"Your Guide for FMEA Information"
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What is a FMEA?
So you may be wondering just what is a FMEA? Failure Mode and
Effects Analysis (FMEA) or FMECA is an analysis technique which
facilitates the identification of potential problems in the design or process
by examining the effects of lower level failures. Recommended actions or
compensating provisions are made to reduce the likelihood of the problem
occurring, and mitigate the risk, if in fact, it does occur.
The FMEA team determines, by failure mode analysis, the effect of each
failure and identifies single failure points that are critical. It may also rank
each failure according to the criticality of a failure effect and its probability
of occurring. The FMECA is the result of two steps:
FMECA is just FMEA with Criticality Analysis. There are many different
flavors of FMEA. There are Conceptual or Functional FMEAs, Design
FMEAs, and Process FMEAs. Sometimes during a design FMEA the
analysis will look at a combination of functions and hardware. Sometimes it
will include just hardware, and sometimes the analyst will take a detailed
look at the system down to a piece-part level, especially when critical
functions or hardware are involved.
Click on these links to familiarize yourself with various FMEA acronyms
and FMEA definitions. Click here for FMEA Tips and Advice.
Effects Analysis (FMEA) or FMECA is an analysis technique which
facilitates the identification of potential problems in the design or process
by examining the effects of lower level failures. Recommended actions or
compensating provisions are made to reduce the likelihood of the problem
occurring, and mitigate the risk, if in fact, it does occur.
The FMEA team determines, by failure mode analysis, the effect of each
failure and identifies single failure points that are critical. It may also rank
each failure according to the criticality of a failure effect and its probability
of occurring. The FMECA is the result of two steps:
- Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)
- Criticality Analysis (CA).
FMECA is just FMEA with Criticality Analysis. There are many different
flavors of FMEA. There are Conceptual or Functional FMEAs, Design
FMEAs, and Process FMEAs. Sometimes during a design FMEA the
analysis will look at a combination of functions and hardware. Sometimes it
will include just hardware, and sometimes the analyst will take a detailed
look at the system down to a piece-part level, especially when critical
functions or hardware are involved.
Click on these links to familiarize yourself with various FMEA acronyms
and FMEA definitions. Click here for FMEA Tips and Advice.
Why is FMEA / FMECA Important?
There are a number of reasons why this analysis technique is so valuable.
Here are just a few:
There are a number of reasons why this analysis technique is so valuable.
Here are just a few:
- FMEA provides a basis for identifying root failure causes and
developing effective corrective actions
- The FMEA identifies reliability/safety critical components
- It facilitates investigation of design alternatives at all stages of the
design
- Provides a foundation for other maintainability, safety, testability, and
logistics analyses
FMEA / FMECA Background and History
- An offshoot of Military Procedure MIL-P-1629, titled Procedures for
Performing a Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis, dated
November 9, 1949.
- Used as a reliability evaluation technique to determine the effect of
system and equipment failures. Failures were classified according to
their impact on mission success and personnel/equipment safety.
- Formally developed and applied by NASA in the 1960’s to improve
and verify reliability of space program hardware.
- The procedures called out in MIL-STD-1629A are the most widely
accepted methods throughout the military and commercial industry.
- SAE J1739 is a prevalent FMEA standard in the automotive industry.
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what a FMEA is and why this analysis
technique is so useful. Take a few minutes and explore some of the other
pages and resources on this site and soon, you will have a good basic
understanding of what is a FMEA, and how your company or organization
might benefit from it.
technique is so useful. Take a few minutes and explore some of the other
pages and resources on this site and soon, you will have a good basic
understanding of what is a FMEA, and how your company or organization
might benefit from it.