Which book about FMEA are you using?
(knowledge of this lets me understand what you have as a background)
I can easily envision a 50 page finished FMEA for a complex product like an automobile, but even someone as prolix as I might find it difficult to develop 50 pages of finished analysis for bolts. Therefore, to make a 50 page thesis, one has to include the reasoning for including each line item to be analyzed, including graphs, process flows, etc., as well as demonstrating that a potential failure had been addressed and dismissed as very low probability of occurring and an even lower probability of conveying a secret defect all the way into the customer's hands.
If I were to create a 50 page thesis on FMEA for bolts, I would first begin with
an outline of "Failure Mode and Effects Analysis for Bolt Manufacturing"
most organizations are VERY slapdash in performing FMEA and the resulting failures often end up as problem posts here in the Cove. The most frequent failure seems to be in the Contract Review where the list of exact requirements of a customer is NOT referred to a cross-functional team for analysis. For example, if purchasing and accounting are not involved, it may be found that the lead times for obtaining raw material at a price low enough to complete production (versus high-priced spot market acquisition) may completely annul the customer's requirement for timely delivery. Thus: a failure
Another frequent failure is using the wrong machine or process for the job. Usually, this means something like trying to use a 50-year-old Browne and Sharpe lathe to turn out a product which needs to be held to a tolerance of +/- 0.0005. This is a major failure of "capability" of the organization to meet requirements.

Often, bolts are roll-formed rather than machine cut - this process has its own set of failure modes. Subsequent processes (deburring, plating, etc.) whether done in-house or out-sourced often contribute failures often omitted in FMEA. Therefore, the critical part of FMEA is considering each possible failure and assigning it a probability of occurring together with the possible cost or effect on the final product. Only when all possible failure points are considered (even events like weather, strikes, civil unrest, political upheaval, etc. which may affect either the organization or its supply chain) can an organization make a truly valid FMEA.
(knowledge of this lets me understand what you have as a background)
I can easily envision a 50 page finished FMEA for a complex product like an automobile, but even someone as prolix as I might find it difficult to develop 50 pages of finished analysis for bolts. Therefore, to make a 50 page thesis, one has to include the reasoning for including each line item to be analyzed, including graphs, process flows, etc., as well as demonstrating that a potential failure had been addressed and dismissed as very low probability of occurring and an even lower probability of conveying a secret defect all the way into the customer's hands.
If I were to create a 50 page thesis on FMEA for bolts, I would first begin with
an outline of "Failure Mode and Effects Analysis for Bolt Manufacturing"
- overview
- customer requirements
- regulatory requirements, if any
- list of people or job titles of people who should be involved in the Analysis (modern quality professionals agree FMEA should be a cross-functional process) together with a "brief" description of each and the function they will address and "protect." Typically, these FMEA teams include: production, quality, purchasing, accounting, sales/marketing, upper management, and, sometimes, legal counsel.
- list each requirement of customer and regulator (Each of these might require either a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire chapter of the possible things which could affect meeting this requirement (e.g. for material requirement: cost of material, availability, lead time, minimum/maximum purchase amount, tests and analyses to assure material ordered is what is received) With each item which could be a stumbling block [failure], explain what measures the organization will do to eliminate or ameliorate such event. (see note below)
- Summarize analysis of each requirement to determine overall capability and capacity of the organization to deliver the bolt fulfilling all requirements at the price in the contract and be able to make a profit on the transaction.
most organizations are VERY slapdash in performing FMEA and the resulting failures often end up as problem posts here in the Cove. The most frequent failure seems to be in the Contract Review where the list of exact requirements of a customer is NOT referred to a cross-functional team for analysis. For example, if purchasing and accounting are not involved, it may be found that the lead times for obtaining raw material at a price low enough to complete production (versus high-priced spot market acquisition) may completely annul the customer's requirement for timely delivery. Thus: a failure
Another frequent failure is using the wrong machine or process for the job. Usually, this means something like trying to use a 50-year-old Browne and Sharpe lathe to turn out a product which needs to be held to a tolerance of +/- 0.0005. This is a major failure of "capability" of the organization to meet requirements.

Often, bolts are roll-formed rather than machine cut - this process has its own set of failure modes. Subsequent processes (deburring, plating, etc.) whether done in-house or out-sourced often contribute failures often omitted in FMEA. Therefore, the critical part of FMEA is considering each possible failure and assigning it a probability of occurring together with the possible cost or effect on the final product. Only when all possible failure points are considered (even events like weather, strikes, civil unrest, political upheaval, etc. which may affect either the organization or its supply chain) can an organization make a truly valid FMEA.