Definition and importance of FMEA analysis in a company.
FMEA is a method that is used in companies when defects are found and analyzed before or during production that can have a negative impact on the entire manufacturing process. The FMEA method can be useful for a company in two ways. In addition to the error analysis, repeated use of the FMEA analysis builds up a store of knowledge that is available to the company for further production processes with the same action sequences. When the company initiates the next production process, the defects that have already been identified and eliminated for this process are excluded from the outset. In this way, the analysis for FMEA supports the quality management of a company that acts economically and does not want to incur costs that can be avoided.
Application Areas of the FMEA Method
The FMEA method is mainly used in the technical area of a company. A typical example of FMEA analysis is the automotive industry. Here, an FMEA moderator - who can be commissioned externally or chosen from among colleagues - supports the analysis during the troubleshooting process. He or she coordinates the individual work steps and is responsible for ensuring that the FMEA software is used in a supportive manner and detects all errors. Optimally, the moderator identifies the defects before they can have a negative impact on the product development process on an automobile manufacturer's assembly line.
The FMEA moderator acquires his expertise during a comprehensive training course. Here, he receives the compact knowledge he needs to coordinate troubleshooting in his company and to make ideal use of the FMEA software.
Beyond the application in the automotive industry, troubleshooting with the help of suitable FMEA software brings advantages to any company that wants to make its production processes as error-free as possible.
FMEA Method: Types and Procedure of FMEA
Each failure analysis is divided into a preventive and a corrective FMEA. Preventive FMEA method is applied even before the production development process. However, the actions do not end with the start of production. Rather, the goal of preventive FMEA is to accompany the entire process to the end, and to repeatedly provide important information for troubleshooting. By identifying errors in good time, a company can save costs at an early stage. This money is then available, for example, for necessary investments in other areas of the company.
The corrective FMEA practically serves as a supplement. It only kicks in towards the end of the production process and identifies the failures that remained undetected during preventive troubleshooting and could therefore not yet be eliminated.
By effectively combining preventive and corrective FMEA, a company can further improve its quality management.
Prerequisites for the Business Success of the FMEA Analysis
The FMEA method can only be applied effectively if all persons (team members) involved in the troubleshooting process pull together and demonstrate their ability to work as a team. For this, it is necessary that each employee can apply the basic knowledge of FMEA analysis and correctly interpret the results obtained. In preparation for a successful FMEA analysis, it therefore makes sense to provide employees with the necessary knowledge as part of a detailed training course on FMEA.
The individual team members are subject to the instructions of the FMEA moderator, who should have special expert knowledge due to his responsible position. He can acquire this expert knowledge by participating in an FMEA training course. Subsequently, the person acting as moderator not only has the technical know-how to make the analysis a business success. He or she also brings along a moderation competence from which the entire failure analysis process benefits.
Advantages of FMEA Training and FMEA Software
Participation in FMEA training provides participants with the necessary expert knowledge to apply the FMEA method in a meaningful way and to identify and eliminate all defects during failure analysis.
The FMEA training is divided into three major sections. First, participants learn the basics of FMEA. In addition to the presentation of the individual FMEA types, those interested also learn about the prerequisites for a successful failure analysis. Furthermore, they will then know which criteria play a special role in the selection of FMEA team members.
In the second section, the material for the correct implementation of the FMEA analysis is taught. This does not include the process of troubleshooting alone. An effective FMEA method relies on the optimal use of functional analysis, structural analysis and risk analysis as well.
Finally, the participants learn how to handle the software for FMEA and how to use it in such a way that the application can find as many defects as possible. A digression clarifies the necessary steps to be taken when a company transitions from the old FMEA to the new version.
Conclusion
A successful FMEA analysis is based on systematic preparation. During the FMEA training, the participants learn how to systematically prepare a successful FMEA analysis and how they can benefit from the use of suitable software in defect detection and defect prevention in the production process.
In addition, it is advantageous if the company selects a moderator who accompanies the entire defect analysis process and plans and coordinates the necessary steps. This person should know the application possibilities of the FMEA software and how it can be successfully integrated into the company's own quality management. This knowledge is finally imparted in a comprehensive FMEA training course.