CaoLiao Knowledge Base: 7 Steps and Improvement Mindset for TPM Autonomous Maintenance Implementation

Original source: https://cli.im/article/detail/1932

When implementing autonomous maintenance, avoid attempting to resolve all issues at once. Organize objectives and content into 7 progressive steps—this constitutes the "stepwise autonomous maintenance" approach. The ideal method involves thoroughly completing each step before advancing to the next.

7 Steps of TPM Autonomous Maintenance

Step 1: Initial Cleaning (Cleaning as Inspection)

Initial cleaning involves thoroughly removing dust and debris around equipment. Transform cleaning into inspection to identify potential equipment defects and address them promptly. This process also fosters operators' care for equipment.

Equipment Objectives:

1. Eliminate dirt/contaminants to reveal hidden defects
2. Restore aged/damaged components
3. Identify contamination sources

Personnel Objectives:

1. Familiarize teams with group activities through basic cleaning
2. Develop team leaders' management capabilities
3. Cultivate equipment ownership through hands-on interaction

Manager Guidance:

1. Demonstrate proper practices through role modeling
2. Emphasize critical cleaning areas and lubrication/bolt tightening

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Step 2: Source Control & Difficult Area Solutions

Maintain initial cleaning achievements by eliminating contamination sources (containment solutions) and improving accessibility for maintenance tasks like lubrication and cleaning.

Key Activities:

1. Implement contamination prevention measures
2. Optimize cleaning processes to reduce time

Equipment Objectives:

1. Enhance reliability through contamination control
2. Maintain clean equipment state and improve maintainability

Personnel Objectives:

1. Understand equipment mechanics and processing principles
2. Develop improvement mindset through practical challenges
3. Cultivate improvement initiative and satisfaction

Manager Guidance:

1. Teach equipment operation principles
2. Demonstrate problem analysis techniques
3. Support implementation of improvement ideas

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Step 3: Establish Cleaning/Lubrication Standards

Develop provisional standards for basic maintenance tasks (cleaning, lubrication, tightening) based on previous steps' learnings.

Equipment Objectives:

1. Optimize lubrication points
2. Implement visual management
3. Establish fundamental maintenance standards

Personnel Objectives:

1. Create and adhere to personal standards
2. Understand management principles
3. Develop accountability and teamwork

Manager Guidance:

1. Prepare lubrication management guidelines
2. Provide hands-on maintenance training
3. Assist in standard development

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Step 4: Overall Inspection

Develop inspection skills by learning equipment structure/function, conducting comprehensive inspections, and restoring defects while improving inspection standards.

Key Activities:

1. Conduct inspection skill training
2. Perform full equipment inspection
3. Optimize inspection methods

Equipment Objectives:

1. Restore aged/damaged components
2. Enhance visual management
3. Improve inspection accessibility

Personnel Objectives:

1. Master inspection skills and defect identification
2. Learn basic defect resolution
3. Develop data analysis capabilities

Manager Guidance:

1. Provide inspection checklists/manuals
2. Create inspection schedules
3. Support defect resolution

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Step 5: Autonomous Inspection

Implement and refine standards from previous steps while developing operational expertise and early anomaly detection capabilities.

Key Activities:

1. Develop comprehensive maintenance standards
2. Maintain daily compliance
3. Target zero failures

Equipment Objectives:

1. Apply improvement solutions across similar equipment
2. Optimize visual management system
3. Enhance operational reliability

Personnel Objectives:

1. Develop holistic equipment understanding
2. Cultivate predictive maintenance skills
3. Strengthen autonomous management

Manager Guidance:

1. Define inspection responsibilities
2. Provide diagnostic training
3. Share preventive maintenance case studies

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Step 6: Quality Assurance

Expand focus to quality management through simplified standards and visual controls.

Key Activities:

1. Prevent defect propagation
2. Eliminate defect generation
3. Target zero defects

Equipment Objectives:

1. Refine quality assurance parameters
2. Build reliable defect-free processes

Personnel Objectives:

1. Develop quality-conscious operators
2. Strengthen autonomous quality control

Manager Guidance:

1. Teach quality assurance principles
2. Demonstrate cause-effect relationships
3. Integrate quality systems

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Step 7: Full Autonomy

Maintain achievements through continuous PDCA cycles and align with organizational objectives.

Key Activities:

1. Sustain current TPM level
2. Pursue continuous improvement
3. Prepare next-generation TPM

Personnel Objectives:

1. Develop self-initiated problem solving
2. Implement predictive maintenance
3. Align operations with organizational strategy

Manager Guidance:

1. Support TPM sustainability
2. Advance technical capabilities
3. Prepare for next-phase TPM

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Conclusion

TPM autonomous maintenance empowers employees to fully manage, maintain, and preserve equipment through systematic development of operational expertise. Key success factors include:

1. Transforming maintenance into operator-owned routines
2. Developing multi-sensory inspection capabilities (visual, auditory, tactile)
3. Building troubleshooting skills for minor repairs
4. Deepening understanding of equipment mechanics
5. Fostering predictive maintenance mindset

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7 Steps and Improvement Mindset for TPM Autonomous Maintenance Implementation