Thoughts and methods for implementing equipment inspection management in enterprises

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At present, some factories and enterprises, in their pursuit of higher production volumes, do not implement TPM management thoroughly, which leads to frequent equipment failures and a declining effective operation rate of the equipment, ultimately resulting in a decline in product quality. Such equipment management conditions have severely hindered the development of factory enterprises, let alone the achievement of lean production. Most of the equipment in factory enterprises operates in harsh environments such as high temperatures and dust, and it also lacks proper and timely maintenance. In order to achieve higher overall equipment efficiency and ensure cost-effectiveness over the equipment’s life cycle in order to compete in the market, factory enterprises urgently need to establish an autonomous maintenance system and fully implement a preventive maintenance system guided by TPM management principles. For manufacturing enterprises, to truly implement an equipment management system, it is first necessary to improve the four key elements of on-site management, namely: 6S activities, elimination of the six sources of problems, visualization, and designated location management. Only by properly managing the four key elements on-site can the working environment of the equipment be improved, the six sources of problems be prevented and eliminated, daily maintenance at the equipment site be standardized, and a solid foundation be laid for the effective implementation of a inspection and maintenance system. Factory enterprises should effectively carry out 6S activities, and by implementing 6S management practices, they can improve the working environment on site. During the implementation of 6S activities, the problems related to the six sources are brought to light. To address these problems at their source, it is necessary to carry out activities aimed at eliminating those six sources, as well as establish management processes and systems for doing so. At the same time, in order to effectively carry out visualization and fixed-location management activities, to make the production and work areas more transparent, to increase working space, to reduce collision accidents, and to improve work efficiency. Companies can develop visual and standardized management guidelines based on their management needs, and through standardized management, eliminate problems at the equipment production site at their root. In addition to managing the equipment production site effectively, it is also necessary to improve the systems and mechanisms for autonomous maintenance in equipment management. The key aspect here is to standardize the content of daily inspections carried out by equipment operators as well as the effectiveness of those inspections. Equipment inspection and maintenance is a scientific TPM management approach that, guided by the concept of total employee involvement in maintenance, implements comprehensive management of equipment using the eight fixed principles. The inspection and maintenance system is a new approach that focuses on inspections to carry out dynamic management of the technical condition of equipment. Under this system, the traditional management philosophy centered on repairs is transformed into one that emphasizes prevention, thereby integrating technical management of equipment with economic management of it. This results in an inspection and maintenance management model in which operations, inspections, maintenance, and repairs all share responsibility for the equipment. We need to enhance the professional capabilities and skills of inspection personnel through TPM management training, as a key factor in implementing the inspection-and-maintenance system is the overall quality and professional competence of these inspectors. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly build a team of equipment inspection personnel who are standardized, highly qualified, and skilled, and to grant them the appropriate responsibilities and rights. By granting the inspectors who are best aware of the equipment’s condition the authority to establish inspection standards, inspection plans, maintenance plans, spare parts and materials plans, as well as repair cost budgets, and by assigning them the responsibility of guiding, supervising, and checking the daily inspections carried out by the operators. Within the entire equipment maintenance management system, the routine maintenance technicians serve as frontline TPM managers, diagnosing the technical condition of equipment, overseeing the quality of maintenance work, and controlling maintenance costs. They also clarify the relationships among operation, routine inspections, and maintenance, defining each party’s responsibilities, thereby enabling the routine inspection-based maintenance model to progress along a completely new path. To gradually move the inspection and maintenance management system toward standardized operations, enterprises must establish a series of technical standards for these operations based on the condition of their equipment. These standards include those for maintenance techniques, inspection procedures, lubrication practices, maintenance work procedures, and equipment upkeep. To carry out TPM management inspection work, it is first necessary to divide the inspection areas and prepare inspection route maps. The inspection areas are designated based on the equipment in operation per shift or similar types of equipment. Inspectors shall formulate these areas in accordance with the requirements of the inspection standards, following the principles of convenience for carrying out inspections, optimal routes, and consideration of workload. The work process proceeds in a cycle of planning, execution, inspection, and summary. Secondly, it relates to the formulation of inspection plans. These plans should be developed based on inspection standards, lubrication standards, the condition of the equipment, and the workload associated with inspections, ensuring that they are timely, accurate, and effective. By preparing inspection checklists, such checklists should include inspection standards, inspection routes, inspection intervals, and the personnel responsible for the inspections. For the implementation of routine inspections, in accordance with the inspection plan, the duty personnel or operators responsible for equipment operation are tasked with conducting regular checks on the equipment, in order to detect any faults or abnormalities promptly and provide a basis for preventive maintenance. It is essential basic work in the overall equipment maintenance management for operators to carry out routine inspections and maintenance of equipment; it is also an important method for delaying and preventing equipment degradation as well as for maintaining the equipment. The implementation of professional inspections requires specialized inspectors to carry out these inspections on equipment in various areas according to a predefined inspection plan; this approach enables the detection of defects or abnormalities that may have been overlooked or go unnoticed during regular inspections. The implementation of precise inspections requires equipment engineers or specialized inspectors to, on top of routine and regular inspections, organize relevant professionals to carry out precise inspections or technical diagnostics on the equipment in accordance with their assigned responsibilities. To ensure effective on-site inspection management, inspectors must correctly select the parts of the equipment to be inspected, clarify the items and contents of the inspections, define the criteria for determining normal and abnormal conditions, properly choose the methods and tools for inspections, carry out inspections strictly in accordance with the prescribed intervals, inspectors, and inspection schedules, select the appropriate methods for recording inspection results as well as the inspection routes, and implement procedures for handling and reporting the results of the inspections.