Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Autonomous Maintenance

Autonomous maintenance is an approach to equipment maintenance that involves giving machine operators responsibility for basic upkeep tasks. This allows dedicated maintenance technicians to focus on more complex maintenance tasks.

This strategy is a pillar of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), an approach designed to optimize equipment performance and a foundational aspect of any lean manufacturing environment.

Employees using equipment daily are in the best position to continually monitor it and, with training, to keep it in top working order.

Autonomous maintenance (AM) gives operators more control over cleaning, lubricating, and inspecting their own equipment. They can also identify equipment issues early on before they become failures.

Successful AM requires that manufacturers provide their operators with the appropriate digital tools and knowledge to perform these tasks independently.

This involves digitizing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cleaning, lubricating, and inspections. Operators must also have easy access to training and a knowledge base of information.

The primary benefits of autonomous maintenance are:

• Ensuring that equipment is properly cleaned and lubricated
• Identifying issues before they lead to critical equipment failures
• Freeing maintenance personnel for more complex maintenance tasks
• Improving employee engagement
• Improving overall safety

These benefits help maximize equipment effectiveness and improve overall productivity. Learn more about the benefits of autonomous maintenance in our in-depth article.

Implementing autonomous maintenance can be achieved through the following seven steps:

Step 1: Increase operator knowledge.

Use modern digital tools to train and guide operators to perform maintenance tasks and learn about the machines themselves. Connected worker platforms that incorporate digital work instructions and on-the-job training, including one-point lessons, enable operators to be successful at regular maintenance tasks.

Step 2: Perform initial cleaning, inspection, and repairs.

This step involves the operator performing initial cleaning, inspecting, and resolving any equipment issues in need of repair. Standardized work instructions and digitized checklists provide accurate step-by-step guidance for operators to perform regular cleaning and repair activities.

Step 3: Remove causes of contamination.

During normal cleaning and inspection processes, operators should look at where contamination is coming from, and either remove or minimize the sources. For operators that are connected with digital tools, this represents a great opportunity to capture these activities and record them into a knowledge base for future operations.

Step 4: Capture standards for cleaning, lubrication, and inspection.

Defining what operators will clean, lubricate, tighten and inspect, how they will do it, and how often the activities should be performed will help ensure that the equipment remains operational and in peak condition. In modern manufacturing environments, these standards are digitally captured into electronic SOPs and maintenance procedures.

Step 5: Carry out inspection and monitoring.

Once operators are trained and have access to digital information to help guide them through the maintenance processes, they are able to perform these tasks independently and at an optimal level of safety and quality.

Step 6: Standardize visual maintenance.

Manufacturers must also organize the workspace to make it easier for operators to complete maintenance tasks. The most useful tools include visual aids that reinforce standards and help operators understand the equipment, labeling, and how fluids should flow within the machine. These can be delivered to operators through digitized, visual instructions, which may include images or video guidance on equipment operation.

Step 7: Strive for continuous improvement.

As operators become more digitally connected, manufacturers will have access to a rich source of data on how operators perform tasks. Through the use of artificial intelligence tools, data analytics, and operator feedback, manufacturers can gain insights into areas where the largest continuous improvement opportunities exist in productivity, training, workforce development, and content creation.

Once implemented, you can take several steps to improve your autonomous maintenance program.

Connected worker platforms are digital software tools that can help standardize and improve the way operators perform maintenance tasks. They are used to improve communication, collaboration, guidance, and support for the operators.

Connected worker platforms are also used to create, assign, and manage the maintenance tasks being done. Through a combination of digital work instructions and real-time collaboration tools, operators can independently complete maintenance tasks at peak performance.

Autonomous maintenance programs that leverage a connected worker platform provide value throughout the entire operation:

• Plant managers – Improve communication across your operation by digitizing and automating maintenance notifications.
• Supervisors – Gain unprecedented insights into worker productivity and competency, allowing for more intelligent scheduling and job assignments.
• Quality control – Improve the quality, transparency, and efficiency of maintenance procedures, regardless of who is performing the maintenance tasks.
• Operators – Give operators more control over equipment cleaning, lubricating, and inspection to identify issues early on before they become failures.
• Maintenance teams – Free up dedicated maintenance teams to focus on more complex maintenance tasks that require specialized skills.

Furthermore, connected worker solutions that are built on an AI foundation are being used to support continuous improvement and lean initiatives in the workplace. AI-based connected worker solutions like Augmentir help focus continuous improvement teams on workforce productivity and work processes to reduce waste and bring value to the customer.

Manufacturing companies can provide operators with contextual information so they can perform their jobs at peak efficiency and solve problems faster.

This also allows organizations to capture valuable data not just on the work that is being performed, but also on how those workers are performing their jobs and what activities or interactions are contributing to the success or performance of certain jobs.