products).

TPM is based on 8 pillars

The TPM Management process rests on eight pillars

  1. Continuous improvement cycle (implementing gradual improvements)
  2. Autonomous maintenance (operator and maintenance technicians are performing maintenance activities together)
  3. Preventive maintenance (planned maintenance and maintenance schedules to increase machine availability)
  4. Training (training operators contributes to autonomous maintenance)
  5. Early equipment management (maintenance is involved in the purchase of new machines)
  6. Quality management
  7. Optimization of the administrative processes in the office
  8. Safety regulation and environment

Rimses supports the entire TPM process

Everyone should do his fair share of TPM. In doing so, a CMMS such as Rimses can bring relief.
Rimses provides specific TPM functionality by which the autonomous maintenance is immediately put into practice. A simple work order allows an operator to register a planned maintenance job in Rimses. As a result, he gets immediately implied in that planned maintenance job. As the fields Executor, planner and acceptor can be predefined, the operator can focus on the TPM work order content.

Besides autonomous maintenance, Rimses also supports all other TPM aspects. This implies that TPM can be completely processed in the CMMS. Rimses provides functionalities in the fields of preventive maintenancesafety and environment and offers continuous improvements and quality management based on work order history and information about any failure, cause and action.

Rimses Analyzer allows you to make Pareto analyzes about the 20% most important causes of failures, which in their turn lead to 80% of the consequences of a failure.

Our EAM consultants have extended expertise in the field of maintenance management and are highly experienced in process and system optimization. They support our costumers in order to successfully apply
the TMP method with the help of Rimses.