Total productive maintenance (TPM) is the process of building a culture of togetherness and involvement of all stakeholders to achieving common organization goal. TPM Concepts brings all effective and efficient tools to improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and reduce downtime. In this, Machinery is at the core focus to maximizing its availability for production and operation.  Total productive maintenance strives all together with goal setting – No accidents, No Wastages, No breakdowns, No Stops, No defects. TPM emphasizes on autonomous maintenance to involving all employees to maintaining own equipments and implementing preventative and proactive maintenance techniques.

The emerging trend in use of Airborne and Structure-borne ultrasound technology in management of equipment has reached to such a state that industries now consider it as one of the most important and cost-effective tools for their maintenance and reliability program. The leak-detection in compressed air and gas, electrical and mechanical inspections, the ultrasound is truly a versatile tool for today’s predictive & proactive maintenance tool.

One of the most common proactive maintenance applications is to utilize the technology for Condition Based Lubrication program and to reduce lubrication related failures in rotating equipment. The majority of bearing failures are related to either lack / or more of lubrication.  Ultrasound assisted lubrication helps to lubricate in right quantity, at right interval following a scheduled program of inspection using ultrasonic instruments that sense high frequency sound waves generated from highly loaded mechanical parts such as faulty bearings and / or starved bearings.

In this paper presentation, an effort is made to present the potential of Ultrasound Technology as an important tool to implementing goals with TPM and how Ultrasound Technology assist maintenance & reliability teams to OEE.

Keywords: Industrial Equipment, Inspection, Ultrasound, Lubrication, Reliability, Energy Conservation, Maintenance, Condition Based Maintenance, TPM, Proactive Maintenance, Preventative Maintenance, Engineering.

Over 28 years experience in promoting and implementing Condition Monitoring Technologies, and Training different PdM Tools like Vibration, Oil Analysis, Thermography, Ultrasound Technology, Electrical Signature Analysis etc across all industry sectors in India, Middle East & North African Countries. A Mechanical Engineer by profession and a certified Ultrasound Level II, Vibration Analyst Level II, Partial Discharge Level II, Infrared Thermography II, TPM Facilitator and Asset Reliability Practioner I. Presently working for UE Systems Inc and having passion to implementing Ultrasound Technology and Reliability improving Concepts. Having commitment to assisting Maintenance & Reliability Professionals to achieving their goals of plant reliability by building & implementing effective maintenance strategies.