A Concept of Risk Prioritization in FMEA Analysis for Fluid Power Systems

Joanna Fabis-Domagala, Mariusz Domagala and Hassan Momeni
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Joanna Fabis-Domagala: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Al. Jana Pawla II 37, 31-864 Cracow, Poland
Mariusz Domagala: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Al. Jana Pawla II 37, 31-864 Cracow, Poland
Hassan Momeni: Department of Mechanical and Marine Engineering, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, N5020 Bergen, Norway

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: FMEA analysis is a tool of quality improvement that has been widely used for decades. Its classical version prioritizes risk of failure by risk priority number (RPN). The RPN is a product of severity (S), occurrence (O), and detection (D), where all of the factors have equal levels of significance. This assumption is one of the most commonly criticized drawbacks, as it has given unreasonable results for real-world applications. The RPN can produce equal values for combinations of risk factors with different risk implications. Another issue is that of the uncertainties and subjectivities of information employed in FMEA analysis that may arise from lack of knowledge, experience, and employed linguistic terms. Many alternatives of risk assessment methods have been proposed to overcome the weaknesses of classical FMEA risk management in which we can distinguish methods of modification of RPN numbers of employing new tools. In this study, we propose a modification of the traditional RPN number. The main difference is that severity and occurrence are valued based on subfactors. The detection number remained unchanged. Additionally, the proposed method prioritizes risk in terms of implied risk to the systems by implementing functional failures (effects of potential failures). A typical fluid power system was used to illustrate the application of this method. The method showed the correct failure classification, which meets the industrial experience and other research results of failures of fluid power systems.

Keywords: FMEA; risk analysis; fluid power systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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