Preventative Maintenance Daily Checklists for Machine Operators

[Quality_Goblin]

Hi All,

How many of you have the machine operators sign off on daily PM sheets? We currently do, but it has been an ongoing issue ensuring that they actually sign off on the sheet. If they don't, I have to find them and ask them to backdate the entries so that nothing is empty. I find this to be tedious and non-value add. Not only that, but it's extra paperwork for us to file and keep up with. It has also come to my attention that not all machinists know and understand what goes into the items that are to be inspected (see list below). We have operators brand new to the industry, who have never worked on machines before, and they have no idea what they are doing.

While there are scheduled preventative maintenance procedures in place for the maintenance department, I don't feel like we need to have the operators sign off every day that they checked on various items (such as coolant levels, air hose leaks, etc.). The assumption is that they do it anyway before they start working on their jobs. I feel that with the proper training, it should be ingrained in the operator's mind that they do these checks regardless.

I would like to apply some risk-based thinking on why to discontinue the use of operators filling out daily checklists and leave the maintenance portion to the actual maintenance team and eliminate the need for operators to sign off on daily PM. The standards do not require specific intervals, only that something is in place. Please lend some advice and experience, thanks!

These are the items that they are supposed to check/fix (as needed) daily:

• Check E-stop buttons and interlocks
• Clean tool spindle taper, inspect tool holders
• Inspect all sliding way covers for major damage
• Inspect/correct fluid levels (hydraulic, barfeeder, coolant, waylube)
• Check air pressure at the regulator
• Inspect air, hydraulic, and coolant hoses for leaks
• Inspect spindle chiller oil and air filter levels/conditions

 

[hogheavenfarm]

Old saying, "When its everybodies job, its nobodies job" . If you have a maintenance team responsible for this, why bring others in on it? Is there a problem with the maintenance team doing this? Sounds like a good 5-Y exercise. Is it value added? So many questions here.

 

[SeanN]

Hi All,

How many of you have the machine operators sign off on daily PM sheets? We currently do, but it has been an ongoing issue ensuring that they actually sign off on the sheet. If they don't, I have to find them and ask them to backdate the entries so that nothing is empty. I find this to be tedious and non-value add. Not only that, but it's extra paperwork for us to file and keep up with. It has also come to my attention that not all machinists know and understand what goes into the items that are to be inspected (see list below). We have operators brand new to the industry, who have never worked on machines before, and they have no idea what they are doing.

While there are scheduled preventative maintenance procedures in place for the maintenance department, I don't feel like we need to have the operators sign off every day that they checked on various items (such as coolant levels, air hose leaks, etc.). The assumption is that they do it anyway before they start working on their jobs. I feel that with the proper training, it should be ingrained in the operator's mind that they do these checks regardless.

I would like to apply some risk-based thinking on why to discontinue the use of operators filling out daily checklists and leave the maintenance portion to the actual maintenance team and eliminate the need for operators to sign off on daily PM. The standards do not require specific intervals, only that something is in place. Please lend some advice and experience, thanks!

These are the items that they are supposed to check/fix (as needed) daily:

• Check E-stop buttons and interlocks
• Clean tool spindle taper, inspect tool holders
• Inspect all sliding way covers for major damage
• Inspect/correct fluid levels (hydraulic, barfeeder, coolant, waylube)
• Check air pressure at the regulator
• Inspect air, hydraulic, and coolant hoses for leaks
• Inspect spindle chiller oil and air filter levels/conditions

Having the same headache. And I am changing it from "monthly" to "as needed" (and seems that no one feels the need to do so). But at least to avoid observable NCs. We had an NC approx. three years ago when the auditor noticed blank forms on an a piece of equipment... You may want to ask 'why don't we ask the boss to involve?' The answer is 'it doesn't help, unfortunately'. What can we do?

 

[Golfman25]

Hi All,

How many of you have the machine operators sign off on daily PM sheets? We currently do, but it has been an ongoing issue ensuring that they actually sign off on the sheet. If they don't, I have to find them and ask them to backdate the entries so that nothing is empty. I find this to be tedious and non-value add. Not only that, but it's extra paperwork for us to file and keep up with. It has also come to my attention that not all machinists know and understand what goes into the items that are to be inspected (see list below). We have operators brand new to the industry, who have never worked on machines before, and they have no idea what they are doing.

While there are scheduled preventative maintenance procedures in place for the maintenance department, I don't feel like we need to have the operators sign off every day that they checked on various items (such as coolant levels, air hose leaks, etc.). The assumption is that they do it anyway before they start working on their jobs. I feel that with the proper training, it should be ingrained in the operator's mind that they do these checks regardless.

I would like to apply some risk-based thinking on why to discontinue the use of operators filling out daily checklists and leave the maintenance portion to the actual maintenance team and eliminate the need for operators to sign off on daily PM. The standards do not require specific intervals, only that something is in place. Please lend some advice and experience, thanks!

These are the items that they are supposed to check/fix (as needed) daily:

• Check E-stop buttons and interlocks
• Clean tool spindle taper, inspect tool holders
• Inspect all sliding way covers for major damage
• Inspect/correct fluid levels (hydraulic, barfeeder, coolant, waylube)
• Check air pressure at the regulator
• Inspect air, hydraulic, and coolant hoses for leaks
• Inspect spindle chiller oil and air filter levels/conditions

So first question, why do you need to check all that on a daily basis. And if you do, why do you need to record it? Some seems like routine daily operation tasks -- do I have enough coolant, are my tools good, air pressure up, etc. If so, I am good to go. If an operator notices a leak or issue, he contacts maintenance.

Second, if you feel it necessary, maybe a good work around is a simple "erasable" check board on the machine itself. Guy comes in -- does his check, marks the board, and goes about his day. Supervisors can walk the floor and if they see incomplete boards, raise a question about it. No reason to keep 250-365 pieces of paper per machine, per year.

 

[Michael_M]

These are the items that they are supposed to check/fix (as needed) daily:

• Check E-stop buttons and interlocks
• Clean tool spindle taper, inspect tool holders
• Inspect all sliding way covers for major damage
• Inspect/correct fluid levels (hydraulic, barfeeder, coolant, waylube)
• Check air pressure at the regulator
• Inspect air, hydraulic, and coolant hoses for leaks
• Inspect spindle chiller oil and air filter levels/conditions

A couple of questions:
1. How is the E-stop and interlocks checked? Have you ever found one to be bad during one of the these checks? This would be a risk evaluation since checking the E-Stop button could be what wears out the E-Stop button.
2. Cleaning the tool spindle taper should also be a risk evaluation. Checking it daily at the same time each day (assuming the inspection is done at the same time each day) does not stop a chip from getting into the spindle 10 minutes after the spindle gets cleaned. When the spindle is cleaned, are you finding an chips/FOD?
3. Inspect for major damage? This one seems odd since major damage should be reported as soon as it happens because anything that can cause major damage could cause other damage as well.
4. In my experience working in a machine shop, operators only really fill fluid levels when they run out (all the machines I have seen will alarm out on low fluid levels). I could be wrong here as I don't know your machines but, again, in my experience, fluid levels get filled once a month.
5. The last 3 items on the list, in my opinion, fall into the same category. If a coolant line has a leak, it will be noticed when a pool of coolant is on the floor, low air pressure when the operator blows off a part or the machine. As for the chiller and air filter. I would think if you honestly check it every day, then the spindle chiller would be filled too often (and the risk of over filling) while the air filters would be changes frequently. I have seen things checked every day and either things get fixed/filled too often OR the operator never really see's it.

All of this really comes down to risk evaluation vs. outcome. What happens if you stop checking these items and what are the risks of them being bad (don't forget in the risk, you have outcome and probability). What are the risks if you over check these items, can you damage the machine because you over check?

I use to have the daily machine maintenance but in the end, it did more harm than good.

 

[Randy]

Yeah it's understandable, we Crew-Chiefs got tired of PMD's (Preventive Maintenance Daily) on the helicopters we flew in, we thought "HECK, it was flying good yesterday". Just let the inspections slide a bit, what harm can happen?

 

[Jen Kirley]

Never backdate records. No no no.

If it's really necessary, is there an easy place to make that quick signoff like the Work Order or traveler? This can be checked with less effort as they all get turned in I presume, and I also presume someone looks to see the job went as per plan.

 

[Bev D]

Why are these checklists treated like a ‘quality record’? Why do they need to be signed? Why do they need to be saved? What is the point?

In true lean, operators should never do anything that isn’t directly manufacturing the product. Maintenance belongs to the maintenance people. Small obvious checks are OK and probably good but really what are you trying to accomplish.

 

[Tidge]

From the OP

It has also come to my attention that not all machinists know and understand what goes into the items that are to be inspected (see list below). We have operators brand new to the industry, who have never worked on machines before, and they have no idea what they are doing.

I would like to apply some risk-based thinking on why to discontinue the use of operators filling out daily checklists and leave the maintenance portion to the actual maintenance team and eliminate the need for operators to sign off on daily PM.

If the operators don't know what they are doing, or why they are doing it, or an appreciation for preventive maintenance, I suggest you keep making them do it until they know why they are doing it. This isn't so much "generate quality records" as "we're making it routine so that you get good at it." When I worked in a shop, it was always the managers employees who "didn't have to do/understand PMs" that were always breaking the belts, dulling the blades/bits, etc.

On the topic of "are these quality records?"... for many industries, probably not. For some industries that have specific regulatory requirements about manufactured items and the way they interact with consumers... I suppose a quality regime could go to extreme lengths w.r.t. to certain daily/regular tasks... but practically speaking I expect most quality regimes that lean harder on paperwork than PMs probably don't understand the relative value of each.

 

[Bev D]

Here’s an idea I’ve used: setup a small white board with the days on the left vertical column and the things to check on the top horizontal column headers
Then each operator checks off their checks and dates & initials each row

The supervisor makes the rounds to ensure they completed the checks. And reminds them if they don’t. The supervisor should also be observing that the checks are done.

When the board is full you erase and start again. You’ve no doubt seen this used for restroom cleaning….