Understanding FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis)

🔍 Understanding FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis)

Think first. Prevent later.

FMEA is a proactive risk-assessment tool used to identify potential failures, understand their effects, and prevent issues before they reach the customer.

❓ What is FMEA?

Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a structured methodology to:
Identify what can go wrong
Evaluate the impact of failure
Reduce risk through preventive actions

🧩 Key Elements of FMEA

1️⃣ Failure Mode – What can go wrong?
2️⃣ Effect – What happens if it fails?
3️⃣ Cause – Why will it fail?
4️⃣ Severity (S) – How serious is the effect?
5️⃣ Occurrence (O) – How often can it happen?
6️⃣ Detection (D) – Can it be detected before failure?

📊 RPN – Risk Priority Number
RPN = Severity (S) × Occurrence (O) × Detection (D)

🔺 Higher RPN = Higher Risk

🎯 Focus improvement actions on high-RPN items


🔁 FMEA Implementation Steps

✅ Identify potential failures
✅ Analyze effects and causes
✅ Rate S, O, D
✅ Calculate RPN
✅ Implement corrective & preventive actions
✅ Recalculate RPN to confirm risk reduction

🛠️ Example
Failure Mode: Bolt not tightened
Effect: Product failure
Action: Torque wrench + Poka-Yoke 🔒

📌 FMEA is not just a document—it’s a mindset for risk-based thinking and continuous improvement.


source :Six Sigma Manufacturing

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