The people‐machine connection at Texas instruments

Abstract

AbstractThe pressure is on U.S. industry to make more products better, cheaper, and faster, and the search is on for new ways to accelerate continuous improvement. As a result, many companies are taking a closer look at a continuous improvement process first introduced from Japan in the 1980s called total productive maintenance (TPM). The TPM process is about maintaining total productivity through a comprehensive top‐down and bottom‐up plantwide implementation. In a number of manufacturing sites around the world, teams throughout Texas Instruments, Inc., have used TPM to improve the safety, quality, productivity, and profitability of their manufacturing operations. Lessons learned while manufacturing products and maintaining machines have also been applied to the development of new products, processes, and equipment. The knowledge gained in the TPM process is built right into the new equipment to achieve maximum effectiveness at minimum life‐cycle cost.