The Tissue Converter’s

Guide to
Predictive/Preventive
Maintenance (PPM)
 The Tissue Converter’s Guide to Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PPM)

Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PPM) is comprised of regular examination, inspection,

lubrication, testing and adjustments of tissue converting equipment. PPM is a framework for
proactive, planned maintenance activity that ensures proper performance and longevity.
This eBook provides an overview of PPM, and the advantages of implementing a PPM program.

WHY MAINTENANCE MATTERS

Tissue converting equipment is a considerable, long-term investment. The dollar outlay alone is a persuasive
argument for keeping machinery running at peak efficiency; however, the ramifications of poor tissue
converting equipment maintenance can have far-reaching impact on workers, productivity and even a
company’s reputation.

Implementing a Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PPM) program within your organization can largely
alleviate these potentially costly concerns and protect your equipment investment throughout its natural
life cycle.

PPM Effectiveness 5 Ways to Spot Ineffective PPM

There are several key components to achieving and
sustaining PPM effectiveness:
»»Understanding: The true cost of poor
maintenance transcends equipment cost —
downtime, loss of productivity and worker
under-utilization multiples the initial dollar
amount several fold
»»Commitment: The full organization, starting
with management, must be fully focused on
implementing PPM and eliminating counter-
productive processes and actions
There are several “red flags” that point to lagging
PPM. Experiencing any or all of the following
may indicate the need for re-evaluation of PPM
effectiveness:
»»Low equipment utilization due to
unscheduled stoppages
»»High machine operator wait/idle times
during outages
»»Excessive scrap and rejects, indicating
potential quality issues

»»Knowledge: In-depth learning and analysis
of equipment and process conditions
required to meet quality, output, safety and
compliance standards
»»Consistency: PPM must be considered part
of capacity planning and routinely
scheduled to successfully maintain its
three-phase cadence of issue detection,
analysis and correction
»»Increased repair costs due to neglected
lubrication, inspections or service
»»Decreased capital investment life
expectancy due to inadequate maintenance
Implementing PPM that maximizes effectiveness
starts by determining which type of program or
combination of programs is best-suited to your line
and overall converting operation.

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 The Tissue Converter’s Guide to Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PPM)

WHY PPM?
Much like automobile maintenance where replacing worn brake pads will spare the
rotors from premature deterioration, identifying and attending to tissue converting
equipment issues while potential damage, downtime and parts/labor costs can be
effectively contained is at the heart of PPM.

Take, for example, a tissue converter that was convinced that a mistracking embosser
unit on one of their paper towel lines needed to be replaced since it was causing
severe wrinkles and baggy edges. Prior to purchasing the replacement, an alignment
audit was conducted, revealing that the issues were not with the embosser unit at
all, but the result of misaligned idler rolls. Corrective adjustments were made, and
thousands of dollars in capital expenditure, downtime and lost productivity were saved.

THREE APPROACHES TO MAINTENANCE

There are three ways to structure your PPM program:

»»Run to Fail: The simplest but also the most

risky maintenance strategy, run to fail is the
deliberate operation of equipment until it breaks
down, at which time maintenance is performed.
Run to fail maximizes run time between repairs,
but it can be very costly due to unplanned
downtime and lost production. Also, if
VIBRATION ANALYSIS
catastrophic failure occurs, numerous parts
may be damaged, increasing repair cost and • Vibration Analysis: Applied to rotating
time or possibly necessitating full replacement. mechanical parts to monitor wear and
»»Preventive: Determined using the average or determine when oscillation falls out of norm
expected life cycle of equipment, preventive causing imbalance, misalignment, shaft
maintenance is focused on avoiding or run-out and looseness.
mitigating the consequences of unanticipated
equipment failure through regular, planned
inspections and upkeep. It requires carefully
orchestrated scheduling and accurate
recordkeeping to prevent premature failures
and maximize equipment longevity.

»»Predictive: Based on the condition of the

equipment, predictive maintenance monitors
equipment during normal operation to identify
and address anticipated failures. Beyond
conducting scheduled OEM-recommended
inspections, adjustments and replacing normal-
wear parts, the main methods of predicting
when machinery is in need of attention are:
OIL ANALYSIS
• Oil Analysis: Lubricants are analyzed to
review properties of the base oil and its
additives, contaminants and wear debris
from machinery in order to determine general
equipment health and wearout potential.

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 The Tissue Converter’s Guide to Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PPM)

MECHANICAL THERMOGRAPHY ELECTRICAL THERMOGRAPHY

• Mechanical Thermography: A no-downtime, • Electrical Thermography: Infrared (IR)

comprehensive scan of equipment while
in normal production to detect mechanical
problems due to excessive load or failing
components, and pinpoint trouble areas that
can be addressed during planned
maintenance outages.
sensitive cameras used during equipment
operation detect abnormal heat produced by
electrical problems. Loose wire connections
or overloaded motors create elevated heat
levels that provide indicators of trouble spots
that need to be addressed.

5 MAINTENANCE ESSENTIALS
These universal protocols should be adhered to regardless of PPM program:

»»Safety: Equipment should only be inspected, tested and maintained by qualified,

trained personnel.

»»Operation: Continued safe operation of equipment depends on regular

maintenance, testing and necessary repair of its operating and protective
controls. Should test results or observation reveal poor operating condition,
repairs should be scheduled immediately.

»»Records: Equipment procedures and maintenance guidelines should be kept in

a central location for quick reference when needed. If missing, service, operating
and parts manuals can generally be found on manufacturers’ websites.

»»Instructions: Read and follow all manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions for
periodic service, maintenance and inspection of equipment and systems.

»»Preparation: Don’t wait until it’s too late! Have well-defined emergency shutdown
procedures, and educate key employees on proper implementation.

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 The Tissue Converter’s Guide to Predictive/Preventive Maintenance (PPM)

PPM PROGRAM BUILDING: NEXT STEPS

A PPM program must, first and foremost, be structured taking the needs and safety of your production line into
account. Once the appropriate program is identified, you will need to determine how to implement it.

Not every tissue converter has the capacity to handle the complexities and recurrence of a successful PPM
program in-house. If that’s the case within your operation, there are proven alternatives to consider:

»»Hire it out to a partner focused on helping you achieve your PPM goals, like Fabio Perini North America.
Under a quarterly maintenance contract, you’re relieved of the responsibility for conducting inspections
and maintenance, along with other key components like training shop personnel on equipment best
practices, recordkeeping, compliance reporting, etc.

»»Use an onboard Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) as a computerized “brain” for your equipment.
It tracks running hours or cycles on various parts and processes, and alerts the user before these
items require attention. The user can confirm when these parts are changed and the system will build a
history. The longer the system is used, the more accurate the change times become and the intervals will
be unique to your particular process. Plus, the PLC is a self-contained system, so it will not interfere with
machine functions, and data will be separate from other program downloads.

PPM ADVANTAGES AT-A-GLANCE

PPM increases:
»»The volume of work that can be
repeatedly planned and scheduled
»»Workload leveling
»»Equipment reliability and uptime
PPM decreases:
»»Scrap and reject costs
»»Downtime costs
»»Cost of lost sales volume
»»Total cost of maintenance
»»Urgent or emergency interruptions
due to breakdown
»»Unnecessary damage to equipment
»»High priority/randomly occurring
unscheduled work
»»Materials and spare parts
inventories
»»Total labor required to maintain a
production line

Call Fabio Perini North America today at 1.920.336.5000 to learn more about
how to approach your PPM program, and how we can partner with you to improve
the performance of your tissue converting equipment.

Fabio Perini North America

3060 S. Ridge Rd.
Green Bay WI 54304 USA
1.920.336.5000
©2018 Fabio Perini | North America northamerica.fabioperini.com