About FMEA variants

After you create an FMEA structure, you can use that FMEA as a reference and a new variant with a few modifications. To do this, you must first specify an FMEA as a master FMEA. For more information about how to specify an FMEA as a master FMEA, see Specify the category of an FMEA.

While creating the variant, you can select the objects that you want to include in the variant FMEA. This reduces the time required to create an FMEA that is based on an existing FMEA. For example, PFMEA's for different plants, DFMEA's for different parts which have common components, and so on.

Consider an air filter assembly. Since the overall purpose, design, and failure modes of the an air filter of all car models is the same, you can create and categorize it's FMEA structure as a master FMEA and release it. You can then create variants of this master air filter assembly FMEA structure by selecting the objects that are relevant for a specific car model.

You can also compare the structures and properties of the master FMEA and the variant FMEA or vice versa. After studying the differences, you can align the source and the target FMEA structures as required. This helps you to incorporate learnings and update the master FMEAs with issues identified in the variant FMEAs and vice versa.

In the case of the master FMEA structure of the air filter assembly and its variant, while analyzing the master or the variant, if you come across any risks or issues that are applicable to both, you can compare the structures and study the similarities and differences. You can then align the master FMEA with the variant FMEA or vice-versa, to carry forward the required issues and failure modes.

Creating, comparing, and aligning FMEAs can help you to build a knowledge database within a company by transferring knowledge between all FMEAs.