Title: Application of the risk management tool to reduce the failures of spare parts in manufacturing systems

Authors: P. Karuppuswamy, G. Sundararaj, D. Elangovan

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Vattamalaipalayam, NGGO Colony Post, Coimbatore 641 022, Tamilnadu, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, P S G College of Technology, Coimbatore, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karpagam College of Engineering, Coimbatore, India

Abstract: Higher productivity and cost economy in manufacturing are achieved by operating the production machines efficiently with the least downtime. Failure of machine parts is a critical reason for machine downtime and restoration requires spare parts and consumables. Costs of spare parts and downtime reduce the profit margin of the organisation and hence, require management|s attention. A case study on the failures of a cutting blade in a tube drawing machine, a special purpose machine intended to draw solder-coated brass coils into radiator tubes, is examined. A Reactive Failure Reduction Model (RFRM) is developed in which one of the Risk Management Techniques (RMTs) is used to analyse the causes of machine parts failure. Based on the analysis, suitable corrective measures are taken to reduce the blade failures. In this research paper, an analysis of the blade failure, the development of the failure reduction model and the results of implementation of the model are presented.

Keywords: cutting blade failure; machine downtime; spare parts; risk management; event tree analysis; tube drawing; failure reduction modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2006.009352

International Journal of Management Practice, 2006 Vol.2 No.1, pp.42 - 57

Published online: 22 Mar 2006 *

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