F.M.E.

A
(Failure Mode and Effect Analysis)
Chapter 14

Ronette Braithwaite
Tom Plotner
 GOALS
• F.M.E.A.
▫ What is it?
▫ Why is it used?
▫ How it is used.

• Reliability
• What is it?
• Why it is important.

• Block Diagrams
How are we going to accomplish the
goals?

Implement quality!
Survey
 WHAT IS F.M.E.A??
FMEA is an analytical technique that combines the
technology and experience of people in identifying
foreseeable failure modes of a product or process and
planning for its elimination .

FMEA can be explained as a group of activities intended

to:
▫ Recognize and evaluate the potential failure of a product or
process and its effects
▫ Identify actions that could eliminate or reduce the chance of
potential failures
▫ Document the process
 Cont.
• FMEA attempts to detect the potential product-
related failure modes
• FMEA uses occurrence and detection probability
criteria in conjunction with severity criteria to
develop risk prioritization numbers for prioritization
of corrective action considerations
• FMEA is a team effort which the engineer has to
involve the assembly, manufacturing, materials,
quality, service, supplier, and the next customer
(internal or external)
 Benefits of FMEA
• Improves the quality, reliability, and safety of
products / services / machinery and processes
• Improves company image and competitiveness
• Increases customer satisfaction
• Reduces product development timing and cost /
support integrated product development
• Documents and tracks action taken to reduce risk
• Reduces potential for Warranty concerns
• Integrates with Design for Manufacturing &
Assembly techniques
Several types of F.M.E.A: design FMEA, process FMEA,
equipment FMEA, maintenance FMEA, concept FMEA,
service FMEA, system FMEA, environmental FMEA, and
others.

Design FMEA Process FMEA

• Identifies known and foreseeable • Identifies potential failure modes

failure modes
• Establishes priorities based on
expected failures and the severity
of those failures
• Reduces development time and
the cost of manufacturing process
prior to operation of the process
• Helps to establish priorities
according to the relative impact
on the internal or external
customer
• Helps to identify potential
manufacturing or assembly
causes in order to establish
controls for occurrence reduction
and detection
 Reliability
• Reliability defined:

The probability of a product to perform as expected for

a certain period of time, under the given operating
conditions, and at a given set for product
performance characteristics.
Why is reliability important?
• Reputation
• Customer Satisfaction
• Warranty Costs
• Repeat Business
• Cost Analysis
• Customer Requirements
• Competitive Advantage
What is the difference between
Quality and Reliability?
 TAKE A BREAK!!!!

Come back in about

10-15 minutes
 Block Diagram

▫ Is a simple, specialized, high-level type of

flowchart.
▫ Provides a quick and uncomplicated overview of a
process.
▫ Is used to design new processes or to simplify and
understand existing processes.
▫ Is a starting point for process improvement.
 
Simple Block Diagram
Complex Block Diagram

CELL PHONE
ACTIVITY
 4 Stages of FMEA
1. Specifying Possibilities 3. Correcting High Risk Causes
a. Functions a. Prioritizing Work
b. Possible Failure Modes b. Detailing Action
c. Root Causes c. Assigning Action
d. Effects Responsibility
e. Detection/Prevention d. Check Points on Completion

2. Quantifying Risk 4. Re-evaluation of Risk

a. Probability of Cause a. Recalculation of Risk
b. Severity of Effect Priority Number
c. Effectiveness of Control to
Prevent Cause
d. Risk Priority Number
Design FMEA

View Handout
 Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
(Design FMEA)
FMEA Number______________

Page___________of__________

Item ____________ Design Responsibility___________Prepared By

_______________

Mode Number/Year________Key Date__________FMEA Date

(Orig.)____(Rev.)____

Core
Team______________________________________________________________
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•List the functions of the item

•Function should be written in verb-noun context
•Each function must be measurable

Example
•Must hold an extra large coffee (16 oz)
•Heat transmission of less than xx deg
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•Failure modes should be described in technical terms

•Avoid to many details

Example
•Does not hold 16 oz.
•Transmits heat too quickly
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•Effects must be listed from the customers point of view

•Also state whether the failure will impact personal safety or
break any product regulations
•Many effects may exist for each failure mode

Example
•Insufficient quantity of coffee
•Must fill too often
•Injury to person - burn
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•View severity chart

•The severity applies only to the effect of the failure, not the
potential failure mode
•If a severity of 9 or 10 is selected an action should be
considered before continuing

Example
•Insufficient quantity of coffee – severity 5
•Must fill too often
•Injury to person (burn) – severity 10
Item/ Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode A Mechanism(s) Controls N
S of
S Failure

•Classify any special product characteristics for

components, subsystems, or systems that may require
additional process controls.
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•Must be listed completely and consciously

•There is usually more than one cause of failure for each
failure mode
•Causes must be identified for a failure mode, not an
individual effect

Example
•Insulation material too thick
•Inside cup sized incorrectly
•Insufficient insulation
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•View occurrence chart

•Occurrence is based on the chance that one of the specific
causes/mechanisms will occur
•Each cause must be rated on the probability of occurrences
as it contributes to each failure mode

Example
•Insulation material too thick – occurrence 5
•Inside cup sized incorrectly – occurrence 2
•Insufficient insulation – occurrence 5
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•The activities that assure the design sufficiency for the

failure mode or mechanism are listed
•Activities may include prevention measures, design
validation, and design verification
•Three types of design controls
1. Prevent the cause/mechanism or failure mode effect
from occurring or reduce the rate of occurrence
2. Detect the cause/mechanism and lead to corrective
actions
3. Detect only the failure mode
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•The first type is the preferred method to use

Example
•Engineering specifications – preventive control
•Historical data – preventive control
•Functional testing – detective control
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•View detection chart

•Detection is the value assigned to each of the detective
controls

Example
•Engineering specifications – no detection value
•Historical data – no detection value
•Functional testing – detection 3
Item/ Potential Potential S C Potential O Current D R
Function Failure Effect(s) L Causes(s)/ Design P
Mode of A Mechanism(s) Controls N
Failure S of
S Failure

•RPN = (S) x (O) x (D)

•Values for the RPN can range from 1 to 1000
•RPN is used to rank the various concerns on the document

Example
•Insufficient quantity of coffee – severity 5, Inside cup sized incorrectly
– occurrence 2, Functional testing – detection 3
S= 5 O= 2 D= 3 RPN= 30
•Injury to person (burn) – severity 10, Insufficient insulation –
occurrence 5, Functional testing – detection 3
S= 10 O= 5 D= 3 RPN= 150
 Recommended Responsibility Action
Actions and Results
Target
Completion
Dates
Actions S O D R
Taken E C E P
V C T N

•Recommended actions should be focused on

design, and directed toward justifying the cause of
failure mode, or eliminating the failure mode
•Always begin with the concern with the greatest
RPN and working in descending order
 Recommended Responsibility Action
Actions and Results
Target
Completion
Dates
Actions S O D R
Taken E C E P
V C T N

•All recommended actions must have a person

assigned responsibility for completion of the action
•There must be a completion date accompanying
each recommended completion
 Recommended Responsibility Action
Actions and Results
Target
Completion
Dates
Actions S O D R
Taken E C E P
V C T N

•A brief description of the actual action and its

effective date should be entered
•Re-estimate the resulting severity, occurrence, and
detection rankings after the corrective actions
have been identified
•Recalculate and record the resulting RPN
Process FMEA
ACTIVITY
QUIZ
Occurrence numbers tell:

 How bad a failure is

The likelihood of completing the FMEA

The chance of detecting a failure

The probability of a failure

FMEA stands for _________ Mode and Effects
Analysis

Founded

Failure

Function

Fart
RPN development is the reason FMEAs are
performed

True

False
Reliability is important to external and internal
customers?

True

False
There are only two types of FMEAs – Design and
Process

True

False
Design FMEA should always begin with:

Risk priority number

FMEA team

Block diagram

Failure rate
Is FMEA a team effort?

True

False
Does an organization need to implement FMEA to
achieve quality?

True

False
Design FMEA should always start with a _________.

FMEA Team

FMEA evaluation

Block diagram

Quality function deployment

Are you comfortable in conducting your own FMEA
document ?

TRUE