Closed loop management of PFMEA combined with WBS

Abstract

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is an effective method for ensuring a high reliability. It plays an important role in analyzing potential failure modes and their effects, finding the corresponding root causes, and providing measures to prevent failures. FMEA varies at different phases of the life cycle of a product. This paper discussed the Process FMEA (PFMEA), which is useful in improving the process reliability. A systematical management method of process reliability centered PFMEA was proposed. The method was integrated the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in order to decompose the control measures put forward in the PFMEA and distribute them to specific departments or individuals, which facilitated implementation and supervision. In this scenario, an extended PFMEA worksheet entitled WBS-PFMEA worksheet was designed so as to increase the compatibility of PFMEA with WBS. In addition, review meetings of PFMEA were required to develop after completing the initial PFMEA worksheets, in order to confirm the comprehensiveness and correctness of PFMEA. Implementing and supervising PFMEA was not terminate until the closed loop of PFMEA had been formulated. Ultimately, the proposed approach was validated through an example from the manufacturing processes of components in aerospace industry.