Failure Mode Effect Analysis Final 
Failure Mode Effect
Analysis
(FMEA)
What is FMEA?
FA I LU R E M O D E A N D E F F E C T A N A LY S I S
A systemized group of activities designed to:
▪ recognize and evaluate the potential failure of a product/process and its effects
▪ identify actions which could eliminate or reduce the chance of potential failure
▪ document the process
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
Simply put FMEA is:
a process that identifies all the possible types of failures that could happen to a product and potential consequences of those failures.
History of the FMEA
1940s - First developed by the US military in 1949 to determine the effect of system and equipment failures 1960s - Adopted and refined by NASA (used in the Apollo Space program)
1970s – Ford Motor Co. introduces FMEA after the
Pinto affair. Soon adopted across automotive industry Today – FMEA used in both manufacturing and service industries
Advantages
• Improve the quality, reliability and safety of a product/process • Improve company image and competitiveness
• Increase user satisfaction
• Reduce system development time and cost
• Collect information to reduce future failures, capture engineering knowledge
• Reduce the potential for warranty concerns
• Early identification and elimination of potential failure modes • Emphasize problem prevention
• Minimize late changes and associated cost
• Catalyst for teamwork and idea exchange between functions • Reduce the possibility of same kind of failure in future
• Reduce impact on company profit margin
• Improve production yield
Timing
• One of the most important factors for the successful implementation of an FMEA program is timeless.
• It is meant to be “before-the-event” action, not an “after-the-fact” exercise.
• Actions resulting from an FMEA can reduce or eliminate the chance of implementing a change that would create en even larger concern
Limitations
Employee training requirements
Initial impact on product and
manufacturing schedules
Financial impact
Analysis
(FMEA)
What is FMEA?
FA I LU R E M O D E A N D E F F E C T A N A LY S I S
A systemized group of activities designed to:
▪ recognize and evaluate the potential failure of a product/process and its effects
▪ identify actions which could eliminate or reduce the chance of potential failure
▪ document the process
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
Simply put FMEA is:
a process that identifies all the possible types of failures that could happen to a product and potential consequences of those failures.
History of the FMEA
1940s - First developed by the US military in 1949 to determine the effect of system and equipment failures 1960s - Adopted and refined by NASA (used in the Apollo Space program)
1970s – Ford Motor Co. introduces FMEA after the
Pinto affair. Soon adopted across automotive industry Today – FMEA used in both manufacturing and service industries
Advantages
• Improve the quality, reliability and safety of a product/process • Improve company image and competitiveness
• Increase user satisfaction
• Reduce system development time and cost
• Collect information to reduce future failures, capture engineering knowledge
• Reduce the potential for warranty concerns
• Early identification and elimination of potential failure modes • Emphasize problem prevention
• Minimize late changes and associated cost
• Catalyst for teamwork and idea exchange between functions • Reduce the possibility of same kind of failure in future
• Reduce impact on company profit margin
• Improve production yield
Timing
• One of the most important factors for the successful implementation of an FMEA program is timeless.
• It is meant to be “before-the-event” action, not an “after-the-fact” exercise.
• Actions resulting from an FMEA can reduce or eliminate the chance of implementing a change that would create en even larger concern
Limitations
Employee training requirements
Initial impact on product and
manufacturing schedules
Financial impact