FMEA

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis or FMEA is a structured method to analyze component and system reliability. It is a framework to look at how something fails (failure mode) and what happens when it does (failure effect).

Basics

Analysis

At a lay level, a FMEA should be a list of different ways things can go wrong, as in: "what if this part broke?". Each "what-if" being looked at in multiple ways:

• How could this part break? (Failure Mode)
• What will happen to the car if this thing goes wrong? (Failure Effect(s))
• How likely is this thing to go wrong?
• What can we do to stop this from happening?

Additional detail can be included at whatever level of depth is deemed appropriate. Some further questions to ask include:

• What could cause this failure?
• What physically happens to the parts that are directly connected?
• What happens to the functionality of the system that this is a part of?
• To what extent is the functionality of the car effected?
• If this failed, would the car continue to be rules compliant?
• If this failed, could the driver be in danger?
• If this failed, could a bystander or track volunteer be in danger?
• How quickly can this be repaired if it failed?
• Would a new component have to be bought/machined or is this meant to be repairable?
• How long is the lead time for a replacement component?