Total productive maintenance for the sewing process in footwear
Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management
JIEM
2013-0953
Total Productive Maintenance for the Sewing Process in Footwear
John Reyes
Kevin Alvarez
Amanda Mart?nez
Juan Guam?n
Universidad T?cnica de Ambato (Ecuador)
Universidad T?cnica del Norte (Ecuador)
Purpose: This research proposes an implementation model of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) based on the analysis of criticality of machines in the sewing process in the Ecuadorian footwear industry and the identification of unproductive times caused by labor failures. Design/methodology/approach: The project uses field research, presents a quantitative approach, the data collection is done in a horizon of 8 months in which the information is condensed in data tables and takes as a case study one of the most successful companies in the Ecuadorian footwear industry for its initiative to innovate their processes and research new technologies that help increase their efficiency. Findings: The results allow to demonstrate the successful application of the proposed model in the industrial sector of footwear with an increase of average production standards of 5% and a reduction in the number of human errors of 72.2%. Practical implications: The model allows to execute several activities in four phases: preparatory, introduction, implementation and consolidation in order to develop TPM in sewing process. Originality/value: The paper describes a case study in a major shoe company with the aim of reducing the times for unscheduled stoppages and the number of failures.
TMP; footwear; shoe company; industry
1. Introduction
At the global level, the application of Lean Manufacturing strategies has become one of the most applied
methodologies in order to reduce costs and improve the continuous flow, being aware that in order to advance, it is
necessary to introduce changes in production processes. Organizations have implemented continuous improvement
methodologies in their processes to guarantee their sustainability in highly changing markets (Marulanda &
Gonz?lez, 2017).
Shoe production is one of the most important industries in the city of Ambato in Ecuador. Thus, due to the
growing demands of the current market and the accelerated change in the economy, it is essential to look for
strategies not only at a commercial level, but also at a productive level that directly affects the optimization of
resources.
In Ecuador, lean manufacturing strategies have been little studied and it is common to find in the production lines
an endless number of non-value-added activities that increase the delivery times of Ecuadorian products (?lvarez,
Aldas & Reyes, 2017). The limited application of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and other Lean strategies in
the Ecuadorian footwear industry directly influences the progress of organizations by not improving their
production processes and increasing their costs due to not optimizing their production times and with high levels
of sub-assemblies and defective finished products.
TPM proposes a prescriptive implementation methodology in which the steps that companies must follow to
implement the process and obtain the expected benefits are detailed (Villegas & Velez, 2014). To achieve a dynamic
and profitable growth in the long term, this strategy is based on the analysis of parameters known as ?Availability?,
?Performance? and ?Quality?, which include from the contribution generated by each machine of the system up to
the quality of the finished product and the efficiency of the operators in the working day (Matos, 2012) the same
leading to optimal levels for productive plant efficiency, with the multiplication of these three parameters the
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) measure is obtained.
TPM is a strategy composed of a series of organized activities that once implemented help improve the
competitiveness of an industrial or service organization. The total productive maintenance is a widely used strategy
in the productive areas, which is aimed at increasing the availability of machinery and production equipment, as well
as the economic benefits of the companies (Garc?a, Romero & Noriega, 2012).
TPM is currently one of the most complete strategies to achieve efficiency and competitiveness, which allows to
reach high quality standards, through compliance with planned stoppages, reduction of unproductive times and
consequently in optimal costs. TPM must be supported by base elements such as: senior management commitment,
strategic plan, focus on human resources, process approach and focus on the information system (Mar?n &
Mart?nez, 2013). The benefits of the application of the TPM are based on the predisposition and awareness of
adopting changes in the workers, motivated by an integral philosophy and directed by senior management,
transforming itself into a strategic and functional objective.
The implementation of a TPM model implies keys that allow the success of its application, based on action plans,
training (...truncated)