Fault Tree Analysis

This diagram shows the Fault Tree analysis of a systems failure. This type of diagram is
a widely used methodology in system reliability and failure probability analysis. FTA
diagrams are used to provide a graphical representation of the events that might lead to a
failure so that the failure can be prevented.

Diagram Flow
The diagram flows from top to bottom like a standard flowchart. Along the way are
several types of gates that require the user to make decisions. Two common one are
AND gates and OR gates. OR gates typically have just one of the sub problems as the
cause while AND gates require all the sub items to be valid.

Data
The data resides in an Excel file named “FaultTreeData.xls”. The table is named
“ISFailure”. The data file has the following columns of data:
 Event Name – The name of the failure.
 Q – The probability distribution of failures
 Failures – Number of failures
 FVImp – Calculated value, Fussell-Vesely importance.
 RDF – Calculated value, Risk Decrease Factor
 RIF – Calculated value, Risk Increase Factor
 FC – Calculated value, Fractional Contribution
 Sensitivity Value – Calculated value

Data Graphics
There are two different data graphics used in this diagram.

Data Graphic – Event

This data graphic is a text display. It adds the Q mean data field for that shape into the
bottom center of the shape. This data graphic is displayed on shapes that are non
terminal events, these events have sub events.

Data Graphic – End Event

This data graphic is made up of three elements and are applied to end events.
 Q mean – This is a text element that displays the Q mean data field for that
shape’s data row.
 Sensitivity Value – This is a data bar that visually shows the sensitivity value in a
range of 0 to 10.
 Sensitivity Value – This is an Icon set that uses the stop light icons to show
different ranges of the Sensitivity Value (SV).
a. Green Light – SV is less that 1.5.
b. Yellow Light – SV is between 1.5 and 8.
 c. Red Light – SV is greater than 8.

Refreshing Data
Originally the Visio Drawing and Data files were placed in the following directory
“C:\Manufacturing Diagrams”. To refresh the data when the data file resides in a
different location use the following steps:
1. Right Click on the External Data window and choose “Configure Refresh”
2. Click “Change Data Source…”
3. Choose “Microsoft Office Excel workbook”, then click “Next >”
4. Click “Browse…”, navigate to and select “FaultTreeData.xls”, then click “Open”
5. Click “Next >”
6. Click “Ok” to select a new data source
7. With “ISFailure$” as the range you want to use, and “First row of data contains
column headings” checked, Click “Next >”
8. Click “Next >” to include all columns and all data
9. Click “Finish” to exit the Data Selector
10. Click “Ok” to exit the Refresh Data dialog
11. Right Click on the External Data window and choose “Refresh Data” to refresh
the data in the drawing.