How to Restart Efficiently? - Optimizing Production Restart After Maintenance

Introduction

    Restarting production after maintenance is a critical point in manufacturing processes. While the goal of maintenance is to enhance the reliability and lifespan of machinery and equipment, an improperly managed restart process can lead to production downtime, quality issues, and significant cost increases. A well-designed and optimized restart strategy is essential to ensure continuous and efficient production.

In the following sections, we present strategies and tools that help achieve a quick and efficient restart with minimal risk and maximum effectiveness.

The Toyota Example: Solutions from the Pioneer of Lean Manufacturing

    One of the key elements of the Toyota Production System (TPS) is autonomous maintenance (Jidoka), which enables machine operators to actively participate in maintenance processes.

What is Autonomous Maintenance (Jidoka)?

Autonomous maintenance means that production operators take responsibility for machine operations, rather than relying solely on the maintenance team. This is a long-term cost-reducing and efficiency-enhancing strategy that:

  • Reduces downtime, as machine operators can immediately detect and resolve minor issues.

  • Increases machine lifespan, as regular maintenance prevents major failures.

  • Improves quality, as operators directly monitor and control production processes.

  • Decreases scrap rates, since operators detect faults before they escalate into larger problems.

Financial Benefits and Costs

For factory managers and executives, the key question is: How much does it cost, and what are the benefits?

Investment:

  • Training and education costs: Teaching employees basic maintenance tasks.

  • Development of maintenance protocols: Creating detailed checklists and documentation.

  • Initial time investment: The learning phase may temporarily reduce productivity in the first few weeks.

Return on Investment:

  • Unexpected downtimes can be reduced by 30-50%, saving thousands of work hours annually.

  • Production efficiency increases by 10-20%, as operators detect issues more quickly.

  • Maintenance costs decrease, since operators handle minor repairs themselves, allowing skilled technicians to focus on more critical issues.

  • Lower scrap rates and better quality, improving customer satisfaction and reducing complaint-related expenses.

Practical Application and Example

In Toyota factories, machine operators conduct daily inspections, such as:

  • Checking and refilling oil and lubrication levels.

  • Performing basic cleaning tasks to prevent clogging.

  • Detecting and reporting minor wear and tear to the maintenance team.

  • Inspecting safety systems of the machines.

These steps ensure that machines remain in optimal condition and allow for immediate responses to potential problems before they cause significant downtime.

Toyota's example demonstrates that an effective maintenance strategy, combined with operator involvement, significantly accelerates production restarts and minimizes defect rates.

Common Problems and Typical Errors

Issues with restarting production after maintenance are prevalent not only in the automotive industry but across various sectors. The most common errors include:

  • Incomplete inspection processes – Not all necessary tests and diagnostics are conducted before restarting.

  • Communication issues – Inefficient information flow between maintenance teams, operators, and engineers.

  • Lack of well-documented maintenance procedures – Missing restart protocols lead to delays and mistakes.

  • Untrained personnel – Operators lack the necessary skills to handle the restart process correctly.

  • Insufficient spare parts management – Delays in spare parts procurement extend downtime.

Effective Improvement Strategies

1. Reviewing and Enhancing Maintenance Strategies

Implementing Preventive Maintenance (PM) programs can significantly reduce unexpected failures and downtime. The Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) philosophy fosters:

  • Better collaboration between production and maintenance.

  • Improved machine utilization and efficiency.

  • Implementation of time-based and predictive maintenance solutions.

2. Training and Involvement of Operators

Continuous training and involvement of machine operators in maintenance processes significantly impact the speed and quality of restarts. For example, in Nestlé factories, operators perform certain inspections themselves, ensuring a smoother restart. These inspections include:

  • Checking basic machine functions (e.g., temperature, pressure, noise levels).

  • Lubrication and visual inspection of moving parts.

  • Performing simple diagnostics and resetting default settings.

  • Conducting restart tests and documenting deviations.

3. Standardized Maintenance Instructions and Checklists

Detailed and well-documented procedures ensure that all employees perform necessary tasks consistently and efficiently.

  • Example from a European car manufacturer: A dedicated team conducts pre-restart inspections, reducing restart-related errors by 30%.

4. Optimization of Scheduling and Time Planning

Proper scheduling of maintenance activities minimizes the negative impact on production.

  • Example from Lufthansa Technik: Aircraft maintenance is planned for nighttime or low-traffic periods, reducing downtime and maximizing operational efficiency.

5. Application of Technological Developments and Digitalization

Modern technologies, such as machine learning and IoT-based predictive maintenance, allow for continuous monitoring of machine conditions and early detection of potential failures.

  • Example from General Electric (GE): Analyzing maintenance data with machine learning reduced unplanned downtimes by 20%.

6. Implementing Critical Restart Strategies

6.1. Introducing Predictive Maintenance with Machine Learning

By leveraging AI and machine learning, factories can predict potential failures in advance, reducing unexpected downtimes. IoT-based sensors collect real-time data, allowing for optimized maintenance scheduling.

6.2. Establishing Dedicated Restart Teams

Specialized teams ensure a fast and effective production restart after maintenance. These teams are responsible for:

  • Conducting key inspection processes.

  • Testing and validating machines before restarting.

  • Quickly resolving issues to minimize downtime.

6.3. Targeted Training and Involvement of Machine Operators

Training operators ensures a deeper understanding of maintenance and restart processes, leading to:

  • A decrease in faulty machine restarts.

  • The ability of operators to conduct quick diagnostics and minor repairs.

  • Improved collaboration between maintenance and production teams.

Conclusion

    Restarting production after maintenance is crucial for ensuring continuous operations. Poorly managed restart processes lead to downtime and quality issues, making an effective strategy essential.

The Toyota Production System illustrates that autonomous maintenance, operator training, and standardized procedures significantly reduce downtime. However, it is important to remain critical: many companies imitate Toyota's methods, but the problems do not disappear. Similar restart challenges exist in Toyota's factories as in European and American plants, such as communication issues, improper scheduling, and limited maintenance resources.

Large industrial corporations are particularly resistant to adopting new perspectives due to rigid internal processes, standards, and regulations. Elon Musk has also pointed out that industrial giants have a low willingness to change because their established methods and corporate structures hinder flexible innovation. Management often prioritizes maintaining existing systems and hierarchies, which slows down improvements and the adoption of new technologies.

In contrast, the LBMM team aims to eliminate errors with minimal costs, adjustments, and regulatory flexibility, ensuring immediate intervention. However, conflicting objectives within large industrial firms often obstruct this approach. The constant tension between production and maintenance departments due to differing priorities makes it challenging to introduce new perspectives and practices. A company's competitiveness and efficiency largely depend on overcoming these obstacles and establishing a truly flexible, responsive maintenance and restart system.

Development opportunities include the implementation of preventive and predictive maintenance, optimization of scheduling, and the integration of digitalization. A well-structured system not only increases availability but also enhances productivity and a company’s overall competitiveness.

Best Regards, LBMM Team

 

Location: Miskolc, Magyarország

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