Executive summary
- AM is the activity that lets operators care for their own machines.
- CLAIR = Cleaning, Lubrication, Adjusting, Inspecting, Repair.
- Cleaning-as-inspection is defined as step one, which is why 5S is the foundation.
- Seven steps, each audited before the next begins.
- The systemic payoff: 20–30% of technician hours released for planned and improvement work.
Autonomous maintenance is the pillar that production and machine operators must own. It only works when they are trained into it properly and when it is coordinated with the other pillars.
CLAIR: the routine care that transfers to the operator
| Letter | Activity | Why the operator, not the technician |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cleaning | Cleaning is inspection. A hand on the machine finds leaks, cracks and loose bolts before any sensor does. |
| L | Lubrication | Most lubrication points need a frequency higher than the technician’s route interval. |
| A | Adjusting | Basic settings corrected inside the shift, without waiting for maintenance. |
| I | Inspecting | The operator knows the machine’s normal sound and vibration better than anyone. |
| R | Repair | Small, trained, standard-backed repairs that never need a work order. |
The seven steps
- Step 1 — Initial cleaning A deep clean with an abnormality tag raised at every defect found. Pass criterion: every tag logged and prioritised.
- Step 2 — Countermeasures at the source Attack contamination sources and hard-to-access points. Pass criterion: measurable reduction in cleaning time.
- Step 3 — Provisional CIL standards Cleaning, inspection and lubrication standards written by the operators themselves, with real frequencies and real durations. Pass criterion: completed within the allotted time on a live shift.
- Step 4 — General inspection Training in machine subsystems — drives, pneumatics, hydraulics, electrics. Pass criterion: the operator can explain how the parts they inspect actually work.
- Step 5 — Autonomous inspection Merge the operator’s CIL standard with the maintenance check sheet into one non-duplicated set. Pass criterion: no item checked twice by two functions.
- Step 6 — Standardisation of the area Extend standards from the machine to the surrounding area: materials, tools and work in process. Pass criterion: an abnormality in the area is visible within seconds.
- Step 7 — Full autonomous management Small groups set their own targets, measure and improve their own equipment. Pass criterion: the group runs improvement without a consultant.
Why 5S comes first
5S creates a workplace and equipment that are clean, orderly and efficient — the foundation of TPM, because cleaning-as-inspection is defined as step one of autonomous maintenance. Without an ordered area, abnormality is invisible.
The measurable payoff
In a properly executed deployment, 20 to 30 percent of technician hours are released from routine work. That capacity is what funds the move to planned and predictive maintenance. Without it, the maintenance team never has time to plan, and the plant stays reactive regardless of intent.
If the operators cannot explain the standard in their own words, the standard does not exist.