Autonomous Maintenance

AM Step 1-3: Equipment Starts Working Better

At this stage, Operators start developing fault finding capabilities, identifying abnormalities on equipment and start thinking of improvements and solving basic issues. This results in reduction of unplanned downtime and improvement in equipment performance. 

AM Step 1: Initial cleaning 

• Regular cleaning and Inspecting the equipment and finding abnormalities which are then corrected and restored 
• Find and eliminate causes for the abnormalities found
• Regular cleaning helps identify & correct minor abnormalities, which could have become major abnormalities, thus reducing unplanned downtime.

AM Step 2: Reduce Cleaning, Inspection and Lubrication time 

• Reduce cleaning time by minimising sources of dust, dirt and contamination and by eliminating hard to access areas
• Reduce Inspection time by creating a visual workplace
• Reduce Lubrication time by making lubrication points easily accessible, easy to lubricate and marking of oiling and lubrication points

AM Step 3 : Tentative Standards

• Create clear standards for Cleaning, Inspection, Lubrication & Re tightening
• Detailed analysis of all abnormalities & improvement actions to minimise forced deterioration
• Visualisation of Checkpoints
• Implement Kaizens to improve standards

AM Step 4-5: People start working better

Operators start taking ownership to detect breakdowns, unplanned downtimes on equipment &  making improvements. With better knowledge & skills, people start working better leading to zero downtimes, minor stoppages and defects. 

AM Step 4: General inspection 

Training to operators to identify and eliminate minor abnormalities, visually identify what is normal and abnormal and sustain the improvements achieved. 

• Preparation: Finalise general & specific topics based on past performance analysis and prepare training material and implementation plan 
• Training: Relay training by maintenance team to production team leaders and from production team leaders to operators.
• Perform General Inspection: Detect and correct minor abnormalities and do Kaizens to convert variable and semi variable points to fixed checkpoints
• Standardisation: Establish daily inspection standards, Practical skill evaluation and improvements

AM Step 5: Autonomous Inspection

• Review CILT standards created in AM Step 3 from viewpoint of Zero failures and zero defects
• Division of responsibility between maintenance & production and balancing of workload for daily checks
• Improve Inspection efficiency using ECRS (Eliminate, Combined, Reduce, Simplify) method
• Create definitive AM Standards & AM Calendar

AM Step 6-7: Entire plant starts working better

The operator starts taking full control of equipment & the entire plant starts working better leading to sustained performance and lower overall costs. 

AM Step 6: Standardization: Standardization aims at ensuring maintenance and management of previous Steps (maintaining basic conditions, daily inspection on equipment) by expanding the operator roles. Key activities done in AM step 6 are

• Operators’ roles are expanded to include tasks around equipment, with activities analyzed, classified, and standardized. Non-regular work is screened, and inefficiencies in regular tasks are identified and eliminated.
• A self-management system is established by defining criteria for process quality assurance, standard work, data recording, management of dies, jigs, tools, measuring instruments, and spare parts.

AM Step 7: Autonomous Management

AM Step 7 focuses on building a program of Autonomous management to indefinitely challenge activities that have resulted in improvements and continuously aim for zero failures, zero defects and zero accidents.  Key activities include:

• Integration of Autonomous Maintenance into company policy to emphasize goals of zero accidents, defects, and stoppages.
• Small-group AM presentations and continuous encouragement of operators to continuously make improvements.
• Continuous enhancement of operators’ skills in Autonomous maintenance  &continuous improvement (Kaizen) activities.