Recognize risks before they arise.
FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) is one of the central tools for analyzing the risks of products and processes. It has proven to be an extremely effective method for preventively avoiding errors and systematically increasing reliability.
Objectives and advantages of FMEA
FMEA helps companies to make products and processes safer, more efficient and more economical.
- Increasing the reliability and functional safety of products and processes
- Reduction of warranty and goodwill costs
- Shortening the development time
- More economical production and assembly
- Building a knowledge base within the company
Due to these advantages, FMEA is considered state of the art in many industrial sectors and is required by various standards, such as ISO/TS 16949.
Application in Development
FMEA is particularly effective during the early phases of development. At this stage, it helps to identify potential sources of error and weak points at an early stage and to initiate targeted countermeasures. It is, therefore, one of the most important methods in preventive reliability engineering.
Procedure and methodology
There are various standards for carrying out an FMEA, e.g. the VDA standard. The basic framework of the method consists of five steps that systematically build on each other:
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System analysis
- Recording and hierarchization of all system components.
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Functional analysis
- Definition of functions at system, assembly and component level
- Flexible definition of the depth of analysis.
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Malfunction analysis
- Definition of malfunctions at all hierarchy levels.
- Creation of complete malfunction networks - from the cause of the fault to the type of fault and the system sequence.
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Risk assessment
- Definition and evaluation of prevention and detection measures (A and E grades).
- Calculation of the risk priority number (RPN) as the product of the B, A and E grades.
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Optimization
- Prioritization of risks and reduction through targeted measures...
Extension to FMECA
FMECA (Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis) extends FMEA to include a detailed criticality assessment. It quantifies the effects of individual failures and thus enables a prioritized risk assessment – particularly relevant in safety-critical applications such as defence, aviation or medical technology.
Our services
- Planning and moderation of complete FMEA projects with professional software
- Project management and follow-up of the defined measures
- Training and empowering your employees in the area of FMEA
- Flexible use of the HAZOP methodology within FMEA projects for improved system analysis
In combination with other methods
FMEA / FMECA is closely linked to HAZOP analysis and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).
Together they form the basis for structured risk management in product development and process optimization.
