Impact of lean manufacturing tools on maintenance management at a manufacturing plant in the Western Cape

Abstract

The research project is conducted in the maintenance department at a manufacturing company in the Western Cape, South Africa. Since the implementation of world class manufacturing, lean management has become increasingly recognised as highly desirable for manufacturing organisations. Lean tools provide data to inform the company of various losses, while production and maintenance departments can utilise this to improve productivity. The research project investigates the impact of Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) in relation to the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Organisations often turn to further investments when increasing their productivity. By proper utilisation of these lean tools, organisations can increase productivity via understanding the lean tools and with corrective actions which do not include hefty machine investments The primary research objectives of this study are the following: • To determine if a common trend between MTTR and OEE within a manufacturing plant in the Western Cape • To determine whether an increase in MTTR results in a decrease in OEE within a manufacturing plant in the Western Cape. • To determine whether the MTTR trend increases positively with the reduction of the six major losses within a manufacturing plant in the Western Cape. This research aims to improve productivity through the implementation of lean tools in maintenance management.