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Many companies miss out on the value of System FMEA and begin with lower level sub-assemblies or components. This article explains why it is usually best to begin with a properly done System FMEA.
“Big whirls have little whirls,
That feed on their velocity;
And little whirls have lesser whirls,
And so on to viscosity.”
Lewis Fry Richardson
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” Niels Bohr
In an FMEA, is it possible to think of everything that might happen in the future? What strategies can be used by FMEA teams to maximize the opportunity to anticipate what can go wrong, so risk can be reduced to an acceptable level?
[Author note: This article is being published mid-month, and is part of the FMEA Preparation series. It was earlier written, but inadvertently omitted from publication, as part of this series.]
One of the most important steps in FMEA preparation is gathering all of the relevant documents and information. If this step is missed or done inadequately the FMEA meetings will be burdened with extra tasks related to missing information, the time of the subject-matter experts will be wasted, and the FMEA results potentially compromised.
“True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.” – Winston Churchill
Carl discusses the unique role that FMEA can play in a reliability program, when done exceptionally well.
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Carl discusses the role of advanced reliability methods, and why both traditional and advanced reliability methods are important.
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Carl discusses how good people skills can supplement your reliability engineering skills, and why they are both important.
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Carl discusses the importance of understanding how things fail, during product development.
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“Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding…” – B
Properly done, Process FMEAs should improve manufacturing and assembly processes and corresponding process controls. This article describes how PFMEAs can be used to improve process controls, which are embodied in the Process Control Plan (PCP).
Carl discusses why Design for Reliability is so essential to attaining high reliability.
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Carl discusses why focusing on the vital few reliability methods is key to successful reliability programs.
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Carl and Fred discussing the shortcomings of the use of RPN in an FMEA, and what specifically can be done to prioritize risk in an FMEA.
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Carl and Fred discussing what can happen when a reliability engineer puts undue focus on their degree when introducing themselves or when looking for a new position.
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“I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.” Benjamin Franklin
Properly done, Design FMEAs should improve product designs and test plans. This article describes how DFMEAs can be used to improve testing and analysis, which are embodied in the Design Verification Plan (DVP).
Carl and Fred discussing the interaction of reliability engineering with supply chain management.
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“It is not possible for minds degraded by a host of trivial concerns to ever rise to anything great.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau
One of the most important elements of excellent FMEAs is to stay focused on areas of concern. What does this mean and how should it be applied?