posted 04 October 1998 08:30 AM               

Design FMEA
Process FMEA
Process Control Plan
Process Flow Diagram

No exceptions.

What consultant says you can register to QS9000 without these documents?

I beg to differ with you about the cost. If you do your documentation on your equipment you only do it once. Thereafter there will be regular minor updates as problems are solved and as other problems surface - but the main work is done during the initial effort.

Yes - if you believed otherwise you are in for a surprise. I know of no company which has been excused from this with the exception of design FMEAs for designs older than 5 years - which is in its self suspect, actually.

ISO9001 does NOT specifically require them but it does required a defined design process.

posted 18 November 1998 08:37 PM               

However, when working with the quality managers, I haul out the QS manuals on FMEA and APQP and touch on some of the concepts.

The manuals present logical and structured approach to providing quality product that, in the long run, is cheaper for the supplier and my company.

By no means do I expect them to do full blown FMEAs, control plans, etc.;I may order 250 separate parts a year from a shop in small lots of 6 - 12 pieces.

posted 22 January 1999 01:49 PM               

You wouldn't need FMEAs for every shop order on the floor. Compliance is determined by your PPAP/APQP records. You need to produce Design and Process FMEAs as part of your PPAP preparation and submittal for products sold to your OEM. They are living documents that need to be revisited periodically to determine if RPN values have changed and that all possibilities have been considered.

posted 28 January 1999 10:27 AM               

My company ( job shop environment), produces an average of 100 different part numbers a day. We are QS-9000 compliant, etc. etc. I do NOT have FMEA, etc. for everything. It would take me years to do that.

What I have done, is what was mentioned....for jobs that are sold DIRECTLY to Chrysler/Ford/GM...for PPAP purposes, I have FMEA, etc. This constitutes about 50 different FMEA/Control Plans for me. I am starting to get requests from other non-Big Three customers, requesting FMEA.....my database is starting to grow. A good, well-planned FMEA can work wonders for you. It is a good practice to get into. Also, Ford requires that Ford engineers sign off on your FMEA/Control Plans. Don't forget that.

As part of your normal APQP activities, you would be developing FMEA and Control Plans.....especially if you submit for PPAP.

Hope this helps.

posted 28 January 1999 12:15 PM               

Do you use a select group of folks to make up your cross-functional FMEA team or do you select new groups for each planned event?

posted 29 January 1999 10:04 AM               

I suggest you consider this:

Produce an FMEA for each process, machine or operation. That way, no matter what you run, there is an existing FMEA. You have a bunch of small FMEAs, but they're good for all of your products.

When bringing a new product on board, all you have to do is briefly review FMEAs for the planed processes.

Simplicity.

General Comment: Folks, the first thing I get is "This will take forever and be a real burdon over time." The initial push to get the first ones done is significantly time consuming. BUT - once you get the initial ones done the overhead is typically very low. So yes - it's a real pain if you don't have any FMEAs at all, but once they're done it's not over bearing from a maintenance point of view.

NOTE: Remember there is the issue of Control Plans.