FMEA Analysis
The core of the FMEA process is the FMEA analysis. It is used to identify potential errors and risks and find suitable solutions to eliminate them. With the right software, FMEA analysis also enables solutions to be found for the standard FMEA VDA. The advantage: If a company uses the FMEA procedure to check its operational development and production processes, it benefits in particular from significant savings in development and operating costs. Where errors can be avoided or even prevented, there are ultimately fewer costs.
Field of application and use of FMEA analysis
The versatility of FMEA analysis allows flexible application during the production process. During the new harmonization process of FMEA VDA and AIAG, seven steps have emerged from the previous five. These can be introduced to participants during an FMEA training and are divided as follows:
Step 1 - Planning: The project is defined in more detail as part of the scoping process. In this process, the scope of the analysis is narrowed down in order to determine what will be taken into account in the further analysis and what will not. Project planning, scheduling and description of the project goals are also part of the first step.
Step 2 - The structural analysis: In the structural analysis, a system structure is created with the help of the developed input from the scoping. All relevant system elements are identified and presented in a graphically comprehensible way.
Step 3 - Functional analysis: The functional analysis follows on seamlessly from the structural analysis and describes the functions on the basis of requirements and specifications. Among other things, it shows what direct influence a single step in the production process can have on the functionality of the product in question.
Step 4 - The defect analysis: An in-depth defect analysis includes both the identification of causes and effects and the analysis of their respective interrelationships. The resulting defects are determined. The analysis is based on the FMEA VDA principle of consequence-fault-cause.
Step 5 - Risk analysis: The aim of risk analysis is to identify risks. In the latest evaluation catalog, the risk is evaluated by the task priority. The prioritization is divided into the levels high, medium and low and results, for example, from the importance of the risk and its probability of occurrence.
Step 6 - Optimization: During the optimization process, improvement measures are identified and defined. These are then continuously monitored and finally checked and evaluated for their effectiveness. The main purpose of this is to ensure and guarantee customer satisfaction.
Step 7 - The documentation of results: Finally, all FMEA results are documented. This is done both internally and externally for the customer. The main purpose is to communicate the results and to derive conclusions from them. These should be helpful in the development of further projects.
FMEA Analysis to Support VDA/AIAG Alignment
During a production process, new errors can always occur - for this reason, FMEA analysis is continuously being developed.
The latest change results from the alignment of the FMEA VDA and AIAG analysis procedures. The previous 5 steps have been expanded to 7 steps and the effectiveness of the troubleshooting process has thus been increased in a targeted manner. The most important changes include a new evaluation catalog and the elimination of risk priority numbers (RPN). The latter has been replaced by the risk assessment task field.
In harmonizing FMEA VDA and AIAG, many aspects of risk reduction were deliberately combined to prevent duplication of work steps. The aim of the alignment was and is to establish a uniform global standard and to make the production development process as fluid and error-free as possible.
The New VDA/AIAG Alignment: An FMEA Training Clarifies All 7 Steps
From scoping to structural analysis to offering optimal solutions for individual problem areas and their documentation - an FMEA training course covers all necessary steps of the FMEA process in requirements management. Participants are familiarized with the 7 steps of the new FMEA analysis.
Thus, they learn in the context of the structure analysis (2), which extent the analysis procedure should take and which interfaces should be used. Functional analysis (3) and failure analysis (4) point out to the participants how failures can be ideally identified, analyzed and eliminated. This is followed by a discussion of risk analysis (5), which is followed by optimization (6) of the entire production process. Finally, it ends with learning how to properly document (7) the results. In addition, the participants receive detailed insights into the appropriate FMEA software. In this way, FMEA training enables them to apply and use the FMEA process professionally and effectively in their company after its completion.
Advantages of FMEA Training and FMEA Software
In summary, the participants of an FMEA training gain comprehensive insights into all steps of the latest FMEA process. The focus is especially on the changes of the harmonization process of FMEA VDA and AIAG. When they are applied, there is a great advantage for the respective companies. FMEA software facilitates the application immensely: it specifically addresses all problem areas of structured defect detection and prevention and helps in the development of individually tailored solution steps. Every graduate of an FMEA training as well as every user of FMEA software is finally able to control the production processes in his company in such a way that defects are detected faster or avoided completely.
Conclusion
FMEA analysis is the ideal solution for detecting and avoiding production errors. It combines targeted risk management, change management and implementation management. It is applied in a predefined sequence of steps, starting with a detailed structural analysis after planning and ending with a technical documentation of all FMEA results. It also saves costs and thus significantly supports the company's liquidity.
Competent FMEA training introduces participants to the updated analysis procedure following AIAG/VDA Alignment and provides them with all the information they need for optimal application. They also benefit from a detailed introduction to specially designed software for fault detection.
An individual and competent solution finding for problem areas during the complete production process - this is what distinguishes the FMEA analysis.