WHAT IS OEE? LET’S GET TO UNDERSTAND THE OEE CALCULATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN IMPROVING THE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY
OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) is a key indicator used in the evaluation of the performance of machinery and production processes in industry. OEE Measurement helps businesses to identify weaknesses in the production processes and improve them to increase productivity and reduce costs.
In this article, we will explain what OEE is, how to calculate OEE, and why OEE is an important tool for improving production efficiency.
What is OEE?
OEE, or Overall Equipment Efficiency, is a metric for use in measuring the overall efficiency of machinery in a production process. The evaluation is based on three main factors as follows:
Availability: Measuring the actual operating time of a machine compared to the total operating time it can be used.
Performance: Measuring the actual production speed compared to the designed speed.
Quality: Measuring the number of products produced that meet the desired quality standards compared to the total number of products produced.
OEE Calculation will help the businesses to identify the causes of losses and improve production processes more effectively.
How to Calculate OEE.
OEE Calculation is simple; just multiply the values from the three main factors using the formula:
OEE = Availability X Performance X Quality
Example of OEE Calculation.
Assumingly that a machine operates for 8 hours (480 minutes) with a 30-minute break for maintenance, and can produce 400 units out of a target of 500 units.
Availability: 450 minutes/480 minutes = 0.9375 or 93.75%
Performance: 400 units/500 units = 0.8 or 80%
Quality: The 400 units produced are of 100% quality.
OEE Calculation = 0.9375 X 0.8 X 1 = 0.75 or 75.
Why is OEE important?
Identifying Production Problems: OEE helps businesses to identify the machine problems stemming from downtime (Availability), production efficiency (Performance), or quality (Quality), allowing for targeted improvements.
Increasing Production Efficiency: With data from OEE, businesses can find ways to reduce downtime, increase production speed, and improve quality control.
Reducing Production Costs: OEE helps businesses to identify areas of inefficiency loss, enabling cost reduction and increased profits.
Tracking Long-term Performance: OEE helps in tracking and comparing machine performance over the long term to identify areas for future improvement.
OEE in Industrial Production.
In the manufacturing industry, OEE is a tool used in the evaluation of machine performance, especially in factories with many machines and high production volumes. OEE helps businesses in:
- tracking machine performance,
- identifying problems resulting from downtime or low production efficiency,
- ensuring product quality to meet standards.
Conclusion.
OEE is an important tool for use in measuring the efficiency of machinery and production processes, helping businesses to identify areas of inefficiency loss and improving processes to increase productivity, reduce costs as well as improving quality. Calculating OEE and continuously monitoring this value will henceforth help businesses to compete better in the market. Of course, beyond calculation, improvement and development are essential, and using tools like MES and ERP to assist is a very attractive option. You can find more information on the ARES website.
