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Many companies adopt the inspection method for equipment management, but after implementing it for a while, the actual results are not satisfactory, which puts many of those who strongly promoted it in an awkward and passive position. Could there be a problem with the equipment inspection method itself? Definitely not; the problem lies in the specific approaches and methods used to carry out inspections. The main reason is actually quite simple: the attempt to achieve everything at once, a desire for quick results. To achieve this goal, following the guidance of experts or textbooks, high standards and requirements are set from the outset; significant effort is invested from the beginning in building teams, establishing standards, providing training, and creating systems ； The more aggressive ones even demand “policies” outright. As a result, a large pile of documents and plans was prepared, yet there were few actual inspection actions that could be carried out. As a result, over time, many of the standards that had been painstakingly established turned out to be theoretical and not practical in reality. The maintenance workers responsible for carrying out inspections were full of frustration, and as a consequence, the quality of those inspections was poor. The managers also failed to see any clear benefits from implementing these inspection procedures. As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. In fact, according to the principles of Equipment Support Management (CPM), when it comes to equipment maintenance, an area where the contribution to factory efficiency is not obvious, any changes or innovations should start with simple, easy, fast, and effective approaches. It is best to begin with small-scale pilot projects on a low profile, and only after significant results are achieved should one confidently request support and policies from higher authorities in order to carry out such initiatives on a larger scale. Of course, there is skill involved in choosing something that is simple, effective, and sensitive to relevant factors; experienced equipment managers surely understand this well. Below are the key points for getting started with inspections, provided as a reference for colleagues who wish to implement such inspections – 1. Define the purpose of inspections. Inspection of equipment refers to the systematic and standardized inspection and maintenance activities carried out on the key components that affect its proper operation, in order to accurately assess the technical condition and degree of deterioration of the equipment. The so-called “points” refer to the critical parts of a device; by inspecting these points, it is possible to obtain information on the technical condition of the device in a timely and accurate manner. (Inspections are effective for managing degradation trends, with a focus on trend prediction; random failures should not be the main focus of inspections.) ) 2. The simple and practical principle of “eight fixes and one improvement”: Identify the key parts and weak points of the equipment to be inspected ； Determine the items: Identify the inspection items, that is, the contents of the checks (they should be in line with the technical level and compatible with the instruments used; it’s the modern era – there’s no need to stick to traditional methods such as checking eyes, ears, nose, and hands) ； Scaling: Determining the criteria for judging normality (based on equipment technical requirements and practical experience) ； Regular: Set the interval between checks (mainly based on experience and importance) ； Procedure: Determine the inspection method (is disassembly required? Shut down? What instruments to use (the five senses or simple meters) – at the beginning, there’s no need to establish distinctions between routine inspections and precise inspections ； Designate personnel: Identify the individuals responsible for carrying out the inspection tasks (it is best to assign dedicated personnel and specialized equipment for each task, as this helps in detecting any abnormalities) ； Form specification: Determining the format of the form and the requirements for records (this is essential; however, as long as proper coordination is in place, some flexibility is possible) ； Define processes: Establish the interfaces and workflows for inspection and maintenance (clearly defining responsibilities, rights, and obligations) ； Form a closed loop: implement step by step, pursue continuous improvement, and adopt closed-loop management. 3. Objectively evaluate the effectiveness of inspection activities; avoid exaggeration. Japanese companies achieved four objectives by implementing an inspection management system: equipment maintenance costs were reduced by more than 5%, with an overall reduction of 20% over 5 years. In one particularly successful factory, maintenance costs dropped by 30% over 5 years, which improved the company’s labor productivity and reduced production costs ； Equipment failures **decreased**; the failure rate dropped from an average of 1.5% to 0.4%. The number of sudden failures decreased by more than 50 times, while the number of emergencies requiring urgent repair dropped by more than 2 times. The downtime caused by failures was reduced by 3.5 times ； The proportion of planned maintenance increases, plan accuracy improves, the on-time completion rate for preventive maintenance and planning tasks rises, the number of planned maintenance tasks increases by 3.5 times, and unplanned maintenance decreases by 70% ； The return on equipment investment increases, with equipment availability rising by 25%. The following article is a speech by a equipment technician, in which he shares some of his unique views on equipment inspections; it is shared here with everyone. I. Why should we choose a inspection system? Equipment management plays a very important role in enterprise production; in fact, production in enterprises relies on people operating equipment to manufacture products. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the dynamics of the equipment; by doing so, the measures taken next in response to the equipment’s conditions will be targeted and effective. Due to factors such as level and experience, the initial measures may be unreasonable or even incorrect. But with dedication, we will soon reach a new, higher level. So how can we keep track of the status of the equipment? There are many ways, and I think, given our current situation, a inspection system is the more suitable approach. Once the inspection system is properly implemented, and more advanced instruments are added later, online monitoring can be achieved. With a proper inspection system in place, while keeping track of the status of the equipment, we can gradually shift from \"reactive maintenance due to failures\" to \"preventive maintenance\". I worked as the equipment supervisor for five years and have some insights from that experience. The most obvious thing is that you never know what difficulties might await you tomorrow; maintenance workers are like firefighters, constantly trying to deal with various problems, and you’re extremely busy. The managers look frustrated, but what’s the result of all that? I think it’s a negative number, because with such a busy schedule, the more busy you are, the greater the impact on normal production, and the worse the production efficiency becomes. There used to be a saying that \"the quieter our maintenance workers are, the more normal our production is,\" but I think that’s also incorrect! This will further motivate me to become a firefighter. Maintenance workers must take action when the equipment is operating normally. So, what do they do? I believe that \"preventive maintenance\" should be carried out based on the inspection system; in other words, using the information obtained through inspections, maintenance workers can take targeted actions in advance to carry out repairs at the appropriate time. From the moment issues are detected in the equipment until repairs are carried out, the maintenance technician needs to prepare necessary materials and spare parts as well as develop a repair plan. Before starting the repairs, they can contact the production team to minimize the impact of the repairs on production. I believe this is the purpose of implementing a inspection system; its main advantage is that it keeps things organized, ensures tasks are carried out in advance, and minimizes impacts. II. My views on the inspection system: The person in charge of the workshop must be a strong supporter of implementing this inspection system. I first came across the term \"inspection system\" in 1997, when I visited the flash smelting workshop at a steel plant for training; I thought it was a good idea, so I kept all the relevant materials for future reference. However, later on, when I became the equipment supervisor and faced many issues while trying to implement a routine inspection system, it had to be put on hold for various reasons. It wasn’t until last year, when I moved to the lifting area, that these conditions were available. Moreover, the actual circumstances in that area also required us to raise the level of our approach to equipment management. Otherwise, the current situation of few personnel, heavy tasks, high safety requirements, and fragile systems simply cannot meet the mine’s mining needs. The inspection system is a systematic approach that covers all aspects of workshop management. Its implementation involves almost everything from personnel training to the design of operational systems, while its operation entails economic evaluations as well as coordination between production and equipment. If the person in charge of the workshop does not push for its implementation in a thorough manner and does not firmly uphold its operation once it is put into place, who else can accomplish this task? Conversely, if the workshop supervisor wants to accomplish this, what difficulties cannot be overcome? The inspection system does not have to be a rigidly fixed model. Before implementing it, we referred to some practices used in smelting plants, but there are differences. After the implementation, we visited the third concentration workshop at the concentrator plant and the west main shaft in the second mining area, and found that each place had its own differences. What works for others may not be suitable for you, or it might be good, but your circumstances don’t allow you to use it. Therefore, as long as the essential meaning of the inspection system remains unchanged, the operation mode can be designed according to one’s own conditions. What’s suitable is the best! For example, we require that inspection cards be placed in the inspection boxes at the end of each shift, while those for San Jiu Kuang and Xi Zhu Jing are issued on a monthly basis ； Each workshop has five or six full-time inspectors, while we all hold other positions as well. Therefore, we need not constantly worry that our conditions are not met; by calmly analyzing them, we can still design a highly practical inspection system. As long as it achieves the goal of providing accurate and reliable information for \"preventive maintenance\" and ensures the safe and reliable operation of the equipment, that’s good enough! III. The benefits brought by the inspection system are substantial. Our work area began to plan and prepare for this system in April 2006, and it was officially implemented at the end of June. In February of this year, under the guidance of technical personnel from the Equipment Department’s Equipment Section, further significant revisions and standardizations were carried out. Since the implementation of the inspection system, our work area has managed to prevent 4 major accidents, identified 122 potential hazards and problems. The number of unplanned shutdowns caused by equipment has decreased from an average of 52 hours per month in the first half of 2006 to less than 20 hours per month at present. Inspections at all levels are currently showing good results. During the first few months from the start of preparations to implementation, we were indeed very busy; dealing with existing faults was already challenging enough, and we also had to make an effort to carry out preventive maintenance. It is by no means easy to transition from one system to another, but we persevered through the hardships of that transition. By last October, the transformation was essentially complete. After the transformation is completed, workshop managers have it easier. The main focus is on ensuring that everyone carries out their duties properly during inspections, assessing the quality of preparation work done by maintenance staff, determining when shutdowns for repairs are necessary, and making timely adjustments to the inspection standards in light of any errors in those assessments. On this basis, technical improvements are made to the areas where failures occur frequently, to achieve continuous and steady improvement. This puts it completely on a path to a virtuous cycle. In short, I believe that implementing a inspection system and carrying out preventive maintenance based on it is quite demanding at first; after about half a year when things get on track, although managers still have to do a lot of work, they are no longer overwhelmed, and management becomes more efficient. It is evident that the inspection system brings us substantial benefits!