The type of autonomous maintenance checklist you’ll create will depend on the type of equipment you’re working with. No two checklists are the same.
For instance, you may have a machine that requires 10 steps of daily maintenance and another set of tasks to do once a month, while other machines in your facility may require weekly servicing.
Checklists help employees follow best practices for maintaining your machinery as well as spotting and repairing anything that looks amiss.
Here are steps you will need for developing autonomous maintenance checklists:
Step 1: Have a clear objective.
It’s important to know exactly what you want to achieve with your checklist. We recommend looking at current maintenance data as a starting point. Some goals may include:
- Minimizing maintenance costs
- Boosting schedule compliance
- Reducing production rejects
- Increasing equipment uptime
- Cutting down on incidence of faults
- Improving safety
Step 2: Audit your equipment.
Make sure to document your equipment and the current state of your operations. As equipment breaks down and parts are replaced, many maintenance teams forget what tools are in their buildings. Taking an audit of each product can simplify the process.
It’s also good habit to write down any replacement parts, the equipment’s expected and past downtime, and any costs associated with maintaining the machinery.
Step 3: Be aware of any standards and regulations.
Federal and state regulations may require specific maintenance tasks and procedures for certain types of equipment. You’ll want to consider any applicable standards as you create your autonomous maintenance checklist.
Step 4: Pick assets.
Some checklists cover multiple assets while others are designed for specific machines. Pick assets where a checklist would make the most impact. For example, machines and systems that are vital to your processes could benefit from standardizing their maintenance procedure.
Step 5: Drafts tasks for each asset.
After you have your list of assets, it’s important to write down the kinds of tasks you’ll need to finish for each one. Some tasks might include:
- Inspecting items
- Lubricating products
- Metering and condition monitoring
- Tuning and adjustments
- Changeover tasks
- Recurring part replacements
Step 6: Write clear instructions for checklist items.
Each item on your checklist should contain enough information to let technicians know what they are supposed to do, how long it will take and any related matters.
Step 7: Train workers.
Workers must know how to use the checklists you’ve created. That’s why it’s crucial to train employees to use checklists to demonstrate best practices.
Step 8: Track results and adjust.
Track the results of your checklists as they’re put into use. You may want to add and eliminate items or adjust procedures based on progress.
