Failure mode and effect analysis generation for conceptual design

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is a widely used concurrent engineering tool for quality improvement and risk assessment. However, many shortcomings have hindered its effectiveness. The research described here aims to contribute to the implementation of FMEA in conceptual design by eliminating some of these shortcomings. The focus of the work is on the information modelling of FMEA knowledge, and the emphasis is on the avoidance of additional workload for the designer and the encouragement of knowledge reuse. A relational data model has been created to support the automatic generation of the FMEA. This automatic generation replaces the traditional brainstorming process for FMEA report creation. Inputs of failure reports from the factory floor are used for FMEA generation. As an alternative approach, designers can provide the characteristics of the components of their design to generate the FMEA. The user has the final decision on whether the FMEA generated are to be recorded as the final FMEA report. Prototype software has been created to demonstrate the above capabilities. The data model is also intended to support the viewpoints of multiple users, namely, the product designer, the field engineer, the process engineer and the maintenance engineer. Further research is in progress.