Quality Hindering Factors In Tpm And Importance Of Skill Application In Injection Molding Process

Abstract

The concept of quality industry is a journey initiated in the industry of Quality Circles (QC). A small group of members reviews their product shortcomings and endeavors to solve the issue. This as a whole, has a minimum impact on quality. Hence, the quality is moved from QC to the following category of Quality Assurance (QA) which is also a vision. Both QC and QA are such that, the efforts are made post quality defects in the process which implies that the quality factors are hindering in nature and not known to the operator. In this circumstance, the commodities are produced and good pieces are delivered to the customer despite the loss to the organization. This shortcoming are improved when the TPM practicing level are enhanced, further shifting the quality concept from QA level to Quality Maintenance (QM). This just reinsures that “a stitch in time, saves nine”, that is precautions are taken before quality damage making this a ‘cause oriented approach’. It is vital to maintain an optimum skill level to question the concept of “precautionary damage control”. In this paper it is analyzed as the Quality hindering factors in TPM and importance of skill application in injection molding process. Input, in-process managements are with the prime TPM pillar which is quality although it is not practical to achieve zero quality defects. Hence, it is essential to understand that, besides the quality maintenance pillar, the autonomous maintenance, planned maintenance, Education and training and Focused Improvement pillar has to support the QM pillars.