Autonomous maintenance involves operators performing basic maintenance tasks rather than relying solely on maintenance technicians. This allows technicians to focus on more complex issues and improves overall equipment effectiveness. Key benefits include lower labor costs, early issue detection, and improved safety. Effective autonomous maintenance requires training operators, establishing cleaning and inspection standards, monitoring tasks, and striving for continuous improvement through operator feedback.

1. Autonomous Maintenance
Prepared : Nitesh Hirani

2. What Is
Autonomous
Maintenance?
• Autonomous maintenance is a method in manufacturing that gives
machine operators the responsibility for basic maintenance tasks, rather
than relying on dedicated maintenance technicians. This core principle
of TPM gives operators more control and authority and allows
maintenance personnel to focus on more complex maintenance work.
• In some instances, operators run machines until they break or due for
maintenance, at which point they hand them over to the maintenance
department ?
• Autonomous maintenance, on the other hand, allows machine operators
to perform minor maintenance tasks, such as: lubrication, bolt
tightening, cleaning, safety checks and inspections. Operators are the
eyes and ears on the ground – the first line of defence to prevent
breakdowns.
Autonomous maintenance follows three key principles
1. Prevent equipment deterioration through proper operation
2. Get machines to “like new” standard of clean and keep well.
3. To improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

4. What Are the
Benefits of
Autonomous
Maintenance?
1.Lower labour costs – Because operators are always next to their
machine, this eliminates inefficiencies related to travel and waiting time
for a maintenance technician to come on site.
2.Verify equipment is properly cleaned and lubricated –
When a maintenance technician is overseeing a big repair, simple tasks
like cleaning and lubrication are often overlooked. But with autonomous
maintenance, operators ensure these simple tasks are carried out.
3.Detect issues before they get worse – Because operators work so
closely with their machines, they have their finger on the pulse of the
equipment they oversee. This means they can recognize early on; any signs
of equipment malfunctioning and take the appropriate steps to address it.
4.Free up maintenance personnel, so they can tend to
more critical issues – They can plan and prioritize their specialized
skills to higher-level and more complex equipment related issues.
5.Improve team cohesiveness – By increasing employee
participation, will creating a “we maintain” versus a traditional “I use”
mindset.
6.Improve overall safety – Because operators are continually tending
to the upkeep of machinery, there are likely fewer injuries because the
surrounding work areas are no longer cluttered with tools and debris.

5. 1. Increase
Operator
Knowledge
• In order to empower operators, must first teach them about
the machines they are operating on. They need to know the
ins and outs of their machines, becoming familiar with the
technical details of how the machines’ components work
and equipment-related issues. You must train them to
identify abnormalities, fix abnormalities, set optimum
equipment conditions and detect deviations from optimum
performance.
• The best time to learn is before you need to know. The
second-best time is right when you need to know.
• Operators can quickly access one-point lessons and
interactive standard operating procedures (SOPs) through a
Manual of machine, which lets them get the information
they need, when they need it wherever they are on the shop
floor.

6. 2. Initial
Machine
Cleaning and
Inspection
• Once we have trained our operators, they are now capable
of performing inspections and cleanings. After this step
getting equipment to “like new,” to restore it to its full
performance and keep it at an optimal condition.
• Operator will be looking for: leaks, loose bolts, proper
lubrication, cracks, contamination, removal of dust and dirt,
unusual sounds or smells, and heat.
• If operators run into a problem, they can easily alert and
collaborate with other departments to act against process
deviations.
• After accessing the know-how, operators can get the tasks
done.

7. 3. Remove
Causes of
Contamination
• The cleaning process is complete, make sure it stays that way. To
ensure equipment doesn’t deteriorate. This starts by promoting good
housekeeping and cleaning habits, using sealing methods and machine
covers, and promoting a culture of cleanliness.
• Identifying the causes of contamination takes some analysis – some
root cause analysis to be exact. The data captured through is a critical
component to an investigation.
• In addition, the data detailing who did what, when and the result
empower teams to quickly pinpoint problems, which means solutions
are identified more quickly.
• Team can assign corrective actions through data and RCA operators are
able to tackle what was previously a process with a simple and intuitive
workflow.
• Reducing time spent on non- value-added activities and maximizing
time spent on improving operations.
Cleaning a machine running is
extremely dangerous and
should be avoided at all costs.

8. 4. Develop
Standards for
Lubrication,
Cleaning and
Inspection
• What operators have learned so far, it is important to
document and have a record of standards on cleaning,
inspecting and lubricating on the machine.
• Operators have a point of reference and guide on what and
how components should be cleaned and lubricated.
• Collecting data and fill the checklists on, who did what,
when and the result.
• These data points help to create a crystal-clear picture of
current-day operations. This is important because it is now
easier to quickly identify deviations from standards and the
impacts those deviations had on production, quality or even
safety. These deviations could represent institutional
knowledge not reflected in SOPs, which means necessary
to improve SOPs, one-point lessons and more with
databased best practices.
• This is critical for upskilling new workers and shortening
the time it typically takes for new operators to become
experts.

9. 5. Inspection
and Monitoring • Operators’ maintenance duties can be scheduled and tracked (checklist).
• Operators can make sure to follow a checklist that requires them to fill
like lubrication levels, locate leaks, tighten bolts, look for mechanical
issues like cracks or wear.
• Tackling compliance can lead to big gains for manufacturing operation.
• The visibility and traceability gained through gives supervisors what they
need to quickly track progress, get updates, and understand what still
needs to get done.
• This means preventative maintenance tasks would not fall through the
cracks. Supervisors can check all active tasks for their operators and
check in.

10. 6. Standardize
Visual
Maintenance
• Equipment more visual is important. What does that mean, exactly?
These visual cues make things more obvious, allowing for a quicker
inspection.
• Operators directly benefit from visual improvements.
• They making sure they are safely and efficiently completing an assigned
task. Text-based work instructions with a few outdated pictures likely
help to visualization.
• Team leader should be helping operators to quickly understand what to
look for and where to look for it and these visual mediums make it
easier for non-native speakers to overcome any language barriers that
are further complicated by heavy training resources.
• Make it easier for operators to complete maintenance tasks by
implementing the use of visual cues such as color-coded tags and easy-
to-understand signs or posters that remind operators and other workers
of steps to follow when working with or being around equipment.

11. 7. Strive for
Continuous
Improvement
• Looking for ways to incrementally improve autonomous maintenance
processes.
• We have covered a few ways of driving improvement in the other
steps, but one way we have yet to highlight is the voice of the
operator. It can sometimes be easy for managers and continuous
improvement teams to overlook the most important asset in a factory.
• Operators conclude that no one is listening. As a result, workers stop
reporting issues or sharing their ideas. These unreported issues and
ideas can be costly, leading to downtime, lost time incidents.
• Operators have a voice: a simple tool which they can use to share
what they see with managers and the people who have the power to
implement change.

12. Thanks
When workers see their
ideas considered and
implemented, culture
changes and ownership
improves. That’s how
you empower a
workforce, and that’s a
key requirement for
sustaining autonomous
maintenance.
AM support
culture