Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

Imagine a factory...

That is visually impacting: where equipment and workplace to the highest standards of 5S; an environment where both good practice and any problems or failings can be recognised immediately so that prompt action can be taken;

Where there are clear standards for the condition of equipment for how it is to be maintained;
Where detailed and rigorous work methods for start-up, shift change, setting, changeover / cleandown and regular maintenance actions followed by all staff on all shifts to minimise performance and process variation;
Where there is high integrity of data collection respecting shift running performance, losses and the condition of equipment;
Where there is effective communication with the planning function and strong links with upstream and downstream processes;
Where product changeovers and cleandowns effected within minutes and minimal time lost due to shift start-ups breaks etc.;
Where losses and delays due to supply failures are virtually unheard of, breakdowns are largely eliminated and both quality performance and materials yield are significantly improved;
Where there are audits in place to maintain and improve the condition of the workplace (5S) and to ensure that maintenance tasks have been properly and duly carried out;
Production Team Leaders are engaged fully in addressing problems and improvement opportunities with daily reviews and where there is an expectation of effective action within 24 hours;
Production team members fully conversant with the operation and essential maintenance of the equipment and most regular, short cycle maintenance undertaken by production team members;
Where the Engineering resource can be dedicated to long cycle, high skilled maintenance, proactive condition monitoring and the enhancement of equipment to far exceed the capabilities of the original equipment specification in terms of running efficiency, safe operation, accuracy and quality yield and energy consumption.

Despite the 'TPM Revolution' of the late nineties many capital intensive manufacturers are still not exploiting fully the opportunities to harness their production and engineering teams effectively to drive down machine and line loss to achieve the highest standards of asset care and productivity. We have gathered enough experience over the years to understand the pitfalls that commonly confound the best efforts to implement autonomous and preventative maintenance and secure the right inter-team disciplines for start-up, changeover, optimal running and breakdown elimination. Real TPM as it was always meant to be and as it should be.

Forward Vision TPM projects are tailored to fit the past progress, current equipment, products and processes and future ambitions of capital intensive companies in search of the highest standards of productivity and asset care, by combining the some or all of the following:

OEE measurement, monitoring and improvement;
Standardisation for consistent set-up, reduction in process variation and optimal running;
Establishing a programme of Planned Preventative Maintenance;
Autonomous Maintenance- skill and responsibility transfer of maintenance actions to production teams;
Visual Management and 5S- workplace standardisation and improvement and creating the 'obvious factory';
Fast changeovers [SMED- Single Minute Exchange of Dies] simple disciplines and low cost improvements that enable spectacular reductions in changeover time.
Coaching and training for Production and Engineering managers and team leaders and their staff in the techniques and disciplines of real TPM
Downstream customer focus- ensuring that production and engineering teams get the parts, materials, service and information they need to achieve their goals each and every shift.