If you’re just starting your career in manufacturing, one of the most powerful tools you’ll come across is FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis). Don’t worry if the name sounds complicated — it’s simply a structured way of spotting possible problems in a design or process before they cause real trouble on the shop floor or for the customer.
Think of FMEA as “what could go wrong, why it might happen, and what we can do about it.”
Step 1: Understand What FMEA Is
- Failure Mode = How something can go wrong (e.g., a bolt loosening, a machine jamming).
- Effect = What happens if it goes wrong (e.g., product failure, downtime, safety hazard).
- Analysis = Studying the risks, rating them, and deciding what to fix first.
The goal: Prevent failures, improve quality, and reduce costs.
Step 2: Choose the Type of FMEA
There are two main kinds:
- Design FMEA (DFMEA) → Checks risks in a product’s design (before it reaches production).
- Process FMEA (PFMEA) → Checks risks in how the product is made (on the production line).
Step 3: Build the Team
FMEA is a team sport. You’ll need:
- A design engineer or process engineer
- A quality engineer
- Production/assembly experts
- Sometimes supplier reps or maintenance staff
Each person brings unique knowledge about how things can fail.
Step 4: Define the Scope
Clearly state what you are analyzing. Examples:
- A single part (e.g., a valve)
- A process step (e.g., welding)
- A whole system (e.g., braking system in a car)
Step 5: Identify Functions and Requirements
Ask:
- What should this part/process do?
- What are the requirements (strength, accuracy, reliability, etc.)?
Example: A bolt should hold two plates together firmly.
Step 6: List Failure Modes
For each function, ask:
- How could it fail?
Examples: - Bolt might loosen
- Bolt might break
- Wrong bolt might be installed
Step 7: Find the Effects and Causes
- Effect → What happens if it fails? (Machine stops, customer gets defective product, safety issue)
- Cause → Why would it fail? (Poor torque control, material defect, operator error)
Step 8: Rate the Risks
In FMEA, we score risks based on:
- Severity (S) → How bad is it?
- Occurrence (O) → How often might it happen?
- Detection (D) → How likely are we to catch it before it reaches the customer?
Multiply these (S × O × D) to get the Risk Priority Number (RPN).
Higher RPN = Higher priority for fixing.
Step 9: Plan Actions
For high-risk issues:
- What can we do to prevent the cause? (e.g., better torque tools)
- How can we detect it earlier? (e.g., inspections, sensors)
- Who is responsible, and by when?
Step 10: Track and Update
FMEA is a living document. Every time you improve a process, find a new failure, or change the design, update your FMEA. Over time, this becomes your company’s knowledge base for avoiding repeat mistakes.
Why FMEA Matters for You as an Engineer
- It makes you think systematically.
- It helps you spot problems before they happen.
- It saves money and keeps customers happy.
- It builds your reputation as a problem solver.
👉 Pro Tip: Tools like Syselec FMEA Executive software make this easier by helping teams organize, track, and report FMEAs without missing details.
✅ That’s it! If you follow these steps, you’ll not only learn how to do an FMEA but also start thinking like an experienced engineer.
