The Marketplace for Business Performance Tools & Services

How much efficiency and money are you losing because your machines are not in base running condition?

How far out of base conditions have your manufacturing equipment deviated over time?

How frustrated are your employees because they want "new machines" since your current machine are "old, don't work right anymore, and outdated"?

You may believe that the only solution is to run out and spend 10's or even 100's of thousands of dollars on new machines because your current stuff just isn't getting it done. But have you tried the old proven TPM method of bringing your machines back to base condition and establishing centerlines? This method could end up saving you tons of money and could help build capability within your workforce to better maintain your equipment for optimal efficiency.

This spreadsheet is a great tool for logging and measuring performance against centerlines once the machine is brought back to base condition. Centerlines are a system of measuring distance, pressure, torque, temperature, or other variables in relation to other known fixtures.

For example, if at base condition, a shaft should be positioned 10 inches from the product for a given SKU, this would serve as your centerline. As equipment wears down, the setpoint for this shaft would deviate from its original centerline. This tells you that the machine is wearing from it's base condition and further maintenance is required.

You can establish centerlines just about anywhere in the factory and for any variable on a machine. Then use these metrics as indicators for when additional maintenance is required so that your machines are always operating in peak condition. The result is increased efficiency, less downtime, shorter lead times, more reliable production, and happier employees.

Use this spreadsheet with others in your Toyota Production System (TPS) or Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) toolbox. It is a huge step toward creating a culture of Autonomous Maintenance (AM) and Continuous Improvement.