With a structured TPM “Machine Care” programme, the LPG plant reduced breakdowns, improved carousel performance and shortened truck changeover times unlocking higher throughput without major capital investment.
Context and Challenges
A large LPG bottling plant operating multiple domestic cylinder filling carousels was struggling with low carousel productivity, chronic breakdown, weak maintenance capability, chronic abnormalities and long truck loading/changeover times. Management wanted to stabilise carousel performance, reduce breakdowns and changeover time, and build sustainable technical capability through TPM.
Our Approach
The improvement was run as a TPM-based Machine Care programme for the LPG bottling plant:
- Diagnostic Study & Baseline: Analysed historical data to establish baseline CPH on carousel lines and monthly breakdown hours. Identified chronic problem areas on DU units, conveyors, booms, dynamic scales and associated systems.
- Machine Care Programme Launch: Officially launched the Machine Care Programme at the plant, forming cross-functional teams with company and contract staff. Trained teams on TPM basics, abnormality identification and tagging, and structured problem-solving.
- Targeted Engineering & Layout Improvements: Implemented specific engineering changes on critical units and conveyor sections to immediately reduce chronic stoppages.
- Skill Building & Maintenance Strengthening: Upgraded maintenance capability through new ITI fitters/welders, specialised training and better spares organisation.
- Truck Loading & Changeover Time Reduction: Measured and analysed truck loading and changeover times and implemented improvements to attack line jam losses.
Key Strategies Implemented
Chronic Breakdown Reduction on Critical Equipment
- Root cause analysis, a high-failure unit, resulting in about 50% reduction in breakdowns on that equipment.
- Replaced around 80 metres of worn conveyor sections at critical points, jams, misalignment and other minor stoppages.
TPM-Based Machine Care Programme
- Launched a structured Machine Care Programme, with daily abnormality tagging on carousels, conveyors, booms and checking devices.
- Systematic closure of abnormalities – over time, roughly 850 abnormalities were tagged and resolved, progressively restoring basic equipment conditions.
- Weekly Machine Care review meetings every Saturday to track open tags, actions and standardisation steps.
Skill Building & Maintenance Capability
- Strengthened the maintenance team of fitters and welders and providing focused on-the-job training.
- Organised spares and maintenance tools with simple visual controls to improve response time and repair quality.
Results Achieved
- 70% reduction in breakdowns Overall breakdown hours reduced significantly through systematic abnormality tagging and closure (~850 issues resolved).
- 30% Higher Carousel Productivity: More stable carousels and conveyors improved actual CPH on both lines versus the earlier baseline, enabling higher daily cylinder output without new capex.
- Stronger Technical Capability & Ownership: A more capable maintenance team and active involvement of contract staff in Machine Care improved first-time-right repairs and ownership of basic conditions.
- Sustained TPM Culture: Regular Machine Care meetings, visible before/after improvements on key units, and structured spares management reinforced a culture of daily abnormality detection and resolution instead of reactive firefighting.