Manufacturing Systems Design Decomposition and Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis

Abstract

Since its development for the Apollo project in 1963, Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) has been increasingly employed, especially in the automotive industry, as a means for understanding and managing risk. When this analysis is applied to an existing process or manufacturing line, the manufacturing processes are established and existing process data can be employed in the determination of severity, occurrence and detection of process failures. When a new manufacturing line is being developed or scaled up from a pilot process, there is less certainty and limited analogous process data. This paper describes the use of Manufacturing System Design Decomposition (MSDD) in the design of manufacturing processes in conjunction with definition of the Process FMEA model.