An overview of an R&M guideline for manufacturing machinery and equipment

A paradigm shift has occurred in the US auto industry, from that of aggressive, competitive bidding for the design and fabrication of manufacturing machinery and equipment, to the establishment of long-term partnerships with the suppliers of this equipment. This shift has been driven, in part, by intense pressure from offshore competition. Additionally, it has resulted from a recognized need to improve the quality and reliability of both the automotive products and manufacturing processes associated with this industry. The Reliability and Maintainability Guideline for Manufacturing Machinery and Equipment has been developed and published to meet this need for the manufacturing side of the business. The document builds upon the partnership between the suppliers and users of manufacturing machinery and equipment. By tailoring reliability and maintainability (R&M) activities to the life cycle phase and making these activities application specific to the procurement, substantial improvements in machine availabilities are envisioned