Book Review: Introduction to TPM: Total Productive Maintenance by Seiichi Nakajima

This 1988 book is on the SMRP-recommended reading list. A good conceptual understanding of TPM is given along with a decent understanding of program rollout.

Interestingly, one of the incentives for successful implementation mentioned several times is a PM Prize. This prize is referenced repeatedly as a motivating factor for employees. Perhaps this is a cultural difference between Japan and the United States, but I have a hard time envisioning many people getting excited over receiving this kind of reward.

This is a well-organized book that fits a lot of information in a short space. At first glance, it seems rather brief, but look again: there are many checklists, diagrams, and principles that cover much ground concisely.

Five Elements of TPM

1. TPM aims to maximize overall equipment effectiveness
2. TPM establishes a thorough system of PM for the equipment’s entire life span
3. TPM is implemented by various departments including engineering, opperations, and maintenance
4. TPM involves every single employee, from top management to workers on the floor
5. TPM is based on the promotion of PM through motivation management: autonomous small-group activities

12 Steps of TPM Development

1. Announce top managementdecision to introduce TPM
2. Launch education and campaign to introduce TPM
3. Create organizations to promote TPM
4. Establish basic TPM policies and goals
5. Formulate master plan for TPM development
6. Hold TPM kick-off
7. Improve effectiveness of each piece of equipment
8. Develop an autonomous maintenance program
9. Develop a scheduled maintenance program for the maintenance department
10. Conduct training to improve operation and maintenance skills
11. Develop early equipment management program
12. Perfect TPM implementation and raise TPM levels

Seven Steps for Developing Autonomous Maintenance

1. Initial cleaning
2. Countermeasures at the source of problems
3. Cleaning and lubrication standards
4. General inspection
5. Autonomous inspection
6. Organization and tidiness
7. Full autonomous maintenance

Other Key Concepts

• Automation reduces the need for unsklled labor while increasing the demand for skilled operators who can also maintain and troubleshoot sophisticated robots.
• TPM increases profits by increasing overall equipment effectiveness.
• TPM is the fourth developmental stage in maintenance. The first, second, and third stages are breakdown maintenance, preventive maintenance, and productive maintenance.
• TPM works to eliminate the “six big losses:” downtime (equipment failure and setup/adjustment), speed losses (minor stoppages and reduced speed), and quality defects (scrap and startup defects)

Useful Features

• How to calculate equipment effectiveness (pp. 24–8)
• Five related countermeasures for breakdowns (p. 41)
• TPM development process (pp. 50–1)
• Master plan for TPM promotion (p. 67)
• Example of cleaning and lubricating standards (p. 80)
• Curriculum for the basic equipment maintenance technical training course (p. 96)

Table of Contents

1. TPM is Profitable

2. TPM—Challenging Limits

3. Maximizing Equipment Effectiveness

4. Organizing for TPM Implementation

5. TPM Implementation and Stabilization

6. TPM Small Group Activities

Appendix—The PM Prize for Outstanding TPM Plants

From TPM for Supervisors by Kunio Shirose:

1. It aims at getting the most efficient use of equipment (i.e. overall efficiency)
2. It establishes a total (companywide) PM system encompassing maintenance prevention, preventive maintenance, and improvement-related maintenance.
3. It requires the cooperation of equipment designers and engineers, equipment operators, and maintenance workers.
4. It involves every employee in the company.
5. It promotes and implements PM through small-group or team activities.