Fastener Failure Mode Effects Analysis – A Microstructural Approach

Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis is a common tool used in manufacturing to prevent failures by asking the following questions:

• If a processing step fails what is its impact on the part function?
• How often does the processing step fail?
• How good is our ability in detecting those process failures?

While fasteners appear to be a simple commodity they often hold together some of our most advanced technology and require multiple manufacturing steps that include casting, forging, machining and heat treatment. Every processing steps results in a unique microstructure that is critical to the next manufacturing process and or to the end use of the product.

Most FMEA’s are text driven documents with little visual evidence of the failure modes beyond a simple description. This presentation changes that approach by visualizing failure modes through the use of microstructures of the processing steps to demonstrate both failures & successes.