Need Help with Process FMEA Basics - Feasibility Analysis Outputs are Inputs to FMEA?

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wslabey

PFMEA Training and Learning

I guess I have to offer something to this thread. I have taught FMEA and created FMEAs for several years but I am still a student of the methodology and learn from everyone I do. I find the hardest thing for people to grasp is that a failure mode is a failure of function. So it all begins with defining the function of the design (DFMEA) or the function of a process step (PFMEA). Identifying functions of a product design or a process is really a challenge especially when team members assume the unspoken functions are too basic because "everybody knows" why that feature exists or why that process element is required. Sometimes this task reverts requires some basic value engineering training where we apply rules for creating a function such as it must begin with an active verb and end with an object (for example, the function of the fuel system on you car is to "store fuel," "accept fuel," "indicate fuel level." "protect fuel from a crash," etc. ).

It helps sometimes to use simple examples which may or may not translate based on the language differences.

Teaching FMEA IS NOT difficult. A 2 day FMEA course is almost an overkill it really can be done is day and half. However, good training requires three things:
1. Explanation of the topic
2. Illustration and
3. Practice (in a safe haven).

Illustations and practice are key. When training I use three common, everyday examples. Throughout the course a ballpoint pen FMEA is used for illustration. For practice, I switched to two other common, everyday examples. For DFMEA I used a mousetrap example and for PFMEA I used Making Popcorn (the old fashioned way on stove with a pot). Both were a safe haven for participants to practice, make mistakes and learn. It also permitted me, the trainer, to see when the breakout group conversations were going off base. Doing a real time (read real project) FMEA before knowing the FMEA concepts is troublesome because of the emotion that surrounds a specific project. Learning requires practice and mistakes from which to learn. The learning environment should be a safe haven so when mistakes are made they can be acknowledged by the person who made the mistake thereby enabling learning. If admitting mistakes is not allowed, no learning will occur.

REGARDING THE AIAG manuals.
They have the right content, but lack effective examples and the writing is somewhat opaque as is typically the case with most of the literature of quality function. Remember, that these manuals were written by a committee of quality specialists from the automotive OEMs.
 
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rucarbajal

Hello Everyone. I am glad for all the help i have received from this website. i am a Quality Engineer at a Platting shop Anodize and such and i have to do a FMEA for Planning (travelers, MOT and such) contract review. does anyone have a Example for this i could use. and am confused about how customers request falls into this. and how it rate SEV if it not our problem and how it can be used in occ to bring up out RPN

Thank you for you attention

Ruben
 
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Bill Ryan - 2007

rucarbajal said:
Hello Everyone. I am glad for all the help i have received from this website. i am a Quality Engineer at a Platting shop Anodize and such and i have to do a FMEA for Planning (travelers, MOT and such) contract review. does anyone have a Example for this i could use. and am confused about how customers request falls into this. and how it rate SEV if it not our problem and how it can be used in occ to bring up out RPN
Thank you for you attention

Ruben
I may not fully understand what you are asking but let me start with this:

The Severity value you place for an Effect of a Failure Mode may, or may not, have anything to do with being your "problem". It is almost always an assessment of how the Failure Mode affects an outside customer (because the "penalties" are typically more severe than they would be if caught internally.

I need more explanation of what you mean by "how customers request falls into this".
 
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rucarbajal

The Variables of Potential Failure Mode in Planning are extreme our planners do our contract review so we have Purchase order requirement problems and so on, so the SEV might be high which would bring our RPM up and that bothers me especially if the Potential failure is not really our condition. Just wanted an example of one FMEA for Planning. Thing is driving me crazy, easier for a Process I think. LOL
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
rucarbajal said:
The Variables of Potential Failure Mode in Planning are extreme our planners do our contract review so we have Purchase order requirement problems and so on, so the SEV might be high which would bring our RPM up and that bothers me especially if the Potential failure is not really our condition. Just wanted an example of one FMEA for Planning. Thing is driving me crazy, easier for a Process I think. LOL

The thing you're concerned about is a "process." :D
 
S

shorttimeQE

Re: Need Help with Process FMEA Basics - Feasibility Analysis Outputs are Inputs to F

Reply to Bill Ryan, I use two very simple definitions which have helped our teams not get into the "viscious circle" of "Is it a Mode or a Cause?": 1) Failure Mode = measureable on the product; 2) Failure Cause = measureable on the process. You can also use "Process measureables" as Failure Modes (scrap, uptime, etc.)
Can anyone elaborate on Bill's definitions of Failure mode and failure cause? Modes and causes always seem to be misinterpreted.
Thank you.
 
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