By introducing a structured TPM system, analysing product mix and capacity, and running focused SMED and manpower productivity kaizens, the industrial cable plant is able to lift OEE on critical lines, reduce changeover time and redeploy manpower more effectively.
Context and Challenges
The plant produces high-value & heavy load industrial cables, running through processes like wire drawing, stranding, insulation (CDCC), taping, armouring, corrugation and sheathing. Before TPM and Lean Kaizen, faced:
- No formal TPM system – weak preventive/condition-based maintenance and no structured Autonomous Maintenance by operators.
- Significant OEE losses on the insulation line from “no plan”, “no feed”, set-up/changeovers, asset-care stoppages and breakdowns.
- Frequent changeovers on stranding, armouring and corrugation due to many small, short orders; changeover on the 4-cage stranding machine alone took ~40 minutes per carriage.
- High manual effort and idle time in ancillary processes such as dummy rewinding and strip rewinding, with operators/helpers often idle 60–80% of the time.
- Shift manpower built up organically to about 43 people, with little clarity on true required vs potential strength.
Our Approach
The improvement programme was structured as a TPM-driven Lean Kaizen initiative
- Diagnosis & Data Collection
- Analysed order and volume distribution; confirmed that two key SKUs contributed ~85% of annual volume, with the rest scattered across many short orders.
- Mapped the end-to-end process and captured OEE and loss breakdown on the insulation line into clear buckets (no plan, public holidays, no manpower, set-up, asset care, breakdown, no feed).
- TPM Framework Design – TBM, CBM & AM
- Defined Time-Based Maintenance (TBM) for parts to be changed after fixed intervals based on OEM recommendation and experience.
- Designed Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) routines where replacement is triggered by condition (noise, temperature, vibration) rather than calendar time.
- Created simple Autonomous Maintenance (AM) check sheets for operators on critical machines, covering cleaning, lubrication, basic checks and abnormality tagging.
- Manpower Productivity Improvement
- Conducted detailed Gemba observations across wire/strip rewinding, stranding, insulation, taping, dummy rewinding and laying to measure actual work vs idle time per role.
- Prepared & implemented “Required vs Potential Strength” table by machine, highlighting where multi-machine operation, SMED and small design changes could safely reduce headcount.
- Changeover time reduction with SMED
- Ran focused Kaizen workshops on stranding, insulation and strip rewinding to generate SMED ideas (internal vs external work separation, pre-staging bobbins, tools and change parts) and multi-machine operation concepts with Andon signalling.
- Tested high-impact ideas through quick pilots and time measurements while maintaining safety and quality.
Key Strategies Implemented
Product Mix & Capacity Planning
- Analysed annual volumes and machine capacities across wire drawing, stranding, insulation, taping, laying, armouring and corrugation.
- Highlighted that two high-volume SKUs drive ~85% of business; implemented campaign-based production and better order sequencing to reduce changeovers and “no plan/no feed” losses on wire drawing, stranding and insulation.
OEE & Loss Analysis on Insulation Line
- Established a detailed OEE and loss structure for the insulation machine, making visible how much time was lost in planning gaps, set-ups, asset care and breakdowns.
- Set improvement priorities and targets to reduce set-up, asset-care and breakdown losses as part of TPM implementation.
TPM System – TBM, CBM & Autonomous Maintenance
- Introduced TBM schedules for critical components based on OEM and field experience.
- Implemented CBM routines for parts like bearings in spindle arrangements, triggered by abnormal temperature, noise or vibration rather than fixed dates.
- Rolled out AM check sheets and daily/weekly checks for operators, enabling early detection of oil leaks, unusual noise, dust build-up and other abnormalities.
SMED & Changeover Reduction on Stranding and Armouring
- On the 4-cage stranding machine, analysed the ~40-minute per carriage changeover and identified scope to separate internal/external tasks, pre-stage bobbins and tools, and clarify task split between operator and cage attendants.
- Achieved target changeover time of ~20 minutes per carriage.
- For armouring and corrugation, standardised changeover steps and sequencing while protecting MIG weld quality and safety.
Manpower Productivity & Multi-Machine Operation
- For wire and dummy rewinding, recommended running these only when workers were otherwise idle and implemented a foot-operated welding lever to eliminate the need for a dedicated helper.
- On strip rewinders, implemented consolidating two machines under one operator using Andon signals and dual loading bays, as operators were ~60% idle and helpers ~80% idle.
- Overall, achieved manpower from 43 to about 34 people per shift through multi-machine operation, elimination of redundant work and clearer allocation.
Results Achieved
The TPM and Lean Kaizen programme delivered / identified clear operational and cost benefits:
- OEE improvement by 15 percentage points by attacking set-up, breakdown and “no plan/no feed” losses.
- Changeover time was reduced by 50% on the key stranding machine (from ~40 minutes to ~20 minutes per carriage) using SMED and better work division.
- Manpower optimisation by 20%, reducing shift strength from 43 to a potential 34 operators/helpers through multi-machine operation, Andon-based signalling and removal of low-value ancillary work.