IntermediateTopic 43 of 102Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems
Failure modes and effects analysis
Systematically list failures and rank risk.
In depth
FMEA lists failure modes for each component or step, their effects, causes and current controls; scores severity (S), occurrence (O) and detection (D) to compute RPN=S×O×D (or action priority) and drives mitigation. Types: design (DFMEA), process (PFMEA). Standard in automotive and aerospace (AIAG-VDA).
Key points
- Cross-functional team
- Living document
- Recommended actions
ExampleA DFMEA of a brake line ranks leakage as high severity and prioritises design changes.
What is Failure modes and effects analysis?
Systematically list failures and rank risk.
Why is it important to understand failure modes and effects analysis?
FMEA lists the ways a design or process can fail and ranks their risk, so the most important failures get attention first.
What does the risk priority number measure?
The product of severity, occurrence and detection ratings, which ranks failure modes for action.
What is the difference between design FMEA and process FMEA?
Design FMEA examines the product design, while process FMEA examines how the product is made, and both can identify causes and controls.
How is Failure modes and effects analysis used in practice?
Typical applications include reviewing a braking system to find all failure modes and their effects, identifying the risk of a leaking seal in a pump design and prioritising actions for a new medical device before release.
What should I learn before Failure modes and effects analysis?
Study "Reliability engineering" first (topic 42 of 102 in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Failure modes and effects analysis?
Cross-functional team. Living document. Recommended actions.
Can you give an example of Failure modes and effects analysis?
A DFMEA of a brake line ranks leakage as high severity and prioritises design changes.
What comes after Failure modes and effects analysis?
The next topic is "Fault tree analysis", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Failure modes and effects analysis?
It is classed as Intermediate in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems (topic 43 of 102). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Manufacturing, Robotics & Systems first.