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Lean Maintenance is the application of Lean philosophy, tools and techniques to the maintenance function. It has the same goals as the application of Lean principles to the manufacturing function: eliminating wasted time, effort and material (and resulting cost) while improving throughput and quality.
As Lean Manufacturing seeks to provide products at the highest quality at the lowest cost in the shortest possible time, Lean Maintenance provides the same attributes to the maintenance function. In fact, Lean Manufacturing depends highly on reliable systems and equipment to achieve its potential.
Lean does not imply cutting the fat or eliminating jobs. It is not an attempt to reduce cost through headcount reductions, which typically don't have anything to do with reducing work. Lean organizations reduce costs by eliminating activities that don't add value to the product stream. It means reassigning people and resources from unnecessary work to value-adding work.
Many tools used to implement Lean principles in manufacturing operations also apply to implementing Lean Maintenance. These tools include:
* 5-S process
* Elimination of the Seven Deadly Wastes
* Kaizen
* Jidoka (Quality at the Source)
* JIT (Just in Time).
5-S process
The 5-S process is a method for ensuring workplace cleanliness, order and organization and should be at the heart of any reliability improvement initiative. It consists of five fundamental steps:
1. Sort - Get rid of accumulated junk that has no value to the job at hand. In Maintenance, this includes removing everything that does not add value to the work being done - components from broken machinery, unrepaired spare assemblies and tools, obsolete charts and graphs and "abandoned-in-place" equipment and piping systems. If it is not needed for the job at hand, it needs to be eliminated.
2. Straighten - Organize what remains after the first step. Consider the flow of work through the area and position equipment and storage facilities to eliminate lost motion and wasted travel. A craftsperson should not have to search for a tool or move something out of the way to begin work.
3. Scrub/Shine - Workplace cleanliness is the next step. Precision work requires a clean work environment. Shop spaces used to rebuild equipment should approach "clean room" standards. Remove all dust, dirt and contamination. Seal concrete...