Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
Maximizing Equipment Reliability & People Performance
Building a Culture of Zero Losses Through Proactive, People-Centric Maintenance
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) isn’t just a system – it’s a strategic mindset.
By uniting people, process, and technology, TPM creates a high-performance environment where every employee becomes an owner, every machine is optimized, and every loss becomes an opportunity.
What Is TPM?
Born in Japan and championed by Seiichi Nakajima, TPM redefines maintenance as a company-wide mission—from the shop floor to the C-suite.
The goal: zero breakdowns high reliability, zero defects, and zero accidents.
TPM transforms your factory culture by shifting from reactive firefighting to proactive excellence—through cross-functional teamwork, operator empowerment, and structured problem-solving.
Foundation: 5S Workplace Organization
Every TPM journey begins with 5S:
Sort • Set in Order • Shine • Standardize • Sustain
Why it matters:
✔ Reveals abnormalities early
✔ Minimizes motion and waiting waste
✔ Builds operator discipline and ownership
✔ Sets the stage for Autonomous Maintenance and Continuous Improvement
The 8 Pillars of TPM
The TPM model is built on 8 integrated pillars, each essential for maximizing equipment effectiveness and workforce capability:
|
Pillar |
Focus |
|---|---|
|
1. Autonomous Maintenance |
Empower operators to perform cleaning, inspecting, lubricating and adjusting, maintain their machines—daily. |
|
2. Focused Improvement (Kaizen) |
Eliminate chronic losses and inefficiencies through team-driven root cause analysis. |
|
3. Planned Maintenance |
Shift from breakdown repair to scheduled, predictive asset care. |
|
4. Quality Maintenance |
Prevent defects at the source by controlling process conditions and quality checkpoints. |
|
5. Early Equipment Management |
Build reliability into new machines and vertical start up—before they hit the line. |
|
6. Education & Training |
Create multi-skilled and competent teams who lead TPM, not just follow it. |
|
7. Safety, Health & Environment |
Deliver performance with zero harm—safe people, safe assets. |
|
8. Office & Administrative TPM |
Streamline non-production areas—procurement, planning, HR—to support shop floor efficiency. |
What TPM Targets: The 6 Big Losses
TPM systematically attacks the Six Big Losses that hurt your OEE:
- Equipment Breakdowns
- Setup & Adjustment Losses
- Idling & Minor Stoppages
- Speed Losses
- Process Defects
- Reduced Yield on Startup
Together, we boost Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) through data, discipline, and daily habits.
Why TPM Matters to Your Business
|
Benefit |
Impact |
|---|---|
|
? Maximized Uptime |
More throughput, fewer disruptions, disturbance & breakdown |
|
? Quality at the Source |
Catch defects & solve problems before they reach the customer |
|
? Empowered Workforce |
Employees, operators with skills, voice, and ownership |
|
?️ Safer Operations |
Reduce injuries, improve morale |
|
♻️ Longer Asset Life |
Delay CapEx through disciplined maintenance |
