Types of FMEA: Which one should you choose?

FMEA is an excellent tool to identify potential failures in products, processes, or systems. As an expert with experience implementing FMEA analysis in various industries, I’ll show you the various types of FMEA. You’ll then know which FMEA to select based on whether you’re designing a new product, optimizing a process, or assessing a system. Let’s dive into the world of FMEA.

Overview of FMEA Types

Diagram illustrating Software FMEA, Concept FMEA, and Functional FMEA in a modern office setting. FMEA is an acronym for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. It’s a systematic method to identify potential failures within a product, process, or system. I’ve used FMEA throughout my career to improve reliability and mitigate risks.

The tool dates back to the 1940s, when the US military developed FMEA to assess equipment failures. Since then, FMEA has become a widely adopted tool across industries.

Here’s a brief overview of FMEA’s historical development:

1940s: The US military creates FMEA for reliability analysis.
1960s: NASA begins using FMEA for aerospace applications.
1970s: The automotive industry starts using FMEA.
1980s: FMEA becomes popular in manufacturing.
1990s-Present: FMEA expands into healthcare, software, and other industries.

Selecting the right type of FMEA is critical. If you choose the wrong one, you’ll waste time and miss important insights. I’ve witnessed teams struggle because they used a process FMEA to solve a design issue.

All types of FMEA contain these common steps:

Identifying potential failure modes
Evaluating severity, occurrence, and detection
Calculating Risk Priority Numbers (RPN)
Creating recommended actions
Assessing the results and following up

Understanding these basics will allow you to effectively apply any type of FMEA. Let’s examine the specific types to determine which one is best for you.

Design FMEA (DFMEA)

Design FMEA is another tool to prevent design failures. You’ll conduct this analysis early in a product’s development to ensure it’s designed for reliability and safety.

I’ve facilitated many design FMEA sessions for new products. We typically start these when the design concept is complete and finalized before we start prototyping. This timing allows us to make cost-effective design changes.

The basic idea of design FMEA is to analyze:

Product functions and requirements
Potential failure modes of each function
The impact of that failure
The root cause of the failure
Existing design controls
Actions you can take to reduce risk

Design FMEA is useful because it helps you uncover design weaknesses early in the process. As a result, you’ll slash warranty costs and provide a better experience for your customers. However, design FMEA isn’t comprehensive, as it won’t uncover all manufacturing defects or potential issues the user might encounter.

For example, in a design FMEA for a new design of a car seat, we identified a failure in the reclining mechanism. We redesigned it, and this prevented potential injuries and a major product recall.

Design FMEA is your best friend when conducting product design improvements. Use this analysis to find problems before they find you.

Process FMEA (PFMEA)

engineers collaborating on FMEA documents in a modern conference room. Process FMEA is an analysis of potential failures within manufacturing or service processes. You’ll use PFMEA when creating new processes or optimizing existing processes.

I’ve performed PFMEA in manufacturing environments extensively, and it’s very helpful for optimizing production lines and reducing defects.

The main components of PFMEA include:

Process steps and requirements
Potential failure modes of each step
Effects of each failure mode
Causes of each failure mode
Current process controls
Recommended actions to mitigate the risk

PFMEA has many benefits. You’ll make the process more efficient and reduce waste. It also ensures that defective products don’t reach customers. The primary downside is that it won’t help you identify product design issues.

For example, a PFMEA analysis we did in a bottling plant revealed a risk of underfilled bottles due to worn pump seals. By implementing a schedule to proactively replace the pump seals, we were able to eliminate that issue.

PFMEA is critical to optimizing your processes. Use it to identify and resolve weak points in your production process or service delivery.

System FMEA (SFMEA)

System FMEA is designed to evaluate potential failures within a system or on a large scale project. You would use SFMEA when there are various interconnected components or processes.

I’ve applied SFMEA in a range of industries, from automotive to aerospace. It’s especially helpful when working on projects with many interdependencies.

The main elements of SFMEA are:

System functions and interfaces
Potential failure modes at the system level
The impact of each failure mode on the overall system
The causes of each failure mode
System-level controls currently in place
Recommended actions to mitigate system-level risks

SFMEA helps you take a high-level view of potential failures. You’ll also catch risks that might not otherwise show up in a component-level analysis. The only downside is that it’s challenging to manage the complexity of properly conducting system FMEAs.

For example, we once completed an SFMEA of a new automated warehouse system. During the analysis, we discovered a potential failure related to how the picking robots communicated with the inventory software. By catching this early, we saved ourselves from a set of headaches once the warehouse was up and running.

SFMEA is your solution if you’re working on a more complex project. Use it to verify all system components work together without fail.

Comparison of FMEA Types

It’s important to know when to use each FMEA type. Use this simple FMEA comparison table to select the appropriate one:

Factor	DFMEA	PFMEA	SFMEA
Focus	Product design	Manufacturing/service process	Complex systems
Timing	Early design phase	Process planning/improvement	System design/integration
Scope	Individual components	Process steps	System-level interactions
Team	Design engineers	Process engineers, operators	Cross-functional experts

Choose the FMEA type that best fits your specific situation.

If you have a product design issue, use DFMEA.
If you’re trying to optimize a process, use PFMEA.
If you have an issue with a complex system, use SFMEA.

These FMEA types are often interconnected.

For example, a design change from a DFMEA might require an update to a PFMEA.
Findings from an SFMEA might lead to both design and process changes.

I’ve found the best results by using multiple FMEA types in conjunction. This approach ensures you consider potential failures at each level.

Advanced FMEA Types

Detailed process flowchart of Process FMEA with vibrant colors in an office setting. As FMEA has advanced, specialized FMEA types have developed for more specialized applications. Here are a few advanced FMEA types you may encounter:

Software FMEA (SWFMEA):

Focuses on identifying potential software system failures
Analyzes code, interfaces, and user experience failures
Essential for any mission-critical software application

Concept FMEA:

Used in the earliest stages of product development
Identifies potential failures in the product concept
Helps decide between competing design concepts

Functional FMEA:

Identifies failures based on the product’s function
Bridging the gap between a concept and a detailed design
Particularly valuable in more complex products with multiple functions

Each of these advanced FMEA types allows you to analyze an even more specific failure mode. I’ve personally used SWFMEA in automotive electronic projects, and it was extremely effective at helping our team uncover and prevent software failures that could impact the safety of the vehicle.

If you have a very specific challenge, consider using one of these specialized FMEA types. You’ll likely uncover insights that you wouldn’t have found using a traditional FMEA.

FMEA Implementation Process

Applying FMEA effectively requires a systematic approach. Here are the seven steps to FMEA I follow:

Define the scope and boundaries
Gather a cross-functional team
Identify potential failure modes
Determine the effects of each failure
Identify the causes of each failure
Assess current controls
Develop and execute action plans

Each step demands thoughtful execution. For example, to select a team in step 2, ensure you have access to the necessary expertise. In step 3, use effective brainstorming to identify all potential failures.

The most common hurdle you’ll face is likely resistance to change and lack of action post FMEA. To overcome this, sell the benefits of FMEA and ensure clear accountability for action items.

Finally, remember FMEA is a living document. Revisit your FMEA and challenge it frequently as designs or processes change. By taking this continuous improvement approach, you’ll extract the most value from FMEA.

In Summary

Knowing the different FMEA types is key to managing risk effectively. I’ve witnessed many projects that have been successful due to proper FMEA. Just keep in mind that you’re not just finding risks; you’re preventing risks from occurring. Use the right FMEA type for your situation. Each FMEA (design, process, system) has its own advantages. Accept FMEA as one of the tools in your continuous improvement arsenal. It’s a skill you’ll use again and again in your career.