Failure Analysis
Basic Concepts
Background
About FMECA
FMECA
• a structured method of
determining:
• equipment functions
• functional failures
assessing the causes of failures and
their failure effects.
Group Work
Maintenance Plans
Maintenance Plans
• Break into groups of 5
• Discuss maintenance plans in:
• 1960’s
• 1970’s
• 1980’s
The Key benefits of FMECA
Criticality –
• Identification of critical areas of operation
• Identification of critical systems within areas
FMEA -
• Reduced downtime by avoiding failures
• Reduced time spent on unnecessary maintenance
• Revised Preventive Maintenance schedules
• Adoption of new maintenance tasks
• Critical component stores listings
• Revised Log Book procedures
• And more …
Causes of Downtime
Equipment Failure
Production Related
Fit for Purpose
Equipment Failure
– Quality of Parts
– Effectiveness of Maintenance
Strategy
– Operation of Equipment
– Poor Design
– Quality of Maintenance
– Fast Running of Machines
– Bad Operating Practices
– Poor Maintenance Planning
– Skills/Ability of Craftsmen
Production Related
– Quality of Raw Materials
– Formulation
– Operating Procedures
– Production Planning
– Schedule Maintenance Requirements
– Development Projects
– Lack of Labor
– Weak Management
– Product Changeovers
– Equipment Set-Ups
– Skills of Operators
Fit for Purpose
– Design Specification
– Selection of Materials
– Stretch the Plant/Process
– Modifications
– Location and Access to Equipment
Maintenance Technical
Strategy
Maintenance Technical Strategy
“Living Maintenance”
Maintenance Technical Strategy
Relationship between a Component and Plant
Types of Maintenance
Planned or Unplanned
Maintenance
Corrective Maintenance
Emergency Breakdown
Operator to Failure
Planned Maintenance
Preventive Maintenance
Condition Based
Schedule Based
Failure Characteristics of Plant
A thorough investigation into the
characteristics of each unit must be
carried out in order to identify:
• The behaviour or performance of each unit
• The production pattern
• The unit type
MTBF
Types of Units
• Single units
• A series continuous process unit
Predictive Maintenance
• Human senses (sight, sound, touch
and smell)
• Monitoring with test instruments
(vibration, etc)
• Performance monitoring (combustion
analysis, etc)
• Quality measures
Predictive Maintenance
Determining Lead Time
Fixed Time Maintenance
Pattern of Equipment Failure
Fixed Time Maintenance
Probability of Failure vs. Predictable Failure
Teamwork
Pre-FMECA Requirements
Current PM Schedules and Tasks
Non-PM Work Orders
The information from Non-PM
WorkOrders should ideally include:
• Date
• Work Description
• Parts Usage
• Task Time
Current Downtime Data
Costs Data
Redundant Labour Costs
Maintenance Costs
Depreciation
Overheads
Drawings & Manuals
• P & IDs
• Assembly Drawings
• Installation Drawings
• Manufacturers Documentation
Spare Parts
A list of spare parts may be required and
should include the following:
• Local Inventory Spare Parts Number;
• Manufacturer / Supplier;
• Unit Type (Each, Pair, Set, etc);
• Cost per Unit;
• Frequency of Usage;
• Stock on Hand;
• Minimum Stock on Hand.
Establishing Maintenance Plan
Defining Criticality Analysis
What is Criticality?
A criticality system provides the means of
ranking equipment taking into account the
plant’s operational requirements and the
equipment function.
Criticality Factors
Factor for Effect on Safety or
Environment
Factor Score Description
1 Little or no risk to the safety of the equipment or
people or the environment.
2 Risk of minor injury or damage to equipment or
minor levels of pollution.
3 Potential for a lost time accident, or significant
damage to equipment, or discharge to
atmosphere or water which requires notification to
relevant authorities.
4 Severe safety consequences that could involve
loss of life, major injuries and/or destruction of
equipment and/or significant environmental
discharges which result in a fire or removal of
operating licences.
Calculation of Criticality
Factor A – Effect on Production
Output
This factor considers the impact of the equipment failure
on the process of the plant.
Factor Description Factor
Score
No significant impact/standby equipment is available. 1
Minor impact on production. Unlikely to affect other 2
areas of the plant.
Failure would have a significant impact on output and 3
may affect other sections.
Major impact on the plant’s operations. Equipment 4
failure would cause over 25% of plant production to
stop.
Factor B - Utilisation
This factor measures the importance of the equipment in terms of
the required utilisation within its operating environment.
Factor Description Factor
Score
Equipment is used on an occasional basis. 1
Equipment is required to function independently for 2
up to 50% of available time.
Equipment is part of a continuous process, required 3
to function for a proportion of the planned production
time.
Equipment is required to function for all of the 4
planned time.
Factor C - Quality
This factor measures the effect on product quality.
Factor Description Factor
Score
No effect on product quality. 1
Minor effect on Product quality. 2
Critical effect on product quality and can result in 3
major losses.
Factor D – Effect on Safety or
Environment
This factor is concerned with assessing the effects of an
equipment failure in terms of the risk of injury to people,
damage to equipment and environment, implications for the
company if equipment fails in service.
Factor Description Factor
Score
Little or no risk to the safety of people, equipment or 1
the environment.
Minor risk to people, equipment or the environment. 2
Major risk to people resulting in a lost time accident, 3
significant damage to equipment or the environment,
which requires notification to relevant authorities.
Catastrophic resulting in loss of life, or destruction of 4
equipment and/or significant environmental
discharges which result in the removal or operating
licences.
Getting the Criticality Score
Step 1 – Criticality Score
Criticality Score = (Factors) A x B x C x D
Factor E – Frequency of Failure
This factor requires assessment of failure rate. The information
should be obtained from equipment history records or best estimates.
Description Factor
Score
Failures are rare, less than once per year. 1
Occasional failure between 3 and 12 months. 2
Failure likely between 1 and 3 months. 3
Frequent failures at least once per month. 4
Frequent failures at least once per week. 5
Factor F – Average
Downtime/Repair Time
Downtime Downtime Factor
Duration Score
Minor 0 - 30 Mins 1
Significant 30 - 120 Mins 2
Major 2 - 8 hrs 3
Severe >8 hrs 4
Factor G – Potential for Waste
Reduction
Factor Description Quantity Factor
Score
No waste is generated under 0% 1
normal operating conditions.
Small amounts of waste are 5% 2
produced by a failure.
Waste is produced during 15% 3
production that is significant.
Quantities of waste are significant + 15% 4
and warrant immediate attention.
Getting the Criticality Score
Step 2 – Equipment Score
Equipment Score = (Factors) E x F x G
Getting the Criticality Score
Step 3 – Overall Score
Overall Score = (Critic. Score) x (Equip. Score)
Equipment Classification and
Criteria
Criticality Equipment
Score Category
80 - 320 (A)
24 - 79 (B)
1 - 23 (C)
Equipment Classification and
Criteria
Criticality Example
Flow Equip. Overall Priority Factors Priority
Local Description PRSNo Total FM ECA
Sheet Score Score W ork
No. Safety Freq. of Ave W aste Score Comments
No. Output Util’n Quality
&Env
(ES)
Failure D’tim e Rdn
(PS) Sheet
No.
A B C D AxBxCxD E F G ExFxG (ESxPS)
R251 ECReactor PRS251 J93-1126/P1 4 4 3 4 192 1 4 4 16 3072 ECReactor EC0014
E252/1 Reactor Condenser PRS252 J93-1128/P1 4 4 3 3 144 1 4 4 16 2304 Reactor Condenser EC0013
E252/2 Reactor Condenser PRS252 4 4 3 3 144 1 4 4 16 2304 Reactor Condenser EC0013
D202/1 Absorber Tow er HydrogenDryer PRS201 J93-1116 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC0001
D202/2 Absorber Tow er HydrogenDryer PRS201 J93-1116 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC0001
E205 Intercooler for D202/1and2 PRS201 J93-1116 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC0001
E206 SteamHeater for D202/1 &2 PRS201 J93-1116 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC0001
K205 Blower for HydrogenDryers J93-1116 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC0001
S203 Dust afterfilter for HydrogenDryer PRS201 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC09001
V205 H2 DryingHydr/water Separator J93-1116 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 Dryer Package EC0001
C254 Re-runColum n PRS253 J94-1115/P1 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 RerunColum n EC0011
E258 Re-runReboiler PRS253 J94-1115/P1 4 4 2 2 64 2 4 1 8 512 RerunColum n EC0011
V255 SlopsDrum PRS251 J94-1083/P1 4 4 1 4 64 1 4 1 4 256 Slops EC0012
C201 HC1 DryingColum n(Top&BottomSections PRS202 J93-1122 4 4 1 3 48 1 4 1 4 192 Dryer 1 EC0002
C256 ECVent Gas Scrubber PRS252 J93-1130/P1 4 4 1 3 48 1 4 1 4 192 ECVent Scrubber EC0016
E253 Vent GasHeater PRS252 J93-1130/P1 4 4 1 3 48 1 4 1 4 192 ECVent Scrubber EC0016
J251 Reactor MixingNozzle 4 4 1 3 48 2 2 1 4 192 Ethylene System EC0017
V254 Polym er KnockOut Drum PRS251 J93-1126/P1 4 4 1 3 48 1 4 1 4 192 Polym er 5 EC0018
G251 Gear Box for HC1 Recycle Com pK251 J93-1128 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 1 16 768 Recycle )
J255 Recycle Com pressor G landEjector J93-1128 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 1 16 768 Recycle )
K251 HC1 RecycleCom pressor PRS252 J93-1128/P1 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 1 16 768 Recycle )
M251 NonCondensingGearedTurbine for K251 J93-1128/P1 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 2 16 768 Recycle )EC0010
P256/1 LubeOil Pum pRecycle com p. Gearbox J93-1128/P1 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 2 16 768 Recycle )
P256/2 LubeOil Pum pRecycle Com pressor J93-1128/P1 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 2 16 768 Recycle )
P256/3 LubeOil Pum pRecycle Com pressor J93-1128/P1 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 2 16 768 Recycle )
T255 Recycle Com pressor G landEjector Tank J93-1128 3 4 1 4 48 2 4 2 16 768 Recycle )
GB201 Vent Relief Stack J93-1131 4 4 1 3 48 1 4 2 4 192 Stack EC0019
X251 Flam e TrapVessel PRS251 J93-1131 4 4 1 3 48 1 4 2 4 192 Stack EC0019
B251 Catalyst ScrewConveyor J93-1125/P2 4 4 1 2 32 3 4 2 12 384 Catalyst System
G252 Gear Box for Catalyst ScrewFeeder J93-1140 4 4 1 2 32 3 4 1 12 384 Catalyst System
V251 UnloadingHopper PRS251 J93-1125/P2 4 4 1 2 32 3 4 1 12 384 Catalyst System
V252 Catalyst Hopper PRS251 J93-1125/P2 4 4 1 2 32 3 4 1 12 384 Catalyst System
V253 Catalyst DissolvingPot PRS251 J93-1125/P2 4 4 1 2 32 3 4 1 12 384 Catalyst System
S202 IrrigationFilter PRS202 J93=1122 4 4 1 2 32 2 4 1 8 256 Dryer 6 EC0007
S205 HC1 Dem ister Vessel PRS202 J93-1122 4 4 1 2 32 1 4 1 4 128 Dryer 7 EC0008
P253/2 Sum pPum p£Durco) J93=1134 4 4 1 2 32 2 3 1 6 192 ECSum p
E204/1 Inter/Aftercooler for K201/1 PRS202 J93=1123 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
E204/2 Inter/Aftercooler for K201/2 PRS202 J93=1124 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCPCom pression )
G201/1 Gearboxfor HC1Com pressor K201/1 J93=1124 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
G201/2 Gearboxfor HC1Com pressor K201/2 J93=1123 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
J203/1 HC1 Com pGlandejectors J93-1124 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
J203/2 HC1 Com pGlandEjectors J93-1124 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
K201/1 HC1 Com pressor PRS202 J93-1124 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
K201/2 HC1 Com pressor PRS202 J93-1123 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
K204/1 Inter/Aftercooler Fan J93-1124 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )EC0009
K204/2 Inter/Aftercooler Fan J93-1123 2 4 1 4 32 4 4 1 16 512 HCLCom pression )
Equipment Classification and
Criteria
Typical Distribution of Scores
Number of Items
C B A
Low Criticality Score High
Equipment Classification and
Criteria
Equipment Maintenance Selection
Category Criteria Techniques
A Maximum availability Use RCM/FMECA
and reliability. Target
zero failures
B Minimise failures, Use FMECA
maximise availability to
meet production
demand
C Minimise maintenance Based on
costs manufacturers
recommendations
and experience.
Simplified Version of Criticality
Category Criticality Situation
A (1) Vital Main process equipment whose
outage results in immediate
production loss and penalty cost.
Safety equipment whose outage
creates danger or damage to
equipment, or loss of life or injury.
Simplified Version of Criticality
B (2) Essential Process and auxiliary equipment,
usually spared, whose outage does
not normally cause immediate loss
of production but whose continued
outage (more than 24 hours) could
lead to production loss and penalty
cost.
All safety equipment not already
classified vital.
Life support equipment whose
outage of more than 24 hours could
cause health problems or produce
disagreeable operating or
environment conditions.
Simplified Version of Criticality
C (3) Support All other process equipment and that
life support equipment whose outage
of more than 72 hours would affect
operating conditions.
Commodity articles which directly
support process equipment or
processes. Examples are general
purpose bearings, seals, lubricants,
gases, chart paper.
Simplified Version of Criticality
D (4) Operational All non-industrial equipment and life
support equipment not already
classified.
All commodity articles not already
classified.
Criticality Scoresheet
Criticality Classification
Criticality Sorting
Criticality Assessment
Defining FMECA
Failure Characteristics
Definitions and Examples
• Failure Mode
Describes how the system or component fails
• Failure Effect
Describes the effect of the failure, e.g. noise,
lost performance
• Failure Cause
Describes the principle cause of failure
Definitions and Examples
Modes Causes Effects/Symptoms
Collapsed Overload Deformation
Seized Wear Temperature
Fractured Erosion Changes
Burnt Corrosion Flow Rates
`Failed’ Fouling Lost Efficiency
Ruptured Decay Spillages
Decay Perishing Vibration
Contamination Lost Performance
Tolerances
Noise
Pressure
Levels
Failure Modes
1. Cracked/fracture 1. Corroded 1. Binding/jamming
2. Distorted 2. Contaminated 2. Loose
3. Fails to open 3. Open circuit 3. Incorrect
4. Fails to close 4. Short circuit adjustment
5. Fails open 5. Out of tolerance 4. Seized
6. Fails closed (drifted) 5. Worn
7. Internal leakage 6. Scored 6. Sticking
8. External leakage 7. Noisy 7. Overheated
9. Fails to stop 8. Arcing 8. Delayed
10. Fails to start 9. Unstable operation
10. Chafed 9. Burned
10. Collapsed
11. Overloaded
Failure Effects and Causes
Failure Cause
Deterioration Characteristics &
MTBF
Risk Priority Number –
Occurrence Ratings
Criteria Rating Possible Failure
Occurrence Rate
(Weeks)
REMOTE probability of occurrence. It would 1 0
be unreasonable to expect failure to occur.
LOW probability of occurrence. Generally 2 1: 100
associated with equipment or components 3 1: 50
similar to above with a relatively low number
of failures per unit.
MODERATE probability of occurrence. 4 1: 26
Generally associated with equipment or 5 1: 13
components that have shown up occasional 6 1: 8
failures, but not in major proportions.
HIGH probability of occurrence. Generally 7 1: 4
associated with equipment or components 8 1: 2
similar to ones that have traditionally caused
problems.
VERY HIGH probability of occurrence. Near 9 1: 1
certainty that major failures will occur. 10 Less than 1
week
Possible failure occurrence rates are meant as a guideline only.
Risk Priority Number – Severity
Ratings Criteria Rating
MINOR SEVERITY - A very minor failure which would 1
have no noticeable effect on the system performance.
Operator would probably not notice the failure.
LOW SEVERITY - A minor failure causing only slight 2
system annoyance. Operator would not notice any 3
deterioration of system performance.
MODERATE SEVERITY - A failure which would cause 4
some system dissatisfaction, discomfort or annoyance, 5
or would cause noticeable deterioration in system 6
performance.
HIGH SEVERITY - A failure which would engender a high 7
degree of system dissatisfaction (e.g. inoperative 8
control). Does not affect safety or ability to meet
regulations.
VERY HIGH SEVERITY - A failure which would affect 9
safety or ability to meet regulations.
CATASTROPHIC - A failure which may cause damage to 10
property, serious injury or death.
FMECA Form Completion
1. Equipment Enter the equipment name and plant item
number
2. Function Describe the component’s function
3. Failure Mode For each item describe the most
likely reason for failure
4. Effect Describe the effect of each failure, e.g.
pressure drop or visible leaks. The effect should
relate specifically to the item under consideration and
to the total equipment.
FMECA Form Completion
5. Cause Describe the principle cause of failure, e.g.
normal wear.
6. Risk Priority
7. Number (RPN) Calculate the RPN for each failure
mode, e.g.
FMECA Form Completion
8. Failure Characteristic
Decide if the failure is random, increasing, predictable
or age related.
9. Type Is the failure Evident (E) or Hidden (H).
10. Mean Time Between Failure MTBF
Enter the known or estimated time between failures
for each item.
11. Maintenance Approach The
applicable maintenance approaches are determined
using a maintenance strategy decision diagram
Why why analysis
Case study
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