Failure Modes, Effects, and

Criticality Analysis (FMECA)

Dr. Shahul Hamid Khan

What is FMECA ?

FMECA is a technique used to identify, prioritize, and

eliminate potential failures from the system, design or
process before they reach the customer

FMECA is a technique to “resolve potential problems in a

system before they occur”
FMECA is a methodology to identify and analyze:
 All potential failure modes of the various parts of a
system
 The effects these failures may have on the system
 How to avoid the failures, and/or mitigate the effects of
the failures on the system
Initially, the FMECA was called FMEA (Failure modes
and effects analysis).

The C in FMECA indicates that the criticality (or severity)

of the various failure effects are considered and ranked.
FMECA was one of the first systematic techniques for failure analysis

FMECA was developed by the U.S. Military. The first guideline was
Military Procedure MIL-P-1629

FMECA is the most widely used reliability analysis technique in the initial
stages of product/system development

FMECA is usually performed during the conceptual and initial design

phases of the system in order to assure that all potential failure modes
have been considered and the proper provisions have been made to
eliminate these failures
 Uses of FMECA

 Assist in selecting design alternatives with high reliability and high

safety potential during the early design phases

 Ensure that all conceivable failure modes and their effects on

operational success of the system have been considered

 List potential failures and identify the severity of their effects

Uses of FMECA

 Provide historical documentation for future reference in

analysis of failures and consideration of design changes

 Provide a basis for maintenance planning

 Provide a basis for quantitative reliability and availability

analysis.
Types of FMECA

 Design FMECA is carried out to eliminate failures during

equipment design, taking into account all types of failures during
the whole life-span of the equipment

 Process FMECA is focused on problems getting from how the

equipment is manufactured, maintained or operated

 System FMECA looks for potential problems and bottlenecks in

larger processes, such as entire production lines
Basic Questions that can be asked before detailed design:

How can each part possibly fail?

What MECHANISMS might produce these modes of failure?

What could be the EFFECTS if the failures did occur?

Is the failure in the safe or unsafe direction?

How is the failure Detected?

What inherent provisions are provided in the design to

compensate for the failure?
Who Performs the FMEA

The FMEA should be initiated by the DESIGN ENGINEER for the

hardware approach, and the SYSTEMS ENGINEER for the functional
approach

The following is a suggested team for conducting/reviewing an FMEA.

◦ Project Manager
◦ Design Engineer (hardware/software/systems)
◦ Test Engineer
◦ Reliability Engineer
◦ Quality Engineer
◦ Field Service Engineer (Maintenance)
◦ Manufacturing/Process Engineer
◦ Safety Engineering
FMECA Steps

1. FMECA prerequisites

2. Functional Block Diagram

3. Failure analysis and preparation of FMECA worksheets

4. Team review

5. Corrective actions
STEP 1: FMECA Prerequisites

1. Define the system to be analyzed

(a) System boundaries (which parts should be included and which

should not)

(b) Main system missions and functions (including functional

requirements)

(c) Operational and environmental conditions to be considered

(Note: Interfaces that cross the design boundary should be included

in the analysis)
2. Collect available information that describes the system to be analyzed;
including drawings, specifications, schematics, component lists,
interface information, functional descriptions, and so on

3. Collect information about previous and similar designs from internal

and external sources; including FRACAS data, interviews with design
personnel, operations and maintenance personnel, component
suppliers, and so on

A Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System

(FRACAS)
FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM
A functional block diagram is used to show how the different parts of
the system interact with one another to verify the critical path.

Step 1: Divide the system into manageable units - typically functional

elements.

Hierarchical tree
Functional block diagram - Example
Worksheet preparation
A suitable FMECA worksheet for the analysis has to be decided.
Column in the worksheet
1. In the first column a unique reference to an element (subsystem
or component) is given

2. The functions of the element are listed. It is important to list all

functions.

3. The various operational modes for the element are listed

Example:
Operational modes are: IDLE, STANDBY & RUNNING.

Operational modes for an airplane include, take-off, climb,

travel, descent, approach and roll.
4. For each function and operational mode the potential failure modes
have to be identified and listed

5. The failure mechanisms (e.g., corrosion, erosion, fatigue) that may

produce or contribute to a failure mode are identified and listed

6. Some failure modes are obvious, other are hidden.

The various possibilities for detection of the identified failure
modes are listed. These may involve diagnostic testing, different
alarms, proof testing, human perception, and the like.
In some applications an extra column is added to rank the
likelihood that the failure will be detected before the system reaches
the end-user/customer.

The following detection ranking may be used:

7. The effects each failure mode may have on other components in the
same subsystem and on the subsystem as such (local effects) are
listed

8. The effects each failure mode may have on the system (global
effects) are listed.

9. Failure rates for each failure mode are listed. In many cases it is
more suitable to classify the failure rate in rather broad classes.

An example of such a classification is given below

1 Very unlikely Once per 1000 years or more seldom
2 Remote Once per 100 years
3 Occasional Once per 10 years
4 Probable Once per year
5 Frequent Once per month or more often
10. Find the severity of a failure mode
In some application the following severity classes are used

11. Actions that are likely to reduce the frequency of the failure modes
should also be recorded.
Suggested evaluation criteria and ranking system for the severity of
effects for a DESIGN FMEA

S.M. Seyed-Hosseini, N. Safaei, M.J. Asgharpour (2006). "Reprioritization of failures in a

system failure mode and effects analysis by decision making trial and evaluation laboratory
technique" Reliability Engineering and System Safety Vol 91, pp.872–881.
Suggested evaluation criteria and ranking system for the occurrence
of failure in a design FMEA
Risk ranking

Based on Risk priority number (RPN)

The risk priority number (RPN) is defined as

RPN = S × O × D
The smaller the RPN the better – and – the larger the worse.

O = the rank of the occurrence of the failure mode

S = the rank of the severity of the failure mode
D = the rank of the likelihood of Detecting the failure before
the system reaches the end-user/customer.

All ranks are given on a scale from 1 to 10.

Design FMEA – Case Study

Design and Development of Multi-purpose chair

Design FMEA – case study

Staircase Luggage Carrier Trolley

Process FMEA – Case Study

Boparai Metals Pvt Ltd, Mohali

Details: It is one of the leading founders & manufacturers of ferrous &

non-ferrous castings in Punjab.

Manufacturing Cylinder blocks, Flywheels, Flywheel housing, Brake

Drum.

(It Supplies tractor parts to the reputed tractor industries of India )

Product under consideration: Flywheel Housing

Manufacturing Process:
Facing, Drilling and Tapping are the main manufacturing operations of
the Flywheel Housing.
Sample Calculations
Step 1: Potential Failure Modes for Facing, Drilling and
Tapping are found.
Step 2: Potential Effect of Failure and Severity value are
calculated as:
Part may fail in field/Assembly. Leads to Customer
dissatisfaction and corresponding Severity value = 7
Step 3. Potential causes of failure & occurrence value for
Facing, Drilling and Tapping are calculated as:
For defective machine tool setting the Occurrence value = 3
Step 4: For 100% in-process inspection and corresponding Detection
value = 4

Step 5: Finally, the R.P.N. is calculated as:

R.P.N. = S × O × D
Considering S = 7; O = 3; D = 4
R.P.N. = 7 × 3 × 4 = 84
Flywheel
Following manufacturing operations are carried out on the
Flywheel:
1. Turning on front side
2. Turning on back side
3. Drilling and Tapping
4. Balancing

If S = 4, O = 3, & D = 4
Then, R.P.N = S × O × D = 4 × 3 ×4 = 48
Recommendations
Flywheel
•Hitting face should be properly cleaned during Balancing.
•Size of key lock may be adjusted according to shaft and flywheel.
•In-process inspection should be adopted more frequently and strictly.
•Snap gauge should be used for 100% inspection.
•Cross check the machine with master piece.
Flywheel Housing
• Thread Depth gauge should be used for 100% inspection.
• Offset compensation should be properly given to the tool.
• In-process inspection should be adopted more frequently.
• Assembly of manufactured parts should be performed in such a way that
it should work satisfactorily in the field to avoid customer dissatisfaction.
• Preventive maintenance should be adopted as per the given schedule.
Class work:
1. Perform FMEA on a Pressure Cooker
2. Perform FMEA on Automatic stand remover in Two
wheeler
HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) Method

It is a systematic determination of potential hazards that could be

generated by the system.

Definitions

Hazard - Any operation that could possibly cause a catastrophic release of

toxic, flammable or explosive chemicals or any action that could result
in injury to personnel.

Operability - Any operation inside the design envelope that would cause a
shutdown that could possibly lead to a violation of environmental,
health or safety regulations or negatively impact profitability.
A Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study is a structured and
systematic examination of a planned or existing process or operation
in order to identify and evaluate problems that may represent risks to
personnel or equipment.

A HAZOP is a qualitative technique based on guide-words and is

carried out by a multi-disciplinary team (HAZOP team) during a set of
meetings.

The HAZOP technique was initially developed to analyze chemical

process systems, but has later been extended to other types of systems,
complex operations and software systems.
TYPES OF HAZOP
Process HAZOP

Prerequisites

 Process flow diagrams

 Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs)
 Layout diagrams
 Material safety data sheets
 Provisional operating instructions
 Heat and material balances
 Equipment data sheets with Start-up and emergency shut-down
procedures
HAZOP Procedure
Safeguard

Facilities that help to reduce the occurrence frequency of the

deviation or to mitigate its consequences.

There are five types of safeguards that:

Examples of process parameters