Seven steps and three phases for carrying out autonomous maintenance in equipment management

Thread Content

A feature of TPM management is autonomous maintenance, meaning that the manufacturing department also participates in the lean management of equipment maintenance. In a highly competitive environment, to ensure the survival of businesses, the importance of equipment management and maintenance activities will be emphasized; at the same time, it is necessary to reevaluate the operators as well as the maintenance processes. What is autonomous maintenance? So-called autonomous maintenance refers to the practice where each operator, using their own equipment, takes it upon themselves to carry out daily inspections, oiling, part replacement, repairs, early detection of abnormalities, and accuracy checks on their own equipment. To promote autonomous maintenance, operators must become experts on the equipment, not merely those who operate it; they must also be able to handle the tasks that were previously performed by maintenance staff. As automation and robotics advance, this necessity becomes even greater. Skills required for autonomous maintenance: For operators, what is most important is the ability to detect abnormalities, that is, the capability to sense issues with quality and equipment. Therefore, specifically, the on-site operators must possess the following abilities: 1 They must have the ability to detect abnormal conditions in the equipment as well as the ability to make improvements ； 2. The ability to understand in depth the structure and functions of equipment, as well as to identify the causes of abnormalities ； 3 The ability to fully understand the relationship between equipment and quality, as well as to predict quality issues and identify their causes ； 4 Possess the ability to repair ； 5 Individual improvements on topics related to one’s own duties can be carried out independently or with the assistance of relevant departments. As equipment becomes more advanced and complex, maintenance tasks become increasingly specialized, resulting in the production department focusing solely on manufacturing while the maintenance department is responsible for repairs. This constitutes the biggest obstacle to improving equipment efficiency. To improve the structure of such enterprises, it is necessary to start with routine maintenance in order to establish highly productive equipment and cultivate personnel who are proficient in operating this equipment and possess the ability for independent management. To implement an autonomous equipment maintenance system, factory enterprises must first make proper preparations in advance. When carried out in steps, the occurrence of injuries and the like is considered first to ensure thorough safety education. After the initial cleanup, potential unsafe behaviors and items are listed, and corresponding measures are taken for each of them. We must deeply consider the meaning of forced degradation and why such a situation occurs Discussions are held among circle members to investigate the failures and adverse conditions caused by forced degradation, as well as the losses incurred Briefly describe the structure of the equipment you are in charge of, its functions, and what adverse consequences can arise when it gets dirty? Observe carefully and remember the names of the parts, etc. The steps for carrying out routine maintenance are as follows: Step 1 – Initial cleaning (inspection and cleaning), which involves removing dust and dirt from the equipment itself, applying lubricant, securing the equipment, and identifying and fixing any abnormal parts. The activities carried out include a thorough removal of dust and dirt centered around the equipment itself. Carrying out oiling and locking, as well as identifying minor defects in the equipment and correcting them. Remove unwanted items, and organize and tidy up tools and spare parts. Step 2: Countermeasures for difficult-to-reach source areas – preventing the generation of dust and dirt as well as their dispersion, carrying out cleaning, applying lubricant, securing components, and improving the accessibility of areas that are difficult to inspect, in order to reduce inspection time. The implementation includes taking measures to prevent the dispersion of sources such as dust, dirt, and leaks. Implement measures for cleaning and inspecting difficult-to-reach areas (improvement tasks to reduce, clean, and lubricate). Determine the priority order of key areas for routine inspections. Review of the improvement measures and confirmation of their effects. Step 3: Establish provisional guidelines for self-maintenance. Action criteria should be created to enable cleaning, lubrication, locking, and inspection to be completed in a short time frame (specific times for carrying out these tasks must be defined). The implementation includes: establishing action guidelines for ensuring cleaning and oiling/locking inspections can be maintained over a short period of time. Improve skills to facilitate inspection and visual management. Step 4: Comprehensive inspection – Conduct skill training using the inspection manual, and carry out a comprehensive inspection to identify minor defects in the equipment and rectify them. The implementation includes: mastering inspection skills in accordance with the inspection manual. Extraction and restoration of the total inspection items. Create self-inspection standards. Develop training materials for comprehensive inspections, establish an education and training schedule, conduct leadership training, track the progress of such training, and create comprehensive inspection manuals and checklists. Step 5: Conduct self-inspections, create a self-inspection checklist, and implement it. The implementation includes reviewing the standards for cleaning, oiling, and comprehensive inspections, and establishing a systematic framework to improve the efficiency of these activities. Create an autonomous point inspection checklist and implement it. Improve visual management and strive to enhance operability. Step 6: Standardization – Implement standardization for various on-site management tasks, striving to achieve full institutionalization of management practices, including standards for cleaning and oiling inspections ； On-site logistics standards ； Standardization of data recording ； Standards for mold and tool management, etc. The execution steps include: extracting the managed project items. Promote the standardization of management projects and the systematization of maintenance. Step 7: Full implementation of autonomous management, the establishment and ongoing improvement of company policies and goals, proper maintenance of MTBF analysis records, and analysis thereof to improve equipment. The implementation tasks include: the execution of company policies, the advancement of objectives, and the carryout of improvement activities. Effectively implement MTBF analysis records (visual fault records) to improve equipment performance. Image: Three stages and seven steps for carrying out self-maintenance. It consists of three stages: The first stage: This is the phase covering steps 1 to 3, during which basic conditions of the equipment are thoroughly improved through activities focused on cleaning and inspection of the equipment, in order to establish a maintenance system for it. In the process of autonomous maintenance, it is a process of equipment transformation. To carry out cleaning is to conduct inspections ； Inspections are aimed at detecting abnormalities ； In abnormal situations, restoration and improvement are necessary. Understanding the aforementioned steps, experiencing firsthand all the hardships involved, and thinking critically about why they need to be done is an important process. Furthermore, it is essential to properly implement the three key steps of cleaning, lubricating, and tightening screws; these are the minimum requirements to prevent deterioration and form the basis for all TPM activities.   Phase 2: The stage from the fourth step to the fifth step, during which training in comprehensive equipment inspection skills is provided along with actual inspections. This enables the process to evolve from activities aimed at preventing degradation to activities focused on detecting degradation. The main goal of this phase is to restore and improve the condition of the equipment, that is, to achieve positive results. When such efforts yield results, it can change people’s mindset; the occurrence of defects and malfunctions will then be seen as a shame for the workplace. This is an important stage in establishing a system of autonomous management. Phase 3: The phase from Step 6 to Step 7, which is also the phase for completing standardization and autonomous management. Operators are required to improve their management skills, expand the scope of their autonomous management, develop a strong sense of purpose, foster a cost-conscious attitude regarding maintenance costs, and learn maintenance techniques such as minor repairs on equipment. It is also through this phase that there are significant changes in the operators and the workplace, turning it into a self-managed site.