This repository presents a real-world simulation of TPM implementation and visual control mechanisms within a steel manufacturing plant, leveraging Minitab for analysis and performance monitoring
TPM is a holistic approach to equipment maintenance and is commonly used in manufacturing industries
- It eliminates deficiencies from machines and equipment
- It minimizes or removes defects and detects downtime
- It emphasizes maintenance and improvement of process system and equipment environment
- It increases the operational efficiency of equipment
TPM is the key operational activity for managing quality:
flowchart TD;
A[TPM] --> B[Overall equipment effectiveness];
A --> C[Availability];
C --> D[Time during within the process of equipment is operational];
C --> E[x Performance];
E --> F[Measuring of production is operating at max. capacity];
E --> G[x Quality];
G --> H[Measuring defects];
Includes maintenance of machines and equipment by greasing, cleaning, general inspection, and minimum preventive maintenance by the production operators
Includes developing and executing planned maintenance activities based on factors such as time, cost and productivity
Includes measures to improve the performance and efficiency of the equipment. Measures are taken using different methods such as 5s, 5-Why analysis or Kaizen activities
Includes providing systematic training to all the employees to maintain the equipment and increase productivity
Includes new equipment design and identification of equipment that requires less maintenance
Includes designing error detection and prevention methods into production processes
Targets the goal of accident free workplace
Includes applying TPM techniques to administrative functions. The main applications of TPM for controlling the improved process are:
Helps maintain and store spare parts of the equipment using 5S method
Helps collect data for downtime and conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
Helps maintain SOPs and train employees to maintain the equipment
A visual factory is a lean production environment where charts and signs are used to display information
- Make the immediate status of activities clear to all
- Enables the people involved to understand how each plant works
- Makes the work area self-explanatory at a glance
- Displays real-time information to the workforce
- Helps standardize the process and eliminates waste
- 5S: Specified regions and areas => color coding: To understand the system at a glance, teh work place is organized and standardized using
- 5S [Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain]
- Specified regions and areas are defined for specific purposes
- Colors are defined for specific activities
One of the important elements in a visual factory is information sharing
3-minute management approach -> Issues, progress, and information are communicated to the workforce in three minutes using graphics
Signalling system -> Visual elements, audio or both are used to signal the status of the process, sub-process or machines
Visual controls -> In a visual factory, visual methods are used for communication
Control board -> Helps people to read the complete process at a glance and analyze how process is working
SOP -> Is a set of rules & regulations that must be mandatorily followed in a particular process
Control chart -> provides information on process performance helps to understand the process is in control, and helps sustain the improvement made
Control plans -> Are the plans that are displayed to evaluate the performance of the proess on a timely basis
- Displays the real-time scenario
- Keeps the workforce well-informed of the process
- Aide in solving issues and bottlenecks immediatly
- Highlights the support required, when needed
- Improves process performance
- Monitors, maintains and controls inventory
Seiri is focused on sorting and getting organized.
- Sorting necessary or unnecessary items
- Keeping items based on requirement
- Make workflow smooth and efficient
- Organize storage of all items
- Identify frequently and non-frequently used items
- Preventing accumulation of items by assigning them tags Seiri helps in:
- Simplifying tasks
- Effectively using the work place
- Purchasing items carefully
Seiton is for Straighten or Stabilize
- Classify and set items
- Improve efficiency
- Prevent loss and wastage of time
- Choose correct place, position or holder for tools, items and materials
- Mark or color code items so that they can be visually indicated
Seiso or Shine involves keeping the workplace shiny and clean by:
- Eliminating clutter and organizing items
- Marking the workplace clean so that it is easy to identify the malfunctioning equipment
- Preventing mess
- Finding the root cause of contamination
- Standardising best practices across the work place
- Performing tasks in a standard manner
- Ensuring personal and environmental cleanliness Tools include:
- Job-cycle charts
- Visual charts
- Scheduling 5 min of 5S activity
- Checklists
- Visual management with color coding
Sheisuke is the final step and helps:
- Maintain a discipline and committment
- Maintain orderliness
- Define a new status quo and standard for workplace organization Tools include:
- Department tours
- Performance reviews
- Team and management check-ins
- Pocket manuals
- Newsletters
- Signs and charts
- Checksheets
🤹 Case study: Machine analysis by identifying downtime causes, and evalute machine effectiveness. Assess the audit scores across departments
- All machines are generally performing well, averaging above 21 hrs/day
- Machine_1 has notable dip 19 hours June 5, 2025 - this is correlated with a high 5 hours of downtime
- Breakdowns are the most frequent and severe cause of downtime (13.7 hrs) - this is the key problem area
- Maintenance is also contributed significantly (10.5 hours), but is typically planned and supports uptime in the long run
- Breakdown prevention and introduce proactive maintenance
- Proper scheduling of maintenance to reduce heavy-day disruptions
- Maintenance hours are almost equal to breakdown downtime for each machine - indicating a mixed result
- Machine_1 & Machine_2 have highly combined downtime for both breakdown and maintenance. This suggests
- Possibly reactive maintenance is dominating
- Need for better Preventive Maintenance (PM) scheduled to reduce unplanned stops
- High Sustain scores reflect a culture committed to continuous improvement and discipline
- Good Standardize scores demonstrate that visual controls and procedures are successfully used to maintain organization
- Moderate Shine scores point to the need for more rigorous cleaning schedules and early problem detection via inspections
- Slightly lower Sort and Set-in-order suggests reviewing storage systems or removing unused items more aggressively to reduce waste and improve efficiency
- Minitab 21 or above
- Understanding Six Sigma fundamental concepts
"Every person has mind, TPM support them from behind"