A very important
aspect of TPM is the establishment of autonomous maintenance.
According to Kunio
Shirose:
The purpose of autonomous maintenance is to teach operators how to maintain
their equipment by performing:
Daily checks
Lubrication
Replacement of
parts
Repairs
Precision checks
Early detection
of abnormal conditions
As most of the Lean
Manufacturing techniques and tools, autonomous maintenance is based on
education and training. It is about raising awareness of the operators on
the knowledge and understanding the operation principles of their machines.
To that purpose we
will help them develop three skills:
1.- Ability to
determine and judge if operating conditions become abnormal
2.- Ability to
preserve normal conditions
3.- Respond quickly
to abnormalities by repairing the machine or having some technician take
care of it when he (she) does not have enough knowledge, skill or resources.
The 7 Steps
of Autonomous Maintenance
1.-
Initial
cleaning
*
Ability to determine machine abnormalities
* Ability to
design and make improvements
Development
of the skill to spot abnormalities and opportunities and to make the
improvements and solve the abnormalities
2.-
Eliminate sources of contamination and inaccessible areas
3.-
Creation of a checklist for cleaning and lubrication standards
Operators
determine by themselves what they have to do
4.-
General inspection
Understanding
operation principles of machine and its systems
More
skilled operators and maintenance techs. teach the least experienced
5.-
Autonomous Inspection
Understanding
of the relationship between equipment conditions and product quality
Data
organization to describe optimal conditions and how to maintain the
TPM
in America
