Application of TPM at well-known manufacturers in the world (Part 1)

The goal of a Total productive maintenance (TPM) is to ensure optimum conditions for equipment operation and use. The TPM approach is part of the lean manufacturing concept.

In fact, the TPM system offers the optimal combination of efficient use of production machines and the cost of maintaining them in good condition by reducing breakdowns and downtime (including adjustment time), as well as increase productivity and improve equipment. The focus in this system is the prevention and early identification of equipment failures that can lead to more serious problems, i.e., the TPM includes active participation in the process of improving device utilization of the enterprise. Karma.

There are many manufacturers of famous products in the world that have successfully applied the TPM system:

The Unilever Lipton Brussels Tea Packaging Plant is a subsidiary of Unilever Best Foods’s Belgian subsidiary, which produces about 3 billion tea bags a year. The company’s policy is to ensure that it is at the top of the industry. To achieve this goal, in 1995, the development of TPM began, leading to an increase in the cultural level of all employees, increasing production in 6 years to 86%.

Sikishima confectionery factory consists of 10 production units in the administrative areas of Japan. It produces bread, and traditional Japanese confectionery products and Western confectionery with famous Pacso and Shikishima brands. TPM started being established at the business in 1993, after the crisis in the food industry. In 1997, the company received the JIPM Award for “the difference in the application of TPM”.

The second phase of TPM development began in March 1998, along with structural adjustments, to make the business profitable, convenient for employees to produce high quality products and to use modern technology. In the process of moving from the first phase of development of TPM to the second phase, the number of broken devices decreased by 5%, the overall equipment efficiency index increased to 93%, revenue increased 1.8 times.

The Unilever Brook Bond Tea Packaging Plant is part of Unilever Best Foods (UK). The company is located in Manchester, constantly employing 420 people. The company specializes in producing black tea in bags and sachets. This is the most advanced tea packaging company in Europe and possibly the whole world. For the past 10 years, the company has been successfully developing a new product – tea in a pyramid-shaped bag. The introduction of TPM allowed the company to increase productivity by 23%, reduce 84% of production waste and reduce the average cost to process one ton of tea leaves.

(To be continued)

Productivity and Quality Office