FMEA – Process
The process FMEA is used to identify and evaluate potential errors in production or business processes at an early stage and to derive appropriate measures for minimizing risk. The goal is to identify process weaknesses and to improve the stability and quality of processes in the long term. This helps reduce sources of error and increase efficiency.
In this excerpt, a process FMEA was conducted for the assembly of a cordless screwdriver. The image below shows the scope of the FMEA as defined in advance—that is, the status at the time the record was created.
Interpretation of the Results
The task priority number indicates that a measure has been assigned a rating of H. This measure should be prioritized, meaning it should be implemented as soon as possible to reduce the risk.
The TPN is calculated by multiplying Severity × Occurrence × Detection.
Nowadays, the AP is increasingly used. AP stands for task priority and places greater emphasis on the significance of the consequence of the error. You can see the AP table in the image below.
In the Improve phase, select the process FMEA and the number of rows you want to evaluate, and then click Create Worksheet.
Preliminary Work
- Analysis of the scope: Sometimes a process FMEA that examines an entire process is too broad. In this case, the process must be narrowed down.
- Clearly classify the process activities within a process. A process activity typically consists of a single verb, e.g., inserting, screwing, soldering, …
RPZ (Risk Priority Number): The product of risk assessment criteria
Occurrence: Probability that a defect will occur in the process
Severity: Impact of the error on the product or customer
Detectability: Probability of detecting the error in the process
