FMEA Quality Objective 13: LINKAGE

None of us is a smart as all of us. – Ken Blanchard

FMEAs have great potential value to improve product designs and manufacturing processes. That value increases significantly when FMEA is properly linked and connected to other analyses.

How can FMEA be linked to other analyses to increase value?

1. Design FMEA can be linked to Process FMEA.

• Causes in the DFMEA become inputs to identification of failure modes in the PFMEA.
• Effects in the DFMEA become inputs to identification of product-related effects in the PFMEA.
• DFMEA can recommend Special Product Characteristics that are input to PFMEA.
• Product designs must be able to be manufactured and assembled, and this can be supported by the DFMEA team considering design improvements that help ensure the design can easily be manufactured without failures.

2. Design FMEA can be linked to Design Verification Plan (DVP)

• DFMEA can recommend improvements specific tests that are part of the Design Verification Plan (DVP).
• DFMEA can recommend new tests that are not part of current DVP.
• DVP tests are input to DFMEA Detection Controls.

3. Design FMEA can be linked to Design Review

• The status of DFMEA and important findings are input to Product Design Reviews.
• The results of Product Design Reviews can provide input to DFMEA Failure Modes and Causes.

4. Process FMEA can be linked to Process Control Plan (PCP)

• PFMEA team can convert prevention controls in the PFMEA to the control methods in the PCP.
• PFMEA team can convert detection controls in the PFMEA to the evaluation measurement technique and the control methods in the PCP .
• PFMEA team can convert product and process special characteristics identified in PFMEA to special characteristics in the PCP .

There are many other potential linkages that can increase the value of FMEA.

What is the FMEA Quality Objective for linkages?

FMEA Quality Objective 13: The value of an FMEA is increased through proper linkage to other analyses.

How can you evaluate FMEA Quality Objective 13?

There are three steps to evaluating how well an FMEA meets the quality objective for linkage.

1. Review the FMEA inputs to see which (if any) come from other analyses in a useful meaningful way.
2. Review the FMEA Recommended Actions to see which (if any) link the FMEA to other analyses in a meaningful way.
3. Based on these two evaluations, assess how well the FMEA meets the quality objective for linkage.

What is an example of assessing Quality Objective for linkages?

As an example, we’ll use an excerpt from a fictitious Design FMEA on a bicycle handbrake to assess Quality Objective 13.

BicyclehandbrakeDFMEA

Based on the excerpt of the handbrake DFMEA, here is an example of the evaluation of FMEA Quality Objective 13: Linkage

ExamplehandbrakeaddressingFMEALinkage

Tip

Taking the time to learn the quality and reliability tools is time well spent. Accendo Reliability has many excellent references to support this learning adventure. By enhancing your knowledge of Q&R tools, you can more easily assess how well an FMEA is linked to other analyses in a meaningfull way.

Summary

Done by themselves, without linkage to other analyses, FMEAs have great potential to improve product designs and manufacturing processes. However, when they are properly linked and connected to other analyses, the value increases significantly. This value can be assessed for quality, using the information in this article.