Page 93 - TPM A Route to World-Class Performance

74 TPM-A Route to World-Class Performance

concept to disposal. The principle of Early Equipment Management recognizes
the importance of the early stages in the reduction of life cycle costs.
This principle is implemented using three TPM for Design (TPM (D))
techniques (see Table 4.1), each of which is directly linked to the improvement
plan outputs.
Unless good equipment management skills are nurtured, the designers
will not understand how to use shopfloor information, no matter how good
it is. Furthermore, if the designers are not skilled enough to recognize
operational weaknesses, they will not be able to create effective designs.
Most designers have little work experience in equipment operation and
maintenance, so they do not think in terms of operability and maintainability.
However, they can overcome these weaknesses and build equipment design
skills by:
visiting the factory floor and hearing what the equipment operators
and maintenance staff have to say;
studying equipment that has been improved as a result of autonomous
maintenance or quality maintenance activities and listening to project
result announcements made by TPM circles;
getting hands-on experience in cleaning, lubricating and inspecting
equipment;
conducting several P-M analyses based on checklists.
Designers should have their knowledge and skills evaluated in order to
identify remaining weaknesses, facilitate self-improvement, and acquire on-
the-job training in more advanced skills.
There is an extraordinarily powerful commercial advantage to a company
when this vital pillar and principle of TPM can be mobilized and used to
maximum effect. Designers, engineers, technologists, procurement, finance,
operations and maintenance will then work as essential partners in the drive
to improve the company’s overall equipment effectiveness by eliminating
many of the reasons for poor maintainability, operability and reliability at
source (i.e. at the equipment design, engineering and procurement stage).
Table 4.1 TPM (D) links with 9 step TPM improvement plan

Component Purpose Link with improvement plan
~ ~~
Design process To co-ordinate the parallel Measurement cycle
milestones and activities of commercial, Assessment of loss
organization engineering and operations Prioritization/ targets
functions
Evolution of the To co-ordinate transfer of Step 8 Best practice
design knowledge lessons learnt and adoption of evolution
base best practice routines
Objective testing To select equipment options Results from Step 9 problem
based on evidence of prevention activities
suitability