Failure Mode & Effect Analysis

Course details

Failure Mode Effect Analysis is the primary tool used in industry to assess risk both at product design and development stage, and during manufacturing. The overall objective of the analysis is to ensure that the product delivered to the customer is free of defects and will perform to specification. Risks of failure are assessed during analysis. A thorough assessment of potential failure modes and their associated causes/mechanisms will be undertaken in a FMEA, leading to appropriate actions to eliminate as far as possible the failure modes and their corresponding effects.

FMEA’s can be complex, so good cooperation and coordination is required within the FMEA teams, and it is important that the analysis is conducted in a carefully structured manner to assure that the work is done efficiently and effectively. Ideally, all team members will have the same understanding of the FMEA process, and are trained to follow a well-structured procedure.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this training course, delegates will be able to:

• Conduct FMEA analysis
• Participate in FMEA teams
• Lead FMEA teams
• Demonstrate understanding of the structure of FMEA analysis which leads to the satisfactory elimination of the causes of failure modes

Course Programme

The training course is presented both on a public basis and in-company. For the practical-work session described below, the tutor provides a comprehensive case study for the public course. For in-company courses the participants will undertake the analysis of failure modes chosen from their own work environment.

Introductory Session

In the introductory session the tutor will use a real FMEA case study to explain in detail the procedure to be followed when undertaking the analysis and how FMEA is used to assess risk at product design and manufacturing stages. This includes the steps to be followed in determining the Risk Priority Number (RPN) and examples of actions taken to eliminate/reduce the risk of failure. The tutor will provide a detailed step by step procedure for the teams to follow in the practical session. The introductory session will include discussion on:

• Design and Process FMEA’s
• Forming the FMEA team and utilising effective brainstorming techniques
• Development of a design FMEA and a process FMEA.
• Identification of the causes and effects of failure.
• Determining and understanding the Risk Priority Number.
• The benefit of effective corrective actions in reducing the RPN.
• Practical Team Exercises

Most of the day will be devoted to a practical team exercise. The teams will work from first principles through the steps of analysing failure modes following the procedure provided by the tutor. The tutor will act as facilitator during this session.