What is Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA)?
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic, proactive method for evaluating a process or design to identify where and how it might fail and to assess the relative impact of different failures. The goal is to identify, prioritize, and eliminate or reduce potential failures, starting with the highest-priority ones.
Key components of an FMEA include:
- Failure Modes: The specific ways in which a component, system, or process could fail to meet the design intent.
- Effects of Failure: The consequences of a failure mode on the system, customer, or downstream processes.
- Causes of Failure: The design or process weaknesses, errors, or conditions that could trigger the failure mode.
- Risk Priority Number (RPN): A numerical ranking of the risk associated with each potential failure. It is calculated as:
RPN = Severity (S) × Occurrence (O) × Detection (D)
- Severity (S): The seriousness of the effect of the failure.
- Occurrence (O): The likelihood that the cause of the failure will occur.
- Detection (D): The ability of current controls to detect the cause or the failure mode before it reaches the customer.
Components
Contacts
Functions
Drag nodes to rearrange the layout
Function Legend:
No functions defined.
FMEA Results
How to Use This Tool
- Establish Framework: Within the "Components" section, include all elements or stages of your system/operation. Designate components as "External" when they exist outside your system's scope (such as users or power supplies).
- Specify Connections: Using the "Contacts" panel, outline the links and relationships between the components you've included.
- Outline Operations: In the "Functions" area, explain the intended operations of your system. Allocate each function to the relevant contacts responsible for its execution.
- Visual Representation: The application automatically produces a structural diagram (network chart) to illustrate your system's components, connections, and operations. Nodes can be repositioned by dragging.
- Create FMEA Table: Select the "Generate FMEA" option. This action produces a new FMEA analysis section below, derived from your defined functions. Each activation creates a fresh analysis, enabling version comparisons.
- Evaluate Malfunctions: For every function listed, document potential failure types, their impacts, likely origins, and existing preventive or detection measures.
- Risk Evaluation: Utilize the dropdown menus to assign ratings for Severity (S), Frequency (O), and Detectability (D). The application automatically computes the Risk Priority Number (RPN) to assist with prioritization.
- Implement Measures & Export: For high-risk elements, specify recommended corrective actions. Upon completion, you can export the specific FMEA table to an Excel document for archival purposes.