Maintenance Management

Assignment-2

Topic : Study on Improvement of

Maintenance Management of BASE Textiles
Limited

By:
Amritash Shrivastava (BFT/19/417)
Rajeev Kumar(BFT/ / )
Company Name: BASE Textiles Limited, Bangladesh

BASE Textiles Limited is one of the most successful textile manufacturers in Bangladesh; a country
with great potential in the field of garment-manufacturing. BASE has acquired a versatile
production chain to cater flexible orders in shorter lead-time. Being an industry-standard certificate
holder, BASE assures the perfect blend of quality and efficiency. BASE has passed over 18 years of
accomplishment, aiming to lead the competitive knitwear-organizations of Bangladesh. It has
arduously re-engineered each step of its value-chain to match the dynamism of the fashion market.
BASE has expanded its capacity, developed a skilled workforce and introduced integrated
technologies, to remain globally up-to-date. It is truly an organization with a glorious past and a
bright future.

BASE started its journey in 1996 – as fabric manufacturers – under the leadership of its
experienced entrepreneurs, aiming to become the trendsetter it is today. BASE was aware of the
fact that short lead-time played a vital role in the modern apparel-industry. So, it located itself in
Chittagong, the port city & attire-manufacturing hub of Bangladesh. It became one of the first
Bangladeshi textile-manufacturers to acquire state of-the-art machinery, dyes and chemicals to
ensure best product quality and safety. BASE has been awarded both the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard
and ISO 9001-2008 Certificate. The factory is compliant for the BSCI Social Compliance Standard
and ES, C-TPAT & FCCA standard of Walmart. So, it has emerged as a compliant and customer-
focused organization. It has contributed in social development and is reputed as an eco-friendly
organization. Today, after over a decade of progression, BASE Textiles is the pioneer of the textile-
industry of Bangladesh and the prime choice of many foreign retailers. It has grown from fabric-
manufacturer to composite-knitwear manufacturer, with a massive capacity of over a million pieces
of garment and 400 tons of fabric per month. The sky holds the limits for BASE.

Products:
Over the years, BASE has manufactured a wide variety of basic products, such as: polo-shirt, sweat-
shirt, ladies & kids-wear, etc. Currently, BASE has evolved to the level of manufacturing specialized
knitwear-products, by keeping the track of the latest market-trends.
BASE has crossed the border of using only ordinary yarns, such as: Cotton, Polyester, CVC, PC, etc.
and it can now make use of Organic, Rayon, Modal, Pima and Fairtrade yarns. BASE manufactures
technical fabric, such as: Viscose, Coolmax and Suplex, using cutting-edge technology. BASE’s vast
infrastructure allows manufacturing almost every knitwear product for men, women and kids. It
specializes in value-added products, such as: Peach-Finished, Pigment-Piece-Dyed, and Heavy
Enzyme-Washed, Bamboo-Charcoal and Eco-Friendly products. It is currently concentrating on
Knit-Denim products, which is soon expected to have a massive impact on the fashion market.

Capacity:
BASE has always been pushing the limits of its capacity, and can now handle volume orders with
ease. As a composite manufacturer, BASE advanced from knitting, dyeing and finishing to garment-
manufacturing at a massive scale. BASE's Fabric Unit, powered by superior European machineries,
is capable of producing 25 tons of fabric per day. BASE has been increasing its manufacturing-
capacity over the years, to convey volume orders of clients, in a shorter lead-time. It can
successfully produce 1.7 million pieces of garment per month. In 2010 alone, BASE exported 12
million pieces of garment, a figure which is expected to reach 21 million by 2021.

Design & Development:

BASE can comprehend the swinging-pendulum of the fashion world and can therefore adapt to the
taste of trendy consumers. This keeps BASE one step ahead of other textile-manufacturers. It has
restructured its Sample-Division into a Design & Development Unit. This fully-fledged section,
headed by a foreign expert, prepares its own seasonal collection according to the latest market-
trends. BASE’s insightful R&D team is always on the lookout for new types of fabrics and products.
This helps the Design and Development team and results in better client-management.

Quality Control & Assurance:

Throughout its decade-long operation, BASE has perfected its Quality Control System, which
includes scrupulous checks, to ensure flawless production. The experienced Quality-Assurance
(QA) team extends its operation even into the procurement of raw-materials and machinery. BASE
has continuously restructured this system, and it now features a unique capability in terms of
industry-low rework and repair rate. It has acquired the latest Quality-Control equipment, and
developed quality-consciousness among the workforce. Due to its firm grip on quality regulations,
BASE can meet the best AQL requirements of clients. BASE’s QA team provides no room for error
and can readily assure superior product-quality to its clients. At BASE, client satisfaction is
company-satisfaction.

1. Introduction
Maintenance has a tremendous impact on any company’s capability to optimize its
production system to meet its long-term objectives. Generally, a production system in
which maintenance is not given attention produces defective products because of machine
defects. Maintenance is defined as activities required or undertaken to conserve as nearly
as possible the original condition of an asset or resource while compensating for normal
wear and tear. It can also be defined as actions necessary for retaining or restoring a piece
of equipment, machine, or system to the specified operable condition to achieve its
maximum useful life . Maintenance management is the process of overseeing maintenance
resources so that the organization does not experience downtime from broken equipment
or waste money on inefficient maintenance procedures. Maintenance management
contributes in reducing equipment downtime, improving quality and increasing
productivity. The maintenance cost varies from 15 to 70 percent of total production cost
due to the high cost of restoring equipment, secondary damage and safety/health hazards
inflicted by the failure.[1] This means if this cost is not managed properly it could easily
spiral out of control and lose business. Maintenance management goal is to enhance
equipment effectiveness and maximize output. It strives to attain and maintain optimal
equipment conditions to prevent unexpected breakdowns, speed losses, and quality defects
in process. There are several maintenance management strategies which organizations
need to be aware of so they can customize to their environment and context. [1]

Maintenance Management Strategies:

Maintenance strategies can be divided into two groups namely planned and unplanned
maintenance. Figure below shows one way of how different maintenance strategies can be
categorized and how they can be deployed. Unplanned maintenance activities are generally
restricted to correcting an emergency to prevent injury, loss of property or to return an
asset to service.[1]

Different types of maintenance[1][pg.no. 12]

What is Planned Maintenance?
Planned maintenance is the process of detailing what materials, tools, tasks, and services
are required to solve a problem. The purpose of planned maintenance is to determine what
work needs to be completed and how it needs to be done.
Planned maintenance starts with a problem and identifies the materials, tools, and tasks
necessary to work on the problem. The planning process involves inspections, part
ordering, process descriptions, and work prioritization. These responsibilities fall on the
maintenance planner’s shoulders. The planned maintenance program for a facility may
include scheduling, but sometimes scheduling occurs separately via a maintenance
scheduler.[4]

Planned maintenance workflow[4]

1. Identify the problem and create a work order
Planned maintenance begins with outlining the scope of the work to be completed. This is
often done in response to a work order, though it may also be based on a repeating
schedule. In either instance, exact information is necessary. The operator or supervisor
who detects the issue needs to get the right information to the maintenance planner. This
information includes details about the problem, the asset in question, and any additional
problems that may be related to it.[4]
2. Inspect the asset and premises where work will be performed
After collecting all necessary information and pinpointing the exact problem, the
maintenance planner outlines the details of the work to be performed. This includes the
scope of the work, what tools will be required, and whether replacement parts or specific
materials are needed. In addition, it’s vital to inspect the worksite—temporary equipment,
materials, and scaffolding may be in the way, which could affect how work is conducted.[4]
3. Order the necessary parts and prescribe a process to complete the work
It is also important to detail the procedures needed to complete the work successfully.
Items such as shutdown procedures, access requirements, and safety precautions are all
vital to the completion of a maintenance task, and it’s important to outline those
considerations during the planning phase.[4]
4. Add a priority level to the work order
Once the work is outlined, it needs to be prioritized, and any necessary materials should be
ordered. The maintenance planner should handle those tasks to make sure the work is
ready to go once it’s scheduled.[4]
5. Schedule and complete planned maintenance
When the planning process is complete, the scheduling phase begins. The maintenance
planner may handle scheduling, or a separate scheduler may take over. Scheduling
maintenance is a separate process from maintenance planning, but the two rely heavily on
one another to make sure preventive maintenance is completed successfully.[4]
5 major benefits of planned maintenance:
Planned maintenance offers various benefits to companies on top of reducing unplanned
downtime. These benefits include:
1. Reduced maintenance costs
Planned maintenance creates an incredible opportunity to reduce maintenance costs. By
outlining a preventative maintenance plan, small problems and easy repairs can be caught
before they turn into big failures and costly repairs.[4]
2. Extended asset life
Frequently servicing assets increases their lifecycle. Maintaining equipment and keeping it
operating in good condition will extend the amount of time that it is operational, so it won’t
need to be replaced as often.[4]
3. Increased workplace safety
Preventing equipment failure is in everyone’s best interests. Not only do you reap the cost
savings discussed above, but operators and other workers in close proximity to your
equipment are also safer with minimized risk of disaster.[4]
4. Improved workplace culture
Planned maintenance reduces not only equipment downtime, but also employee downtime.
Planning out preventative maintenance tasks, and relieving the stress of unexpected
equipment failures will keep employees active, collaborating and overall happier.[4]
5. Planned maintenance decreases downtime
Left unattended, any asset will eventually fail. Faults, failures, and breakdowns interrupt
entire production processes, and that could result in hours, if not days, of unplanned
downtime. That downtime is expensive, especially considering how labor and operations
costs continue to mount while productivity is at a standstill.
Planned maintenance allows minor issues to be resolved before they develop into major
breakdowns. The process of gathering data and prioritizing maintenance tasks makes sure
the most pressing issues are handled first, thereby preventing key assets from
deteriorating further. The planning process also ensures all requisite materials and tools
are available. As a result, planned downtime is kept to a minimum as work is carried out on
time.[4]

Types of planned maintenance

• Preventive Maintenance-: It is based upon the principle that ‘prevention is better
than cure’.It is a set of activities that are performed on plant equipment, machinery,
and systems before the occurrence of a failure in order to protect them and to
prevent or eliminate any degradation in their operating conditions. The
maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals or according to prescribed
criteria and intended to reduce the probability of failure or the degradation of the
functioning and the effects limited.[1]
Types of preventive maintenance-:
 • Running Maintenance-: Running Maintenance includes those maintenance
activities that are carried out while the machine or equipment is running. For e.g
lubrication, adjustment of nuts and screws, tightening of loose nuts and bolts, etc.
• Shutdown Maintenance-: It is a set of preventive maintenance activities that are
carried out when the production line is in total stoppage condition.
• Schedule Maintenance
• Predictive Maintenance (PM) : Predictive maintenance involves the prediction of
the failure before it occurs, identifying the root cause for those failure symptoms
and eliminating those causes before they result in extensive damage of the
equipment. The main objective is to predict an impending failure well in time, thus
avoiding failures which could cause heavy penalty costs and even safety hazards.
This Type of maintenance is performed continuously or at intervals according to the
requirements to diagnose and monitor a condition or system[1]
• Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) : CBM is maintenance carried out in
response to a significant deterioration in a unit or system as indicated by a change
in a monitored parameter of the equipment or system based on its condition or
performance. CBM is most suited for high capital cost equipment and complex
replaceable items and for permanent parts that deteriorate overtime or due to
prolonged use. For this purpose, a good knowledge of failure data is necessary for
effective implementation of condition-based maintenance and this process involves
diagnosis detection and proper execution of maintenance planning.[1]
• Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) : RCM is used to identify the
maintenance requirements of equipment. The RCM establishes functional
requirements of equipment and these are then related to design and inherent
reliability parameters of the machine. For each function, the associated functional
failure is defined and the failure modes and effects of the functional failures are
analyzed. The consequences of each failure are established which fail in one of the
four categories. They are hidden, operational, and non-operational, safety or
environmental.[1]
• TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is a holistic approach to equipment
maintenance that strives to achieve perfect production:
• No Breakdowns
• No Small Stops or Slow Running
• No Defects
In addition it values a safe working environment i.e No Accidents
TPM emphasizes proactive and preventative maintenance to maximize the operational
efficiency of equipment. It blurs the distinction between the roles of production and
maintenance by placing a strong emphasis on empowering operators to help maintain their
equipment.[1]
The implementation of a TPM program creates a shared responsibility for equipment that
encourages greater involvement by plant floor workers. In the right environment this can
be very effective in improving productivity (increasing up time, reducing cycle times, and
eliminating defects).[1]

Maintenance Policy :
Maintenance policies are a set of protocols that are followed to reduce the number of
unexpected stoppages. Performing PVM actions at certain point of time regardless of
component’s condition is defined as a Block policy. Block policy aims to maintain the
component so that the failure could be avoided as much as possible that may lead to a
catastrophic failure. The policy is to work as a guiding principle of how the company is to
achieve its vision and goals, taking into consideration the values and methodologies of the
company. A policy may be a bigger picture for the employees, feeling the attendance of
doing something with the right cause. The policy is a way in which the higher objectives are
translated to more concrete objectives. It is a means to explain the objectives for all
employees. To get an understanding and support in these goals and objectives it is
important that everyone understands the meaning of the organization policy.

Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS)

It is a software package that maintains a computer database of information about an
organization's maintenance operations. This information is intended to help maintenance
workers do their jobs more effectively (for example, determining which machines require
maintenance and which storerooms contain the spare parts they need) and to help
management make informed decisions (for example, calculating the cost of machine
breakdown repair versus preventive maintenance for each machine, possibly leading to
better allocation of resources).[3]
A CMMS offers multiple core maintenance functionalities. It is not limited to manufacturing
but expands to facilities, utilities, fleet, hospitals, sports arenas and more where any type of
equipment/assets are subject to repair and need maintenance. With improved technology
and increasing competition, more and more companies are switching to CMMS vs using
manual methods to track and organize information. The different components of a CMMS
include but are not limited to:[3]
2. Equipment data management
3. Preventive maintenance
4. Predictive maintenance
5. Labor
6. Work order system
7. Scheduling/planning
 8. Vendor management
9. Inventory control
10. Purchasing
11. Budgeting
12. Asset tracking [3]

II. METHODOLOGY
Assessment of current maintenance system : The initial/current status of the maintenance
system was assessed in order to identify the problems that were experienced regarding
maintenance management. This included interviews with the maintenance manager as well as
document analysis to triangulate information obtained from interviews with maintenance
manager. [1]
Fishbone (Root cause) analysis : A root cause analysis was carried out to understand the
contributing factors to system failures so that actions can be developed. Figure 2 was used to
analyze the causes of defects that led to downtime in categories of material, methods,
manpower and machines. [1]

[1][pg.no.14]

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Assessment of current maintenance system: At the assessment of the current maintenance
system, it was found that the maintenance manager is randomly called by the machine
operator to repair the damaged machines.
In addition there were no records of maintenance carried out on machines such as
maintenance log and preventative maintenance log. Upon assessment of the current
maintenance system it was found out that the problems at the company included the following:
Frequent machine breakdowns: These were caused by lack of history of machine failure since
there was no maintenance log. Furthermore, there is no root cause analysis to determine the
cause of machine failures. Limited tools and equipment spares:

Machine spares and tools were limited and this caused the machines to idle in cases where the
machines had breakdowns and waiting for parts to be replaced. This problem was due to lack of
strategy to order the machine parts that are used frequently.
Unreliable machines in production: The company did not have preventative logs hence the
reliability of machines was unknown and there was more downtime because machines
randomly failed. Preventative maintenance is the diagnosis of the machine before it fails in
order to avoid the unexpected failure on a particular machine.
Lack of knowledge about Autonomous Maintenance: Most operators in the workshop
demonstrated limited knowledge on autonomous machine maintenance which keeps machine
operational. This explained observed machine high down times.
Table 1 shows common types of machine failures and causes of failures diagnosed through the
root cause analysis.

Table 1: Types of failures and their Causes

Common types of Failure Cause(s) of failure

Needles damage i. Misuse of the machine usually causes

needle breakage. Using the wrong sized
needle.
a) Needle breakage: ii.A bent needle which results in low
quality of products and ultimately needle
breakage is commonly due to wrong
b) Bent Needle: insertion of a needle in the machine by the
operator.
iii.Top tension is too tight or thread is
wrapped around something. Needle may be
loose.
iv. Operator pulls fabric ahead of the feed
dogs and causes the needle to hit the
needle plate.
v. Fabric is too thick and too heavy for your
machine.
 Looper damages i. When a needle is bent and repeatedly hits
the looper, it may break or bend it.
ii. Incorrect winding of threads on to the
bobbin.
iii. Excessive tension to the bobbin threads.
iv. Incorrect fitting of bobbin case.
Upper Thread breakage i. Wrong threading of the machine
ii. Poor quality of tread
iii. Irregular tension
iv. Wrong timing Inferior thread may have
been used, or thread may be knotted
somewhere. Needles may be too fine for
thread or fabric.
v. Upper tension is too tight.
vi. Thread may be wrapped around spool
holder or thread guides, or caught on
spool's thread slot
Lower thread breaks i. Wrong threading of the machine
ii. Poor quality of thread
iii. Irregular tension
iv. Inferior thread or mis- matched thread.
v. Tension in the bobbin case is too tight.
vi. Needle plate hole has sharp edges or the
shuttle has a rough spot.
After analyzing the types of failures and their causes, a detailed investigation on root
causes was performed.[1, page no. - 14 & 15]
Table 2 presents suggested solutions to address observed common causes of the system
failure.[1, page no. - 15 &16]
Documentation of maintenance practices : In order to improve the maintenance
management of the case study organization, documentation of current maintenance
management process was carried out to expose areas that needed improvement.
Figure 4 below shows how the maintenance system was currently operating (AS IS
model).

Figure 4: Current Maintenance process flow [1, page no. - 16 ]

The proposed maintenance process flow is shown in Figure 5.

 Figure 5: Developed Maintenance Process Flow[1, page no. - 17]

For effective functionality, the developed maintenance process flow needed the
institution of assert labelling, maintenance log, inventory management system,
maintenance checklist and objectives, control procedures and maintenance policy.
Asset Labelling : Production machines were labelled for ease of identification and
access to machine specifications. This information is also useful for documents such
as maintenance log, preventive maintenance log and developing database for the
machines. All machines in production, cutting, design, embroidery and ironing
departments were labelled using stickers.The sticker design includes the company
name and section where the asset belongs (for example P8 means the machine is
from production and it is number 8 on the workshop). The stickers were pasted on
the machine using a sticker labelling machine. [1, page no. - 17]

Figure 6 shows a labelled stitching machine, the label makes it easier to identify the
machine even if it is moved to a different location.
 Figure 6: Sample of labelled machine[1, page no. - 17]

Maintenance log: A maintenance log was developed and implemented upon

completion of machine labelling for maintaining information about the machines in
the production line. Maintenance log provides a record of all work performed on the
system regarding maintenance, thus it provides a history of system failures which is
helpful for preventative maintenance. Information on the maintenance log includes
machine name, model number, asset number, department of the machine, machine
location of the machine, time of failure, cause of failure and remarks.
Figure 7 shows an implemented maintenance log for recording information about
equipment maintenance.
 Figure 7: Developed maintenance log[1, page no. - 18]

Maintenance checklist : A checklist is a document which should be filled prior to

using the machine and this document acts as a preventive maintenance log because
it provides a history of which parts of the machine should be addressed. The checklist
is to be filled by the machine operators daily and then be sent to the maintenance
manager to view which parts of the machine have problems. [1, page no. - 18]

Figure 8 shows a sample maintenance checklist that was developed for the case-
study company. The form is mainly in two parts, the cleaning of the machine before
it is used and just a general condition check of the machine. It also includes the date
the machine was last used and the employee name and number of the employees
who used it last.
 Figure 8: Developed Maintenance checklist[1, page no. - 18]

Inventory Management System: ABC analysis is a system for inventory classification. It

was used to divide inventory into three classes based on Rand volume. These classes were
as follows:
a) Class A - High Rand volume
b) Class B - Medium Rand volume
c) Class C - Low Rand volume
The classification was then used to establish policies that could focus on the few critical
parts and not the many trivial ones. Figures 9 and 10 show ABC calculations that were done
and the graphical presentation based on the inventory order information from the case-
study company. The vertical axis on Figure 10 shows the combined percentage use of the
materials in the different ABC categories.[1, page no. - 19]
 Figure 9: ABC analysis[1, page no. - 19]

Figure 10: Graphical presentation[1, page no. - 19]

ABC inventory control allows inventory managers to concentrate on controlling the more
significant items of stock. The aim of introducing this system is to ensure that critical parts
will always be in stock to avoid downtime of machines due to limited spare parts. Class A
items as shown in Figure 10 comprise of items such as needles, straight cutting blades,
button clamp slides, loopers, feed dogs, idle gears, spiral gears, sharpening stone and yoke
slide which make approximately 20% of high-usage-value items which account for 78.5%
of the total maintenance parts usage value.
Class B items are those of medium usage, usually the next 30 percent of items which often
account for around 13.1% of the total usage value. Examples of these are pressure foots &
needle bars. Class C items are those low usage which, although comprising around 50 per
cent of the total types of items stocked, probably only account for around 8.2% of the total
usage value of all maintenance operations. Some examples of these items are needle bar
balance and clamps, needle bar thread guide, chaining finger and screw for pressure
foot.[1, page no. - 19]

Maintenance Policy :
Through the study, it was found that the textile company of Botswana did not have any
policy or set of documented maintenance procedures. Therefore, a maintenance policy was
developed for effective maintenance management.
Maintenance policy is a statement of principle used to achieve maintenance objectives and
guide maintenance management decision making. Maintenance policy ensures that :
• Equipment is always in a ready and reliable condition. This ensures the company is
able to respond to any sudden change in demand.
• Equipment are always calibrated to provide good-quality products and competitive
advantage. This ensures that there are no sudden and frequent breakdowns and
there is reduction in production of defective products.
• There are no major breakdowns. This ensures there is no loss of inventory or
market share for companies following JIT philosophy.
• Maintenance policy ensures that costs are always controlled.
• Maintenance policy is particularly important in capital-intensive industries.
Maintenance management can be defined as the organization of maintenance within an
agreed policy. It is a process where available resources are regulated in a manner that
plant and machinery can perform at specific levels.
The key requirements and procedures that were covered in the developed maintenance
policy include Maintenance Objectives, Metal Control Procedure, Maintenance Plan-
Preventive and Work Allocation, and Training of Staff.[1]
Maintenance Objectives: Effectiveness of the maintenance is measured by the ability of
the policy to achieve the desired outcomes regarding maintenance in the organization. The
following are the objectives of the maintenance policy developed for the Botswana textile
company.[1]
1. To keep the maintenance cost per production item produced as low as possible.
2. To keep the quality of the product very high.
3. To keep the downtime for critical equipment as low as possible.
4. To provide effective and trained personnel.
5. Minimum level of wastage.

a) Metal Control Procedures

The company used a lot of sharp objects in their production processes, so there was a need
to develop metal control procedures under the maintenance policy. These procedures were
designed to cover all the actions that must be carried out when handling sharp objects in
different task.
Sewing and Knitting Needle Control: Needle control policy covers the strict control of all
needles to ensure that :
• The only ones in use should be for the manufacturing process and that the disposal
of all worn or broken needles is carried out by authorized personnel.
• The only needles allowed at work stations should be those currently needed to
operate the machine process.
• No spare needles should be held at machine point therefore new needles are kept in
a locked location only to be accessed by trained or authorized personnel. [1]
Worn and damaged needle replacement:
• Needles which are worn or damaged but not broken are to be collected and a new
needle must be issued by the authorized personnel.
• Old needles are to be disposed of into a sealed jar or tin with a small opening in the
top. The jar must be kept in the secure location and disposed of responsibly.
• When a needle breaks, the operation must be stopped and the maintenance
supervisor should be informed.
• All the needle pieces must be located and checked against a whole needle to make
sure all the pieces have been found.
• The pieces must be immediately attached to the record sheet with clear adhesive
tape and fully recorded with all information.
• A new needle may only be issued when it is confirmed that all the needle pieces are
found. If all needle pieces cannot be found then the product being worked on must
be placed into a bag or box and taken to the isolation area for further checking.
• The workplace must be checked with a hand-held metal detector or magnet before
work restarts. The handheld detector must be calibrated and operating correctly,
using the 1.2mm test piece before being used. Check for the missing needle pieces in
the isolation area. If found, all the pieces are to be recorded on the record sheet as
normal. [1]
Knives, blades, scissors and snips are used in every area of the factory from cutting rooms
to warehouses.
• All new and used cutting blades for band knives and straight knives must be kept in
a locked cupboard with access only by the cutting room maintenance supervisor.
• Records must be kept of new blades in stock, issued blades and returned blades so
that every blade is accounted for.
The instructions should be considered pertaining to the sharp objects in the workshop;
13. Under no circumstances can old blades be turned into knives for use in the
production area.
14. Old blades must be disposed of responsibly on a regular basis.
15. Where knives are needed to open containers; these should have a retractable blade,
be numbered and stored at the end of each day in a secure cupboard.
16. Small scissors and snips must be tied to work stations and this applies to all areas
used for cutting, sewing, inspection, pressing and warehouse.
17. Large scissors in the cutting room and sample room are to be numbered and stored
in a secure cupboard at the end of each working day. The supervisor responsible for
scissors must check all have been returned to ensure that they are not lost or stolen.
18. Proper care must also be ensured when the operators are holding sharp tools; they
must be held with the blades pointing downwards to avoid injuring one another. [1]
b) Maintenance Plan-Preventive and Work Allocation: Maintenance will be carried out
by the maintenance manager on a regular basis to keep the production machines working.
Information about the maintenance activities should be continuously updated. Duties of
the maintenance manager could include at least the following:
• inspecting the facility,
• checking electrical units of machines,
• ordering parts and equipment,
• recording daily maintenance activity and
• preparing work schedules.
• Machine operators should record the maintenance checklist before using any
machine. [1]
The proposed maintenance strategy for the organization is preventive maintenance. Each
property will have a Preventive Maintenance Schedule that will be completed by the
maintenance manager. Preventive maintenance will be done based on the history provided
on the maintenance log.
The following points are to be checked consistently cleaning, lubrication, periodical service.

# Description Schedule Mode of Remarks

cleaning
1 Spool stand everyday cotton Ensure that there
is no Pins, labels,
and buttons
other than the
thread cone on
the spool.

2 Machine head everyday cotton Remove the

complete dust
from the entire
areas including
Bobbin winding
area,
Knee lifter
connecting
areas, backside
of the machine
arm.
 3 Hook shuttle Twice a week Soft brush Unscrew the
needle plate and
remove the dust
and threads and
clean the feed
dog, trimming
Mechanism, hook
set areas, feed
bar areas etc.

4 Oil tank everyday Brush Where the flap

Tweezer/ and thread etc.,
Magnet will accumulate

5 Bottom oil tank Once in a week Blower Check there is no

pins, bits of cloth
and bits of
thread, labels
etc., in the oil
tank and edge of
the oil tank.

Table 3 : CLEANING PROCEDURES[1][pg. no.21]

Preventive Maintenance Schedule for stitching machines

Sewing mechanics can prevent the sewing defects by maintaining the care of the industrial sewing
machines. Defect free seam and stitches of garments are always having the value-added products
that gain more profits. Seams quality must be obtained through the preventive maintenance of the
industrial sewing machines respectively.

Table 4 : Stitching Check Points[1][pg. No. 22]

Description Schedule Remarks

Needle Daily • Check type of the needle
• Check size of the needle
• Check position of the
needle
• Check needle point of the
 needle (suitable to the
fabric)
• If the needle is
bent/broken/
blunt

Thread Daily • Make sure the thread is

suitable to the fabric and
sizes of the needle

Thread stand Daily • To release the thread

freely
match the angle of spool
holder and thread hanger
assembly.

Thread cone Once in 15 days • Should be kept vertically

on
the thread spool.

Thread guide holes Thread to Thread guides/Tension

Be replaced disk/spring to be change if
800 to 1200 M/C grooved damaged.

Thread check spring Depending on the condition The spring to be adjusted

of the spring according to the thread and
the fabric.

Needle thread tension daily • Check threading:

Threading
should be done properly
(should pass through every
hole of thread guides)
• Tension shoulder be kept
as
light as possible.

Bobbin thread tension daily Check the bobbin condition,

if
 damaged/ bent to be
replaced.
• Bobbin winding: Make
sure
the bobbin is evenly wind
with even tension.
• Bobbin thread tension: To
be
adjusted as per the fabric
and the thread.

hook/looper timing Every 15 days Check the timing of

hook/looper and needle
(refer to the service
manual)
• Check hook/looper point
daily whether it is damaged.
Make it smooth or replace
it.
• Check the needle plate
hole
daily whether it is damaged.
Make it smooth or replace
it.

Pressure foot feed Every 15 days Use the correct types of the
dog/needle plate needle plate/pressure
foot/feed dog according to
the fabric and operations.
Pressure Every 15 days Pressure should be adjusted
according to type of fabric
and operation.

Training of all Operators on Autonomous maintenance:

Autonomous maintenance is defined as a maintenance strategy where machine operators
continuously monitor their equipment, make adjustments and perform minor maintenance
tasks on their machines. [1] This is done rather than assigning a dedicated maintenance
technician to perform maintenance and regularly scheduled upkeep.The core idea of
autonomous maintenance is to provide the operators with more responsibility and allow
them to carry out preventive maintenance tasks.
• All workers in the production unit must be properly trained in order for the
preventive maintenance to be effective.
• Autonomous maintenance should be made part of induction training programmed.
This training is essential to avoid unnecessary breakdown of equipment.
• The operators should be taught autonomous maintenance to avoid downtime of
machines.[1]
This is the core concept of TPM. TPM holds the involvement of everyone as one of its key
principles and thus makes the operators who use the machines more responsible for the
upkeep of the machines as well as the running of them.
Training of the Operators will involve several aspects as outlined below:
Theoretical Training : Theoretical training is about imparting basic knowledge of
machine components and functions. To perform properly the most important task such as
machine cleaning, operators should fully understand the objectives of autonomous
maintenance and be even able to deliver improvements in equipment reliability.[1]
Initial Cleaning and Inspection: The initial cleaning of the machines is essential for high-
quality maintenance. It includes the thorough cleaning of the equipment and its
surroundings. The purpose is to ensure that the machine performance is fully restored by
identifying and eliminating all signs of deterioration. The cleaning and inspection should be
done by the operators so that they become familiar with the machine details and can see
where dirt accumulates and how and what problems are occurring. The inspections that
should be done on machines could include;
• Leak detection
• Checking of loosened bolts
• Lubrication inspection
• Correction of defective items
• Removal of material rests from oil or water
• Removal of dust and dirt and therefore reduction of paint corrections [1]

Eliminating Contamination: After the initial cleaning has been performed and the
equipment has been restored again, it is highly important to make sure that it does not
deteriorate again. This happens by eliminating all possible contamination sources and
improving accessibility for cleaning and maintenance. During cleaning it will be vital to
identify where the dirt that is removed is coming from; is it being produced inside the
machine or is it coming into the machine from outside. The sources of these contamination
can then either be removed or minimized.[1]
Maintenance manager should consider the following possible solutions:
• Maintain cleaning standards
• Achieving lasting cleanliness by avoiding soiling
• Promoting cleanliness
• Encouraging operators to keep order
• Operators should be shown how to facilitate the planned inspections
Developing Standards for Cleaning, lubrication and inspection
The establishment of standards for operations of cleaning, inspection and lubrication
follows the suggested lubrication and inspection schedule. This is the step, which can be
individually adjusted from the operators to every machine. Inspection and Monitoring
could involve the following:
• Checking lubrication level
• Locating leaks
• Tightening loose bolts
• Identifying possible mechanical problems as cracks
• Performing mechanical adjustments: tension measurement and regulate sensors [1]
Finalizing Standards: The last step for a successful implementation of autonomous
maintenance is to finalize all provisional standards and establish a process for autonomous
maintenance to be carried out by the operators in the workshop. [1]
Equipment Monitoring and Control: Top management of the Botswana textile company
should be responsible for coordination and monitoring of the maintenance activities.
Continuous review of workflow will ensure that the management of the property is aligned
with client’s expectations and vision. Staff at all levels will be managing and maintaining
the property utilizing the standard checklists and work flows.[1]
Safety and Occupational Standards: It is essential to implement appropriate risk
assessment procedures for maintenance operations, as well as employing adequate
preventive measures to ensure the safety and health of workers involved in maintenance
activities. After maintenance operations are complete, special checks (inspections and
tests) should be carried out to ensure that maintenance has been properly carried out and
that new risks have not been created. During the whole process, good maintenance
management should ensure that maintenance is coordinated, scheduled and performed
correctly as planned, and that the equipment or workplace is left in a safe condition for
continued operation. [1]
CONCLUSIONS
The aim of this study was to assist the local textile company to develop and implement an
effective maintenance management strategy. The maintenance management system of the
organization was initially based on the unplanned emergency maintenance management
which meant machines were only fixed after they break down.
This reactive system was not suitable for the organization as the company lost a lot of time
in reacting to these emergency breakdowns. The system is now changed to preventive
maintenance which aims to prevent the machines from breaking down hence ensuring that
there is minimal downtime. ABC control system has also been used to ensure that machine
spare parts are ordered optimally so that there is minimal to no downtime of the machines
due to unavailability of spare parts. [1]

References :

[1] https://issuu.com/www.ijmrem.com/docs/ijmrem.c011011024
[2]
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294969559_The_use_of_productivity_i
mprovement_tools_and_techniques_in_the_Botswana_Textile_Industry
[3]
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343384259_A_computerised_maintena
nce_management_system_as_a_teaching_aid
[4] https://www.onupkeep.com/learning/maintenance-types/planned-
maintenance