total productive maintenance


total productive maintenance (TPM)

a PRODUCTION control system which monitors the availability, efficiency and effectiveness of a firm's MACHINERY and EQUIPMENT. The potential of an item of machinery and equipment usually depends on its function and on the environment it operates in. In particular how well the machine meets the requirements of availability, meaning that the machine is operational when needed; efficiency, meaning that it always performs at its rated throughput; and quality, meaning that it produces no defects or nonconforming products. TPM moves beyond preventing breakdowns and includes machinery and equipment restoration and design, a goal being to upgrade equipment so that it performs better and provides less maintenance than when it was new. See MAINTENANCE, LEAN MANUFACTURING.