During product development, timing of FMEA analysis is critical to ensure optimal analytical performance and product performance. So, do you perform FMEA analysis before or after mass production?
First, let's understand the purpose of FMEA analysis. FMEA aims to reduce the risk of product or process failure by proactively identifying and evaluating potential failure modes and their impact on system performance, thereby taking preventive measures during the product design or process development phase. Therefore, the best time for FMEA analysis is during the product design or process development phase, i.e., before mass production.
Conducting FMEA analysis during the product development phase can identify and resolve potential problems as early as possible, avoiding problems that are discovered only after the product has entered the mass production stage, resulting in more cost and time investment. In addition, FMEA analysis during the product development phase can also help improve the reliability and maintainability of the design, reduce the failure rate of the product during use, and improve customer satisfaction.
However, some people may think that it is more appropriate to perform FMEA analysis after mass production, as they believe that more realistic product performance data can be obtained during the mass production phase to better assess the reliability of the product. But in reality, there are some problems with this view. First, performing an FMEA analysis in the mass production phase may miss some early opportunities to take precautions. Second, if the problem is discovered only at the mass production stage, the product may need to be redesigned or improved, which can lead to more cost and time investment.
In summary, the best time for FMEA analysis is before mass production. Conducting FMEA analysis at this stage can identify and solve potential problems as early as possible, reduce the risk of product or process failure, improve the reliability and maintainability of the design, reduce the failure rate of the product during use, and improve customer satisfaction. Of course, after the product enters the mass production stage, FMEA analysis can also be performed to evaluate the performance and reliability of the product, but this analysis is more used to verify the effect of the early design than as a primary failure prevention tool.