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Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) has become an important tool for identifying potential weaknesses in manufacturing processes. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) has published guidelines that help ensure that Process FMEAs are developed and interpreted in a consistent fashion. These guidelines, while very helpful, are still open to broad interpretation, and need further development and improvement, especially in the area of detection rankings. The current detection ranking criteria are very subjective, difficult to apply in a consistent fashion, and can easily be used to skew Risk Priority Number results. This paper will describe revisions to the guidelines for detection rankings that have been successfully used in developing Process FMEAs for automotive manufacturing processes.

The engineering community is becoming increasingly aware of the significant benefits of performing error proofing on product and tooling designs. If a part or tooling can be designed or redesigned to allow for one-way assembly, the option of incorrect assembly at the plant is eliminated, making the process more robust. The goal of the error proofing exercise is to reduce operator decisions, eliminate misbuilds, and improve quality. Through participation in this type of exercise, all key stakeholders, including product, process, tooling, and production personnel, have greater opportunity to identify, prevent, and resolve potential production issues well in advance of launch.