Total Productive Maintenance: what is it and what does it ensure?

If you think that the maintenance of the plants and equipment present in a company is the exclusive responsibility of the facility manager, you probably haven’t heard of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), the holistic approach to maintenance that involves all departments of the production system and aims for total perfection in terms of efficiency and productivity, almost completely eliminating any type of failure, incident, or unforeseen event.

If you are curious to learn more details on the subject, continue reading the article to discover the meaning, advantages, and potential of Total Productive Maintenance, identify possible applications, and recognize the key principles on which this particular maintenance strategy is based.

Before we begin, remember that you can truly get the most out of your maintenance processes (whether preventive or corrective) only if you use the right tools. So, don’t miss the opportunity to try the Facility Management Software, a cloud-based system that offers maximum flexibility and allows you to schedule, monitor, and manage every activity related to the maintenance of resources.

TPM Maintenance: Meaning

Total Productive Maintenance, also known as TPM, is one of the 5 essential principles of Lean Maintenance and can be defined as a strategy applied to the management of maintenance processes, based on the principle that anyone working within a production facility should actively participate in the maintenance of plants and machinery. The purpose of this maintenance program is to help facility managers and maintenance personnel perform their jobs even more effectively.

The TPM approach leverages the skills and competencies of all employees and operators who are part of the company workforce, and seeks to incorporate maintenance interventions and activities into the daily workflows of the facility.

The main objective of Total Productive Maintenance is to achieve near-perfect production, that is, to create a highly productive environment in which failures, incidents, downtime, slowdowns, and waste are completely absent or, at least, minimized. TPM achieves this goal through the development of some operational strategies, which include:

• the implementation of preventive maintenance programs;
• the continuous training of employees;
• constant and effective collaboration between production and maintenance staff.

The implementation of a TPM strategy triggers a sense of shared responsibility and encourages workers to participate and cooperate more in the maintenance of plants and machinery. When it finds fertile ground, Total Productive Maintenance proves to be very effective in:

• improving productivity;
• increasing uptime;
• reducing downtime;
• eliminating defects.

TPM Maintenance: 8 Pillars

The philosophy of Total Productive Maintenance, conceived in Japan in the 1950s, is based on eight key principles that can be considered the true pillars of the TPM methodology.

These key principles focus on proactive techniques that contribute to improving the reliability of equipment and are developed from a solid common foundation constituted by the “5S” method, a systematic procedure (which we will discuss later in the article).

Before delving into the meaning of the 5S, let’s analyze together the eight pillars of Total Productive Maintenance, providing a brief description for each that will help us understand what they consist of:

1. Autonomous Maintenance: according to this key principle, the personnel responsible for operating a plant or machinery will be able to perform small maintenance interventions (such as cleaning, lubrication, inspections, etc.) independently. This allows, on one hand, to empower the operators themselves, who will be properly trained to perform these interventions and simultaneously limit failures and malfunctions, and on the other hand, to reduce the workload of the maintenance team, which can then focus on complex issues that require specific skills for their resolution;
2. Continuous Improvement: this is a business philosophy that considers the improvement of productivity as a methodical and gradual progression. It consists of allowing small groups of employees to work together proactively to achieve regular and incremental improvements in the functioning of equipment, thereby increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organization while minimizing risks, losses, and production defects;
3. Planned Maintenance: planned maintenance is based on the principle that regular and scheduled inspections can maintain the functionality of the asset throughout its lifecycle, avoiding, as much as possible, failures and malfunctions. The activities provided by this maintenance approach are essential to reduce downtime and prevent the deterioration of machinery. These activities are based on the assessment of predicted and/or measured failure rates and the calculation of specific metrics (such as MTBF, MTTF, and MTTR) that allow planning interventions based on the performance of the equipment, ensuring that these can be carried out during periods when the plants are not scheduled for production;
4. Quality Management: this is a strategy aimed at improving the overall quality of the final product, focusing on detecting and preventing errors that may occur during the production process. This strategy uses Root Cause Analysis to identify and eliminate recurring sources of errors and defects, and includes the calculation of some efficiency monitoring metrics, such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), which help reduce production waste, losses, and rework;
5. Early Equipment Management (EEM): this is a structured process that leverages the understanding and practical knowledge of machinery, acquired by operators over time, to improve the design of new equipment. The contribution of the operator directly managing the plant can be very useful in the design process of a new system because it allows for the adoption of solutions that increasingly improve maintainability and operational performance, and to create machinery that can already meet the required specifications at startup;
6. Instruction and Training: these aim to fill any knowledge gaps and provide the necessary skills to achieve the objectives of Total Productive Maintenance. Adequate training ensures that the entire workforce (whether managers, production supervisors, machine operators, or maintenance technicians) is properly trained to identify emerging problems, keep equipment in functional condition, and regularly meet all standards set by TPM;
7. Safety, Health, and Environment: the proper implementation of this principle contributes to creating a healthy, safe, and sustainable work environment where employees can perform their tasks without facing risks or dangers to their safety. Improving health and safety standards not only helps prevent accidents and injuries but also enhances the efficiency and productivity of workers;
8. Efficiency in Administration: management and administrative functions are crucial for the success of the entire production process; therefore, it becomes important to continuously improve the organizational structure of the company, simplify and standardize various work procedures, and progressively increase efficiency in procurement, order processing, and scheduling.

TPM | The 8 pillars of Total Productive Maintenance

What are the 5S rules of Total Productive Maintenance

The pillars of Total Productive Maintenance are supported by the methodological approach of the “5S”, a system that originated within the logic of Lean Production, aimed at creating a clean and well-organized work environment through the following five actions:

1. Sort: this first principle suggests removing all equipment, tools, and materials that are not necessary for the ongoing production activity from the workstation;
2. Straighten: organize tools and equipment in a way that makes identification and use easy, ensuring that the most frequently used items are easily accessible;
3. Shine: periodically inspect and clean your workstation to facilitate the identification of any issues (such as fluid leakage from a machine);
4. Standardize: develop action plans and standardized procedures to optimize work processes and simplify the activities listed above;
5. Sustain: ensure that the above standards are applied regularly to support the production process in the long term.

TPM – Illustration of the 5S Methodology

How to Implement Total Productive Maintenance

Now that we have gained a comprehensive understanding of the foundations and pillars on which the TPM methodology is based, let’s look at the steps to follow to correctly implement a Total Productive Maintenance program:

1. identification of a pilot area: the first step is to identify an initial target area to test the benefits of TPM, initially choosing the plants and equipment that are easiest to improve and that allow for immediate and positive results;
2. restoration of equipment to optimal operating conditions: the next step is to bring the plants and equipment back to their primary operational capabilities through the application of the 5S rules, that is, through careful and constant organization, cleaning, inspection, and maintenance of all equipment and the work area;
3. implementation of autonomous maintenance: the third phase consists of providing machine operators with the necessary training to carry out routine maintenance independently, while still maintaining open and effective communication with the maintenance team;
4. monitoring of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): the fourth phase requires tracking this performance index that measures the productive capacity of the equipment subjected to TPM, and identifies positive and negative trends that allow for necessary improvements. The data for calculating OEE can be collected through computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), which are capable of tracking progress over time and help to proactively solve problems;
5. reduction of losses: once potential production losses have been identified, it is necessary to implement a continuous improvement process, through the formation of a cross-functional team (composed of operators, supervisors, maintenance personnel, etc.) that can analyze the causes of issues, propose effective solutions, plan scheduled maintenance periods during which agreed corrections can be implemented, and observe results over time, evaluating their long-term effectiveness through monitoring the OEE parameter;
6. implementation of planned maintenance: the final step consists of integrating proactive maintenance techniques into the TPM program, which allow for the identification of components of assets subject to wear, stress, and failures, and help to significantly reduce unplanned downtime.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Total Productive Maintenance

Companies that implement a TPM strategy achieve significant improvements not only in the short term but also in the long term. When everyone within a production system actively participates in maintenance, it is indeed possible to:

• reduce failures and unplanned downtime, resulting in increased OEE;
• achieve a cleaner, more organized, and safer workplace, where incidents and injuries are minimized;
• improve knowledge sharing among teams and departments;
• contain operational costs and production expenses;
• increase the overall performance of the facility;
• improve the quality of the final product;
• increase customer satisfaction.

Despite all the advantages, it is legitimate to ask whether TPM also has disadvantages. The answer is clearly yes – provided that its implementation is accompanied by the following circumstances:

• the company management is not willing to initiate a continuous improvement process with Return On Investment (ROI), or long-term return on investment, in which all employees contribute their knowledge and skills to sustainably increase value creation;
• the company management is not willing to invest more time than expected in training its employees, especially in times of crisis, when time becomes an invaluable resource for companies;
• the company is not willing to invest the necessary patience to implement TPM. The implementation of TPM indeed requires a noticeable cultural change, all employees are required to show greater flexibility and a higher degree of responsibility, and it is not always easy to find the necessary willingness to apply TPM.

The main disadvantages of TPM are, therefore:

• the effort required for implementation and execution;
• the time that its implementation requires;
• the cultural change necessary for this maintenance strategy to bear fruit.

Planned Maintenance in TPM

Scheduled maintenance is a critical component of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) that aims to:

• improve the reliability of equipment and machinery;
• extend the useful life of equipment and machinery;
• reduce maintenance costs and downtime;
• optimize maintenance processes and decision-making;

The main types of Planned Maintenance provide a framework for effectively planning and executing maintenance activities and are:

• preventive maintenance: involves performing periodic maintenance operations to prevent equipment failures and ensure reliability. Preventive maintenance activities are based on manufacturer recommendations and equipment specifications and may include inspection, cleaning, lubrication, and replacement of parts;
• predictive maintenance: the advent of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has added a new dimension to maintenance planning. Data collected from IoT devices allow facility managers and maintenance personnel to identify problems earlier and resolve them more efficiently;
• breakdown maintenance: this maintenance approach involves performing maintenance operations after a failure has occurred in the equipment. Breakdown maintenance is typically more expensive, takes more time than preventive and predictive maintenance, and can lead to longer downtime;
• tools and calibration: this key principle involves ensuring that equipment and machinery are properly calibrated and functioning according to specifications. This step is essential for accurately measuring and controlling equipment and machinery and is fundamental for maintaining product quality and consistency.

Scheduled maintenance is, therefore, a crucial component of TPM. Its importance for the success of Total Productive Maintenance is highlighted by the following advantages:

• greater production efficiency and an increase in OEE (overall equipment effectiveness);
• increased safety by ensuring that equipment and machinery are in good working condition;
• reduced maintenance costs by preventing failures and extending the lifespan of equipment and machinery;
• encourages employee involvement responsible for the basic maintenance of equipment and machinery.

Total Productive Maintenance: checklist

When implementing TPM in your company, it is useful to prepare a checklist that allows for systematic monitoring of the types of facility management and maintenance activities, promptly identifying potential problems and planning regular inspections.

The main features of a TPM checklist include different sections, including a preliminary section, one for autonomous maintenance, for team training, for safety management, and for scheduled maintenance.

Total Productive Maintenance: case studies

Total Productive Maintenance introduces new maintenance routines into business activities, which all parties involved in the production cycle are required to adhere to in order to achieve continuous process improvement. Below are some examples of these activities:

• operators responsible for operating machinery take on the responsibility for routine maintenance of their equipment, through daily cleaning, lubrication, greasing, replacement of small parts, etc. The same operators are called to perform periodic inspections to detect and report the first signs of equipment deterioration;
• the plant personnel cleans the work area, removing unused tools, debris, and anything that can be considered waste;
• technicians and maintenance managers organize the tools and components they regularly use, and perform advanced repair or replacement interventions, planning preventive actions and supporting operators in their activities;
• management provides the necessary training to make employees aware of potential problems, so they can report them to the line supervisor.

Transforming maintenance management into a business advantage is impossible without an adequate software system that helps you plan, track, and manage various activities. If you also want to start experiencing the benefits of the TPM strategy, I recommend discovering the Facility Management Software, a tool that allows you to monitor the performance of your equipment and enables you to manage and resolve any maintenance-related issues in the simplest and most effective way possible.