The application of Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) ensures that the optimal maintenance approach is selected to address the specific failure characteristics of the equipment being maintained.
Typically, FMECA is reserved for complex and/or critical equipment, and the approach provides a detailed reliability and maintenance task analysis to assure ongoing integrity and reliability. The characteristics of the individual equipment-specific failure modes are then assessed and the maintenance regime for the equipment is defined to best mitigate the associated critical failure consequences.
Through AIE’s Veracity RCM software, we can rapidly facilitate FMECA – a structured approach used to identify and analyse potential failures of a system, product, or process for our clients. The main benefits of FMECA are:
Early identification of potential failures: FMECA helps identify potential failure modes in a system, sub-system, or equipment item, allowing for corrective action to be taken before the failure occurs.
Improved product quality and reliability: By identifying potential failure modes, FMECA allows for the development of improved product design, processes, and systems that reduce the likelihood of failure and improve overall quality and reliability.
Reduced maintenance costs: FMECA can help identify failure modes that are most critical and require the most attention. This allows maintenance resources to be allocated efficiently, reducing maintenance costs, and improving overall system performance.
- Increased safety: FMECA identifies failure modes that may pose a safety risk, allowing for corrective action to be taken to mitigate the risk and improve overall system safety.
Overall, FMECA is a powerful tool that can help organisations improve product quality, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction by identifying and mitigating potential failure modes.
FMECA STUDY THROUGH VERACITY RCM
AIE recently conducted an FMECA study through our Veracity RCM module, which aided a series of facilitated workshops with one of our longstanding clients with input from various discipline engineers, technicians, and operators. Following the study, a series of predictive and preventative maintenance tasks and task descriptions were delivered to the client. The proposed planned maintenance tasks were generally considered to reduce the risk of equipment failure to an acceptable level, without the requirement for further equipment or procedural redesign action. In addition, the results of the FMECA were also used to support the review of spare part holding requirements for the high critical and complex equipment.
The identified maintenance tasks are implemented via associated equipment-specific Maintenance Routines and Condition Monitoring strategies. The figures below show an example of how AIE represents the results of the FMECA of a Gas Compressor – this shows a spider diagram which represents each Failure Mode analysed, graphically showing the pre- and post-RPN (Risk Priority Number) values. Typically, for a Gas compressor package, around 20-30 separate analyses will be conducted for each component and sub-component of the system. The Recommended actions are also shown to mitigate the associated failure causes for the failure modes:
Fig 1: Spider diagram showing Pre- and Post-PRN numbers
Fig 2: FMECA summary and recommended actions
If you would like to talk further about the benefits of incorporating FMECA in your organization’s maintenance routines and/or engaging our marketing leading Veracity RCM software, contact us at info@aiegroup.org.