Maintenance 4.0 & Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

Abstract: We know that there are many methodologies of great help to maintenance, among them we have the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) methodology, even though it is a compendium of methodologies aimed at creating a corporate system that maximizes the efficiency of the entire production system, at the level of Maintenance Management is a great help by leaning on the 8 pillars for corporate benefit. There is very good information on this methodology, and interesting theses regarding its implementation. For this reason, I wanted to make this article that relates the new technologies 4.0 at the maintenance level with respect to this TPM methodology.

Keywords: Maintenance 4.0; Total Productive Maintenance, 4.0 industry.

In the following infographic I relate Maintenance 4.0 with the Japanese quality methodology called Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), where my point of view is that for the successful implementation of this new technology, we must see it in an integral way and based on the 5Ps: Prediction, Prescription, Planning, Programming and Prevention.

For the implementation of this Maintenance 4.0 model based on the 5Ps in the conceptual phase, it is determined how the damage to physical assets will be predicted and what is the recommendation (prescription) and how to prevent it, taking into account that the action should have been previously planned and programmed.

Based on the fact that the human asset is the fundamental element of any organization, it is important that future personnel from both operations and maintenance be involved with this implementation.

In the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) phase, the stage that will require more man-hours is prediction and prescription as it has to determine all the necessary infrastructure including sensors, cyber-physical systems, prediction algorithm, both machine learning such as deep learning, digital twins, augmented reality, clouds, big data, among others.

In this phase of EPC, the other stage that deserves more hours is planning and programming for the management of ERP systems (Enterprise Resources Planning), that is, the business platform, integrated with the maintenance platform CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System), WMES (Workshop Manufacturing Execution System), WMS (Warehouse Management System), among others.

Finally, in the prevention stage, it would be necessary to define the organizational structure and infrastructure for the execution of these activities as well as for the other stages.

Once everything is ready for the operate and maintain phase, ideally it is simply to “flip the switch” and everything works “automatically” with Corrective Zero.

Now let's see how the 8 pillars of the TPM could be interrelated with the different technologies related to Maintenance 4.0 and in this article, we will only detail some of these

 Autonomous Maintenance:

Under the context of an industrial plant, we have two organizations, one for operations and the other for maintenance, being the responsibility of operations for this type of maintenance, there are all the technical-administrative actions (budget for operations expenses) and management to conserve the element or physical asset, as the concept says.

This maintenance is normally carried out without stopping the operation of the asset, where it is not in failure or could be present in the event of a potential failure; In addition, it can depend on a visual inspection, predictive analysis with its respective prescription, such as lubrication, adjustments, cleaning among others, and on the same manufacturer's recommendations.

In reality, this is a minor preventive with a normally scheduled activity, even though in practice there are cases that run without schedule. Furthermore, in the article of the EN133306 standard it is mentioned that "Autonomous Maintenance (term 7.17 that includes the actions carried out by the operators) can be part of both preventive maintenance and improvement maintenance".

It is worth noting the serious mistake we can make when confusing the Total Productive Maintenance methodology with autonomous maintenance, since we must understand that this type of maintenance is one more pillar of the 8 pillars of the TPM.

Even though we know that operational maintenance is conceived to be carried out by the operator, over time for some they have concluded that this activity could be carried out by the maintainer and allowing the operator to carry out only the activity of operating.

It should be emphasized that the non-execution of this type of maintenance, its effects and / or possible damages, in addition to affecting operations, its consequences due to the magnitude of the repair could generate more man-hours of work by the maintainer, for this reason important of its execution.

However, under this scenario, the operational maintenance department would depend on the Maintenance Management, but the direction for execution will be governed by the operator 24 hours a day. For example, for a refinery the work team could be made up of a small group of mechanics, electricians, instrumentalists and workers available in the plant 24 hours a day who are hand in hand with the operator. At night it could be made up of 6 mechanics, 2 electricians, 2 instrumentalists and 2 workers. Among the activities to be carried out without having to stop the equipment and / or plant, would be to correct small leaks, complete oil, adjust electrical connections and instruments, among others.

But all this activities and inspections could be easier to execute supported by digital twins and augmented reality; also greater monitoring and control of physical assets.

Planned Maintenance:

It is the same Preventive maintenance, the responsibility for the execution of this type of maintenance lies with the maintenance organization and there are all technical-administrative actions (preventive maintenance expense budget) and management to prevent the failure of a physical asset and to be able to conserve it.

This maintenance is executed with the asset out of service, but without having failed, therefore, it is Scheduled and can come from the following:

* Frequency of execution and activities, by recommendation of the Manufacturer.

* Recommendation of an RCM study.

* Due to a technical recommendation also called a prescription, originated by:

a) Predictive analysis based on a predictive inspection

b) Visual inspection. Normally this is the product of operational inspections, managerial scheduled routings, among others.

c) Statistical analysis of failures, which can be executed by the “Weibull” distributions, among others.

It should be clarified that the type of maintenance must be associated with the reason for the maintenance and not just the diagnosis and this maintenance is focused mainly on prediction based on algorithms such as machine learning and deep learning, which will help maintenance management a lot to make a decision just in time.

Quality Improvement:

Pillar that is related to improving the quality of the product and/or service through the effective and efficient maintenance of the equipment's conditions. With the new 4.0 technologies we must seek to implement a process for the reduction of quality defects, rework, inspection time, labor and customer complaints, controlling the conditions of the equipment, determining the relationship between the key characteristics of the products and the production process.

With the support of digital twins, many benefits could be achieved by continuously monitoring not only the behavior of all the variables of physical assets, but also of human assets.

Focused Improvement:

Important pillar to develop activities that involve the different areas of the production process, in order to maximize the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and eliminate the large losses existing in industrial plants, all through multifunctional equipment and the use of new methodologies and technologies, with big data being a great support for root cause analysis (RCA) and for the development of the machine learning algorithm, among others.

Early Equipment Management:

It is very important to develop systems to strengthen maintenance during the design and early management of equipment, with the aim of designing new equipment with few maintenance needs and that can begin to operate normally in less time.

Based on historical data to identify the best design and installation practices, a better manufacturing of the new physical asset can be achieved that could avoid the maintenance of its construction and in the installation stage, it is very important to rely on digital twins and augmented reality.

Education and Training:

To develop the capacities and abilities of the personnel to interact with the equipment and the processes, it is possible to support ourselves with digital twins, augmented reality, among others and these trainings for both the operator and the maintainer would be 24/7, that is, training of manner continuous.

Health, Safety and Environment:

Our goal is to achieve zero accidents and zero pollution, making the workplace a pleasant and safe place. With intelligent instrumentation and with the management of large data, any contamination, fires and others could be detected early.

Administration:

It is very important that the production process works efficiently, with the highest quality and at the lowest cost, through the improvement of the information flow developed by support areas such as planning, development or administration and it is possible achieved with Maintenance Management supported with "powerful" 4.0 tools for analysis and decision making just in time.

My book in Amazon:

*English: “Reality Centered Maintenance”

Color Paperback: https://amz.run/4Ubj

Digital Kindle: https://amz.run/4Ubk

*Spanish: “Mantenimiento Centrado en la Realidad”

Color Paperback: https://amz.run/4Ubd

Digital Kindle: https://amz.run/4Ube

Black&White Paperback: https://amz.run/4Ubh