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FMEA

FMEA — Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

A structured methodology for identifying potential failure modes, their causes and their effects on system performance.

Definition

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic reliability engineering methodology used to identify potential failure modes, evaluate their causes and effects, assess associated risks and define preventive or corrective actions before failures occur. FMEA is commonly applied during equipment design, maintenance planning and operational improvement initiatives.

Why It Matters

FMEA helps organizations improve reliability, safety and maintainability by identifying potential failures before they occur and prioritizing actions that reduce operational risk.

In Practice

FMEA typically evaluates each failure mode according to its causes, effects, detection methods and risk ranking, providing a structured basis for maintenance and design improvements.

Common Misuse

FMEA evaluates failure modes and their effects, while FMECA extends the methodology by incorporating formal criticality assessment and prioritization.

Term Details
Synonyms:
FMEA; Failure Modes and Effects Analysis; Failure Mode Effects Analysis
Classification:
Reliability Engineering
Methodology
Advanced
Applications

Reliability Engineering; Risk Management; Maintenance & Work Management.

Where It's Used

Reliability engineering.; Equipment design.; Maintenance strategy.; Risk management.; Asset lifecycle management.

References

IEC 60812; SAE J1739

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