One of the most highly acclaimed disciplines of a company that promotes continuous improvement is preventative maintenance or PM. Well before American manufacturers were even thinking about PM, The Beatles had PM karma in their mind when they penned the lyrics to “Penny Lane” in 1967. As it is said, referring to the fireman, “He likes to keep his fire engine clean, it’s a clean machine.” Little did they know, or did they, cleanliness is equivalent to a well-maintained, superbly operating equipment or machine.
A clean machine reduces what is identified as the 6 types of losses. They are as follows:
- Breakdown losses
- Idling & Minor stoppage losses
- Reduced speed losses
- Start-Up losses/Reduced yield losses
- Quality defects & Rework losses
- Set Up & Adjustment losses
I will save you the pain of explaining how each of these losses apply to a fire truck, just take my word, they do. Seconds matter when putting out a fire and equipment failures of any sort are totally unacceptable. Period. Thank you, John and Paul. Fire truck practices of cleaning should have been absorbed into our living and our manufacturing practices decades before the Japanese directed the American manufacturing executive to pursue it. “Push it” meant making more money and band aid fixes were all very acceptable ways of keeping production going
When your CAUSE is exceptional performance and functionality at all times based upon cleanliness of your machine, then your EFFECT is success. I can’t ever imagine any fire engine truck sitting in the firehouse looking out of sorts with hoses unwound, leaking fittings or crimped lines, axes out of place, ladders jamming, valves not functioning, tires and other critical systems in a state of repair. The machine must be “Spic & Span” tidy to fully perform its life savings and fire extinguishing services otherwise it is rendered useless. Malfunction of any systems is failure. Manufacturing managers must also take on the same mindset regarding their machines. If CAUSE is right, so is the EFFECT. It usually goes the other way and search begins for what is the cause of the unacceptable effect.
I once reported to a manufacturing executive who told me it was my task to ensure that the day a brand-new machine was uncrated and placed on the manufacturing plant floor that it was to remain in that same condition. A clean machine. Personally I get it. You can tell the quality of a process or of a product by looking at the source of production. Consumers judge your company’s worth: by the appearance of the floor or a table in your restaurant, by the condition of the utensils, by the presentation of the food, and by the mannerism and dress code of the wait staff, let alone just taste of the food. It’s all about striving to achieve high standards and maintaining them. Set the bar high and keep it there.
A manufacturing plant must ensure the very blood in their operations is cared for 100% of the time, which means making sure your primary patients are taken care of per a regimented preventive maintenance schedule. Running a manufacturing plant is like running a marathon. You are in it for the long haul not just a sprint. Every day is a training day that guides your performance for your day of reckoning. Marathon runners know daily running matters, which requires a good diet, proper hydration, strength conditioning, quality footwear, etc. It is a combination of things that either create a result that is satisfying to the runner’s mind and body or a resultant feat of failure based upon inadequate training and poor physical care.
The 5 keys to implementing a Total Productive Maintenance (and preventative), also identified as TPM, on the factory floor, is the discipline is based upon the following 5 phases:
- Autonomous Maintenance
- Equipment Improvement
- Quality Improvement
- Maintenance Prevention
- Education and Training
The firemen, in the fire station, all follow these disciplines when caring for their fire truck. They work as a team to ensure, it’s a clean machine plus. Remember The Beatles wrote that song in 1967, fifty-six years ago. If you look at when continuous improvement actually started within the American Big 3 (GM, Chrysler and Ford) that began in the early 1990’s. The Beatles spotted the result of the cause for a clean machine twenty-five years before the Japanese quality movement hit our nations beaches. Let’s keep it simple. Clean machine speaks for itself. You want one. Everyone does. The depth of this is much more that washing the paint, waxing, and polishing the surface. It takes time. It takes discipline. It takes training. It takes perseverance. Connect the dots and have fun.
If you require help in completing your survey, please contact: pverschaeve@surefoundationsllc.com
Equipment downtime comes with a price tag. Some times this is minor, but other times major, like a blown engine on a car. Simple PM, or better stated, a disciplined PM schedule prevents downtime, increases uptime, and increases the longevity of your very expense machine. So why not convert your mindset into having all your machines, “Clean Machines.”