TPM - Total Productive Maintenance

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a methodology that originated in Japan in the 1970s and has since become a widely recognized and adopted approach to operational excellence in manufacturing and other operations-focused industries. It is a comprehensive approach that seeks to optimize the performance of equipment and processes through a focus on maintaining and improving reliability and efficiency.

The origins of TPM can be traced back to the Japanese auto industry, where manufacturers were seeking ways to increase productivity and competitiveness in the face of increasing global competition. TPM emerged as a response to the need for a more proactive and integrated approach to equipment maintenance, with the goal of improving both productivity and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Over time, TPM has evolved and expanded to encompass a wider range of objectives and activities. Today, it is widely regarded as a best-practice approach to operational excellence, and is widely used in many different industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and government operations.

One of the key features of TPM is its focus on involving all employees in the maintenance and improvement process. This is achieved through the creation of cross-functional teams and the use of a range of techniques, including root cause analysis, standardization, and continuous improvement.

Another key aspect of TPM is its focus on data-driven decision-making and performance measurement. This involves the collection and analysis of data on equipment and process performance, which is then used to identify areas for improvement and to drive continuous improvement efforts.

When properly implemented, TPM can have a significant impact on organizational performance and competitiveness. This can include improvements in equipment reliability, increased productivity, reduced waste, and improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

To achieve these benefits, it is important to implement TPM in a structured and systematic way, with clear goals and objectives and a strong focus on continuous improvement. This typically involves a multi-phased approach, starting with an assessment of existing processes and equipment, followed by the development of a comprehensive improvement plan and the implementation of specific improvement initiatives.

In a nutshell, TPM is a proven methodology that can help organizations achieve operational excellence by optimizing the performance of their equipment and processes. To achieve success, organizations must approach TPM in a systematic and structured way, with clear goals and objectives, and a strong focus on continuous improvement.

Key points for a successful TPM implementation:

1. Involve all employees in the process

2. Focus on data-driven decision-making

3. Adopt a multi-phased approach

4. Prioritize continuous improvement

5. Develop a comprehensive improvement plan.

Set up time

The term "set up time" refers to the amount of time it takes to transition a manufacturing process or production line from producing one product to another. This time includes all the tasks and activities that must be performed in order to prepare the line for the new product, such as cleaning and changing tools, adjusting machinery, and organizing raw materials and supplies.

Set up time has its origins in the field of manufacturing, where reducing the time required to change over from one product to another has been a critical factor in improving efficiency and productivity. The idea behind reducing set up time is that the less time a production line is idle, the more products can be produced, and the more efficiently the production process can run.

To improve set up time, organizations can use a variety of methods and techniques. One approach is to standardize set up procedures, so that the same steps are followed every time a change over is performed. This standardization helps to eliminate waste, reduce the risk of errors, and speed up the process.

Another approach is to use technology to automate and streamline set up procedures. For example, a company might use barcode scanning to quickly and accurately identify the right tools and supplies for a particular change over, or use robotic arms to change tools and adjust machinery, reducing the amount of manual labor required.

Organizations can also make use of visual aids, such as standard work instructions, to help workers understand the set up process and complete it more quickly. These instructions can be displayed in the form of checklists, posters, or other visual aids that are easy to understand and follow.

In addition, organizations can work to minimize the number of set ups required by batching products or running them in a continuous flow, which reduces the need to change over production lines as frequently.

Finally, it is also important to involve workers in the process of improving set up time. By engaging workers in the process and soliciting their input and suggestions, organizations can gain valuable insights into how the process can be improved and find new and innovative ways to reduce set up time.

In conclusion, improving set up time is critical for organizations that want to optimize their production processes and improve efficiency. By using a combination of standardization, technology, visual aids, continuous flow, and worker involvement, organizations can reduce set up time, minimize waste, and improve productivity

SMED

Single Minute Exchange of a Die

This series of techniques was invented by Shigeo Shingo to set-up manufacturing equipment in less than 10 minutes. Most of the time people think in one minute but is thought as single digit minutes.

So what is behind the set-up time reduction?

This method is driving to increase the net production time as much as possible by minimizing the needed time to change from one model to another. As far as you have two or more products running on your line or to simply exchange parts of your machine or equipment that regularly needs to be replaced. This is increasing the flexibility of your production and allows you to react on changes in demand more quickly.

When trying to reduce changeover tomes the typical goal is to reach less than 10 minutes. The short summary of SMED activities is to analyze each element of the changeover with the EMIPS method to see if it can be eliminated, modified or moved outside the process, integrated, tasks are parallelized or synchronized.

SMED

When looking at those three stages we can simplify it further for each stage:

Just ask yourself:

Separate:
Can this task, as currently performed, be done while the line is still running?

Convert:
Which process steps can be moved out of the changeover itself and be parallelized or completely taken out? How can you do it?

Synchronize:
How can the remaining tasks be synchronized so you need as little time as possible to complete the changeover?

I save you the story with the pit stop in formula 1 - just google it by yourself and you will find the evolution of pit stops. Quite interesting and still valuable.

So what are the benefits of SMED?

The first effect you will see on improvements of the OEE of your manufacturing facility. If this is important for you and you are numbers driven. In the end you will reduce downtimes and therefore manufacturing costs as your machines will have a greater net operating time.

With a long term perspective SMED will enable you to have smaller batch sizes, which will improve your possibilities to react faster on changes of customer demands and in addition your inventory (tied capital) and WIP (work in progress) will decrease.