Failure Mode & Effect Analysis

(FMEA)
Tom Hannan & Kevin Kowalis
Eastern Illinois University
School of Technology
Total Quality Systems
INT 5133

What is 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. ()

OR
Before-The-Event action that makes it
easier to find flaws in the system

Reliability
Is the probability of the product to perform as
expected for a certain period of time, under
the given operating conditions, and at a given
set of product performance characteristics.

Reliability Requirements
Based on the definition of the part, assembly,
or process under consideration, the reliability
of each sub-system and the factors involved
in the reliability must be found, and the
appropriate relationships for each part, class,
or module of the product must be computed.

Failure Rate
Periods of failure can conveniently be
modeled by an exponential distribution, and
the probability of survival of the product or
process may be viewed as:
Rt = e ^(-T *F) = e ^ -(T/o)

Rt = the period of operation without failure

T = time specified for operation w/o failure
F = Failure rate
O = the mean time to failure

Intent of FMEA
An Essential Part of Total
Quality Management is FMEA!
Provides Training
Helps communicating similar problems
Tracks the progress of a project
Uncovers oversights, misjudgments, and errors
Calculate the probabilities of failures
Determine if product or process failure effects on other aspects.

FMEA Team
FMEA methodology is a team effort where
the responsible engineer involves who?

Assembly

Service

Quality

Supplier

Manufacturing
Materials
Customer

FMEA Documentation
Block Diagram
Design or Process Intent
The Customer Needs and Wants
The FMEA Form

Class Assignment !!!!!!

Make A Simple Block Diagram

Divide up into four groups (N,S,E and W)

Change Tire
Flashlight

Unicycle
Bicycle

Stages of FMEA
Specifying Possibilities
Quantifying Risk
Correcting High Risk Causes

Re-evaluation of Risk

Specifying Possibilities

Functions
Possible Failure Modes
Root Causes
Effects
Detection/Prevention

Quantifying Risk

Probability of Cause
Severity of Effect
Effectiveness of Control to Prevent
Cause
Risk Priority Number

Correcting High Risk

Causes

Prioritizing Work
Detailing Action
Assigning Action Responsibility
Check Points on Completion

Re-evaluation of Risk
Recalculation of Risk Priority Number

RPN = (S) * (O) * (D)

S = SEVERITY
O = OCCURRENCE
D = DETECTION RAKING
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The Design FMEA Document

FMEA Number
Item
Design Responsibility
Prepared By
Model Number/Year
Key Date
Core Team
FMEA Date

The Design FMEA Document

Item/Function
Potential Failure Mode
Potential Effect(s) of Failure
Severity (S)
Classification (CLASS)
Potential Cause(s)/Mechanism(s)
of Failure
Occurrence (O)

The Design FMEA Document

(Con. 1)

Current Design Controls

Detection (D)
Risk Priority Number (RPN)
Recommended Actions
Responsibility and Target Completion
Dates
Actions Taken

The Process FMEA Document

(Con. 2)

Process Function/Requirements
Potential Failure Mode
Potential Effect(s) of Failure
Severity (S)
Classification (CLASS)
Potential Cause(s)/Mechanism(s) of Failure
Occurrence (O)
Current Process Controls

Limitations:

FMEA documents do not fix the

identified problem
Def. of the action to fix the problem
Will not replace the basic problemsolving process.

?Questions?