Sharing In Growth Teach Point

PROCESS FAILURE MODE &

EFFECTS ANALYSIS (PFMEA)
Objectives and Principles

Copyright © 2013-2020 Sharing in Growth

What is PFMEA?

• A structured technique for defining how

things can go wrong with a process

• A method of clearly defining where the

biggest risks are in a process

• Helps to evaluate the effect of failures on

downstream stages of a process and
customers

• Helps to prioritise problems for effective

action
Why Use PFMEA?

Discuss the benefits of using PFMEA

Safety: Exposes risks that could potentially impact product safety in service

Quality: A method for identifying potential failure points that pose a risk to product quality

Delivery: Helps to evaluate the effect of process failures and impact on customers

Cost: Evaluate the potential cost impact of process failures

People: Effectively utilises the skills and knowledge of operators

Discuss the reasons for applying PFMEA in your own areas

How?

Failure Mode & Effects Analysis

Process Process Potential Potential Potential Prevention of Detection of Manage the

OCC

DET
SEV

RPN
Step Details Failure Mode Effect(s) of Cause(s) of Failure Cause Failure Cause risk
Failure Failure

Score the
What can go What are the Score severity What are the
potential
wrong? effects? of effects causes &
frequency of
category
cause

What can be
Do it, review Score the Score the How can this be
done?
it & maintain it overall risk & detection prevented &
• Design
rank effectiveness detected?
changes
• Process
changes
• Changes to
standards,
procedures or
guides
How – 6 Step Process

1. Map the Process 2. Decide Failure Modes & Severity

1. 2. 2. 2.
0 1 2 3
Map your Brainstorm all Identify Assign
process & agree potential failure potential effects Severity
scope modes of failures rankings

3. Identify Potential Cause (Occurrence) 4. Controls and Detection

3. 3. 4. 4.
1 2 1 2
Identify all Assign Establish Assign
potential causes Occurrence current controls Detection
of failure
rankings rankings

5. Calculate Risk 6. Manage the Risk

5. 6. 6. 6.
0 1 2 3
Calculate Risk Identify where Re-assess RPN Maintain
Priority Number actions need to when actions PFMEA as a
(RPN) be taken complete & live document
maintain
Step 1 – Map the Process

Value Stream
Process Process Details
Step

Hot Forge Mill to Shape Drill Holes De-Burr

10 Hot forge
10 20 30 40

20 Mill to shape
• Use a team of people that understand the process. This should include
people that actually operate each step of the process concerned. Drill oil drain
30
holes
• The team should physically walk the process with the process operators
to ensure they map what “actually happens”

• The team should agree the scope of the PFMEA activity – How much of
the process will it cover?
Step 2 – Decide Failure Modes & Severity

2. 2. 2.
1 2 3
Brainstorm all Identify potential Assign Severity
potential failure effects of failures rankings
modes

The way in which something Identify the effect(s) of the Assign severity ranking 1 to
goes wrong / is non- failure on the next process or 10 ranking of the seriousness
conforming:- customer:-
• Feature in wrong location • Does not fit/assemble
of the effect of failure to the
• Part too small • Loss of engine performance customer
• Surface too rough • Reduction in part life • 1 = No effect
• Shaft not round • In-flight shut down • 10 = Major problem with potential
• Radius too large • Increase in process time safety risks

2. 2. 2.
1 2 3
Process Step Process Details Potential Failure Mode Potential Effect(s) of Failure SEV

Excess curvature Final product dimensional non-conformance – does not fit 5

10 Hot Forge
High porosity Weakened structure leading to failure in service 8

Poor definition Longer machining cycle in step 20 4

 Step 3 - Identify Potential Cause (Occurrence)

3. 3.
1 2
Identify all Assign
potential causes Occurrence
of failure rankings

How the failure could occur, described in How frequently the failure cause is likely to
terms of something that can be corrected or happen or occur:-
controlled:- • 1 = Never
• Fastener incorrectly tightened • 10 = All the time
• Part not held in jig properly
• Wrong tool used
• Gauge inaccurate
• Part installed wrong way round

3. 3.
1 2
Potential Failure Mode Potential Effect(s) of Failure SEV Potential Cause(s) of Failure OCC

Excess curvature Final product dimensional non-conformance – does not fit 5 Temperature too high 6

High porosity Weakened structure leading to failure in service 8 De-gassing due to reaction with iron oxide 4

Poor definition Longer machining cycle in step 20 4 Temperature too low 6

Step 4 – Controls and Detection

4. 4.
1 2
Establish current Assign Detection
controls rankings

How do we detect the failure mode when it Detection ranking is an assessment of the
happens or prevent it from affecting the probability that the current controls will be
customer:- effective:-
• In process measurement • 1 = Certain to detect failure
• Test panels • 10 = Failure cannot be detected
• Operator training
• Fixture design

4.
1
Current Process Controls
4.
2
Potential Cause(s) of Failure OCC Prevention of Failure Cause Detection of Failure Mode DET

Temperature too high 6 Process controller in furnace Infra red camera on part 5

De-gassing due to reaction with iron oxide 4 XRF analysis of oxide levels None 2

Temperature too low 6 Process controller in furnace Infra red camera on part 5
Step 5 – Calculate Risk

RPN (Risk Priority Number)

2. 3. 4. 5.
3 2 2 0
Assign Severity Assign Assign Detection Calculate Risk
rankings X Occurrence X rankings = Priority Number
rankings (RPN)

Multiply Severity, Occurrence and Detection ranking together, this will give a number between
1 and 1000.

Current Process Controls

5.
0
SEV Potential Cause(s) of Failure OCC Prevention of Failure Cause Detection of Failure Mode DET RPN

5 Temperature too high 6 Process controller in furnace Infra red camera on part 5 150

8 De-gassing due to reaction with iron oxide 4 XRF analysis of oxide levels None 2 64

4 Temperature too low 6 Process controller in furnace Infra red camera on part 5 120
Step 6 – Manage the Risk

6. 6. 6.
1 2 3
Identify where Re-assess RPN Maintain PFMEA
actions need to when actions as a live
be taken complete document

Consider highest RPNs first,

failures with the Highest Severity
need to be given priority.
Consider the following:-
 Severity cannot be affected without
process/product re-design.

How can the occurrence be reduced?

How can we improve the detection?

Responsibility & Target Actions Taken &

Recommended Corrective Actions SEV OCC DET RPN
Completion Date Completion Date

Install thermocouples in cooling M Latimer 23/06/19 Thermocouples Installed 10/06/19 5 2 5 20

None 8 4 2 64

Install thermocouples in cooling M Latimer 23/06/19 Thermocouples Installed 10/06/19 4 2 5 16

Who?

The team members involved will differ,

dependent on manufacturing or
transactional processes, and involve:

• Cross functional team – that understands

each process step

• Independent person – promote discussion

and question process

• Facilitator – to manage the activity

Summary

Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis is a logical stepped process that:

• Gives a deeper understanding of a given process and helps to define how things could go
wrong within that process.

• Uses the skill and knowledge of the people who operate within said process

• Identifies the biggest risks that could cause potential problems to end users or customers

• Provides a structure for prioritising problems and addressing with effective actions

• Provides maintenance and continuous improvement process throughout the product /

process life time, ensuring ongoing optimisation.