ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I ABSTRACT III TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 14 1.1 Diploma Thesis 15 1.

2 The Company 16 2 FMEA (FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS) 17 2.1 Background 20 2.2 Types of FMEA 21 2.3 Fundamental ideas of FMEA - why conduct FMEA 23 2.4 Process FMEA 25 3 PERFORMING A PROCESS FMEA 27 3.1 Defining a TEAM 30 3.2 Bill of materials (BOM) 31 3.3 Organization in the productive area 32 3.3.1 Production process of the knitting department 33 3.3.2 Workstation functions within the process 37 3.4 Defect overview 47 3.5 Cause-Effect-Diagrams 58 3.6 Detected defects January-August 2005 68 3.7 Detected defects in the working process 70 3.8 Risk evaluation 75 3.8.1 Severity (SEV) 75

3.8.2 Occurrence (O)CC 78 3.8.3 Detection (DET) 81 3.8.4 Risk Priority Number (RPN) 85 3.9 Arrangements and solutions 89 3.10 Checking the process - action taken to reduce the defects 102 VI 3.10.1 Which checkups are already planned? 104 3.10.2 RPN new calculation 105 3.11 FMEA form 110 4 CONCLUSION 111 5 REFERENCES. 112 6 APPENDIX 115 6.1 Handbook FMEA 115 6.2 Complete FMEA form 130 VII LIST OF TABLES Table 1: BOM 31 Table 2: Defect overview 57 Table 3: Detected defects 2005, January-August 68 Table 4: Detected defects according to the process functions 74 Table 5: Evaluation of severity (SEV) 76 Table 6: Severity of defects 78 Table 7: Evaluation of occurrence (O)CC 79

Table 8: Occurrence of defects 81 Table 9: Evaluation of detection (DET) 83 Table 10: Detection of defects 84 Table 11: RPN of defects 86 Table 12: Pareto Diagram 87 Table 13: Solutions of defects 91 Table 14: Comparison of defects 2005 106 Table 15: Recalculation of the evaluation of occurrence (O)CC 108 Table 16: Comparison of RPN 109 VIII LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: FMEA Model Figure 2: Fundamental ideas of FMEA Figure 3: Brainstorming Figure 4: The FMEA Process Map Figure 5: Production Process 1 Figure 6: Production Process 2 Figure 7: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Barr Figure 8: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Vertical line Figure 9: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Pinholes Figure 10: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Centerline Figure 11: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Lycra thin end Figure 12: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Pull-out yarn

Figure 13: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Dropped stitch Figure 14: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Motes Figure 15: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Stop marks Figure 16: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Spandex pulling Figure 17: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Holes Figure 18: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Stripes Figure 19: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Flat appearance Figure 20: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Contaminated yarn Figure 21: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Needle breaking the filament Figure 22: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Heavy Barr Figure 23: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Spots Figure 24: Cause-Effect-Diagram: Horizontal broken filament Figure 25: Diagram: Defects January-August 2005 Figure 26: Pareto Diagram Figure 27: Diagram: Defects August 2005 Figure 28: Diagram: Defects October 2005 Figure 29: Diagram: Defects December 2005

Textiles Panamericanos [1995]

14 _________________________________________________________ 1 INTRODUCTION The quality of products and processes in the textile industry is very important. Until today the methods, which are used to analyse and prevent failure modes and effects, are still simple procedures in the textile industry. Methods for predicting quality assurance are still not very common. The FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) is an important strategy to analyse and

prevent potential failures and defects in quality assurance. In other industries like the automotive industry the FMEA is already an important analysis in the quality management and indispensable for the production process. The idea of preventing and avoiding failures or defects before the manufacturing procedure is becoming also an important aspect in the textile industry. Therefore the FMEA is starting to play a decisive role in the textile production.2 The FMEA process analyses and evaluates the risks in order to detect and prevent the failures and defects. It also requests the knowledgebased background of the team members. The knowledge of the experts in different areas of the process is documented in form of manuals and an advantage to reduce the failures and defects. The orientation of the FMEA team provides with internal communication and increases the comprehension in several problems. Safe products and processes can improve the development and the production procedure. Conducting FMEA after the product development does not consider the costs and benefits of the process. The FMEA method requests consistent realization. It is to be mentioned that the improvements are not visible immediately. To conduct an effective FMEA, the Company has to integrate the FMEA in the daily process flow.3
2

cp. Reinecke /Schermbeck [1998] cp. http://www.itlocation.com/de/software/prd56770,,.htm [2004]

15 _________________________________________________________ 1.1 Diploma Thesis The idea of this thesis APPLYING FMEA IN THE KNITTING PROCESS was developed during the first month while getting familiar with the production process of the knitting department. By the time of knowing the process and the most known defects during manufacturing, the author developed the idea of a strategy to apply FMEA (Failure Mode and Effective Analysis) in the knitting process. FMEA was still not well known for analysing and preventing potential failures or defects during the manufacturing process. In order to get a better idea of how to apply the FMEA in the knitting process, the production engineers and the quality department agreed in some discussions that were taken. The author was in charge of developing an overview of the complete FMEA process in order to know the importance and the procedure of performing an FMEA. The general idea of this project was to realize and define the basics of FMEA according to the most important steps for developing an FMEA by showing examples of the knitting department. These steps should be shown in form of flow charts and examples in order to give an easier understanding of the procedure. All team members of the FMEA should study the handbook. The purpose of applying this thesis into the production process of the knitting department is to improve the quality of the knitting production by reducing the potential failures and defects. The knitting department can provide a higher quality standard for their customers. The FMEA should be integrated in the daily process to provide an effective FMEA. 16

_________________________________________________________ 1.2 The Company4 Textivisin, located in Tlalnepantla, Estado de Mexico, Mexico, is a textile company, which is specialised in knitting fabric specifically in synthetic fibres. The company was established in 1986. The main customers on the international market are USA, Canada, Europe and South America. Furthermore Textivisin is dealing with the national market. The entire production processes is obtain through international quality standards. The company disposes of a variety of machines for the knitting, dyeing, printing and finishing procedure. The protection of the environment is to be considered very seriously. Textivisin has been developed to one of the most important suppliers in the Mexican textile industry, especially in the fabrics, which include spandex. Taking consideration of the international market, Textivisin imports 20% (raw material) and exports 80% of their fabrics. The company is in co-operation of three manufacturing companies divided by areas: Milltex (knitting) 169 employees TTM (dyeing, finishing and printing) 232 employees SyPE (administration and personnel of the factory) 230 employees
4

cp. Texivisin, Gerencia de Recursos Humanos [2005]

17 _________________________________________________________ 2 FMEA (FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS) The FMEA (Failure mode and Effect Analysis) is a systematic method to analyse and rank the risks of the failures and to prevent them before the customer reaches the product. The aim of the FMEA is to detect potential failures during the production planning and product development and to prevent them by realizing measurements to avoid the defects. Analysing evaluation to identify the failures or defects might operate first by using historical data, similar data for similar products, warranty data, customer complaints and other appropriate information. And the second is by working with inferential statistics, mathematical modelling, simulations, concurrent engineering and reliability engineering to define the failures or defects.5The FMEA is also used to improve the quality of the existing products and to advance the quality control plans of developing new products. To improve and prevent failures the priorities of failures have to be defined by three components: Severity (SEV) effects of the failure Occurrence (OCC) frequency of the failure

Detection (DET) ability to detect the failure before it reaches the customer6 To value the defects a numeric scale from 1 to 10 is used is a ranking table. The number 1 is the lowest and number 10 the highest risk rate. The failures or defects are valued by the Risk Priority Number to define the priority of the defects. The RPN is a product of the severity, occurrence and detection. The number by itself is without any meaning because each FMEA has different meanings.
5

cp. Stamatis [1995], p. 25 cp. Stamatis [1995], p. 180

18 _________________________________________________________ The failure or defect with the highest RPN has to be addressed first to solve the problem and reduce the defect. After the RPN is determined, then the risk evaluation of the defect begins by recommending action for the resolution. The risks are defined by minor, moderate, high and critical.
AnyFMEA

conducted properly and appropriately will provide the practitioner with useful information that can reduce the risk (work) load in the system, design, process, and service. This is because it is a logical and progressive potential failure analysis method (technique) that allows the task to be performed more effectively. FMEA is one of the most important early preventive actions in system, design, process, or service which will prevent failures and errors from occurring and reaching the customer.7 The concept of applying an FMEA should compose: Cause-Effect-Diagrams Safety certifications Process / System improvement Extension of knowledge Documentation of Experiences Occurrence of customer satisfactions in relation to the effects of failures Defining warranty claims8
7

Stamatis [1995], p. 25 cp. DGB-Band 13-11 [2004], p. 9

19 _________________________________________________________ A good FMEA Identifies known and potential failure modes Identifies the causes and effects of each failure mode Prioritises the identified failure modes according to the risk priority number (RPN) - the product of frequency of occurrence, severity, and detection Provides for problem follow-up and corrective action9

Figure 1: FMEA Model Modified after: Dailey [2004], p. 8

Besides FMEA there are other variations like FMECA (Failure Mode and Effects and Critical Analysis) in the aerospace industry. The difference to the FMEA is in its terms of failure rates and identification number in dubiousness. An other characteristic is the reference of system in relation to application.
9

Stamatis [1995], p. 26

20 _________________________________________________________ 2.1 Background10 The FMEA was developed and released in the United States Military Procedure MIL-std-1629 in November 1949 with the title: Procedures for Performing a Failure Mode, Effects and Critically Analysis to verify the failures within the production system. In the 1960s the FMEA was added

from the NASA (American Space Effort) and part of the Apollo program. The concept of Quality is a very important tool together with Security in the area of aerospace, according to the safety and reliability of FMEA. The extension of FMEA was created by the automobile industry, Company Ford in the 80s: Ford Motor Industry began to apply FMEA in the engineering production with the aim to improve the safety, quality and reliability of the products. The Risk priority number (RPN) was developed because of the customers evaluations of failures, to give evidence about the strength and heaviness of the effects of the failures. It also should define which measures should be done urgently to advance or prevent the failures. The result of these calculations was the FMEA form, which accrued in 1986. By 1988 FMEA was applied in almost all big Automotive Companies. In the Same year ISO 9000 (International Organization for Standardization) of business management standards developed. The ISO was in charge that the organizations developed a significant Quality Management System in order to improve the Quality and satisfy the Customer needs and expectations. The QS 9000 can be compared with the ISO 9000 and is special for the automotive industry. It was developed by Daimler-Chrysler, Ford Company and the general Motors Cooperation developed QS 9000 in order to standardize the quality
10

cp. http://www.theleanmachine.com/newsletters/December2003/FMEA.htm

cp. Mller / Tietjen [2003]

21 _________________________________________________________ systems. The FMEA was used for advance quality control plans within the automotive industry. In February 1993 the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) copyrighted the FMEA standards for the whole industry. The standards are approved and supported by the automotive industry: Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and general Motors Cooperation and presented in an FMEA Manual to provide general guidelines for preparing an FMEA. Today the FMEA is used in plenty of areas in the industry and has become and important tool in the product and process industry. Since 1996 there is a difference between System-FMEA of the product and of the process. A new FMEA form was presented in 1996. 2.2 Types of FMEA11 The FMEA is divided into four different types of FMEA, depending on the time of inspection, inspection complexity and the inspection type: System-FMEA, Design-FMEA, Process-FMEA, Service-FMEA. The procedure is basically in all types similar.

1. System FMEA

11

cp. Stamatis [1995], p. 46

22 _________________________________________________________

2. Design FMEA

3. Process FMEA

4. Service FMEA

For the knitting department the Process FMEA is the most important function because it analyses the potential failures and defects caused during the manufacturing process. 23 _________________________________________________________ 2.3 Fundamental ideas of FMEA - why conduct FMEA The purpose of FMEA is to find the weak points in the production process and analyse the severity and evaluate the effects besides finding solutions and measurements to prevent the failures. The FMEA system is also able to improve the product or the process. There are also other benefits of conducting FMEA:12 Improves the quality, reliability and safety of the products Increases customer satisfaction Reduces product development time and costs Establishes a priority for design improvement actions Helps in the analysis of new manufacturing and/or assembly process Lists potential failures and identifies the relative amount of their effects Develops early criteria for manufacturing, process, assembly, and service Brings focus to product / process failure modes and their effect on reliability, producibility and the customer Provides a record of preventative action in design and/or process improvement Provides a list of critical and significant characteristics for production and quality planning Provides historical record for future product failure investigations

Provides criteria on based prioritisation for design or process improvement Provides new ideas for future improvements in similar designs or processes

12

cp. Stamatis [1995], p. xxvi Dailey [2004], p. 6

24 _________________________________________________________ The most important rationale for conducting FMEA is to protect the consumer and producer.

Figure 2: Fundamental ideas of FMEA Modified after: Meier [2005], p.6 URL: http://www.fmeainfocentre.com/download/kunz_meier.pdf

25 _________________________________________________________ 2.4 Process FMEA The process FMEA is a method to identify potential failures during the manufacturing process and provide corrective actions before the first production process starts. To avoid these failures it is necessary to find out the causes of the problems and present actions to correct the system before starting the first production. The first production run is always the most important one because it conducts samples for the customers and it is not an occasional prototype production. The change of designs is usually not the major event of this procedure. For each failure in the system there has to be a specific methodology to prevent the problems or risks, which can arise.

There are a variety of reasons to focus in identifying and analysing the problems such as customer requests, conditional improvement philosophy and competition. The process FMEA is accomplished through the whole production process, including all series of steps, the product has to follow: labour, machine, method, material, measurement and environment considerations. Each of these steps has its own area of creating failures. To conduct a process FMEA the most important elements are: human, materials, equipment, methods, environment that can be shown in a Cause-Effect-Diagram to analyse the defects. Thegoal, purpose, and/or objective of the process FMEA is to define, demonstrate, and maximize engineering solutions in response to quality, reliability, maintainability, cost, and productivity as defined by the design FMEA and the customer.13
13

Stamatis [1995], p. 157

26 _________________________________________________________ The aims of process FMEA are:14 Optimal process reliability Detection of keeping conditions Advancement of costing Environment protection/pollution control Work safety The process FMEA must base its requirements on solid needs, wants and expectations of the customer. Before starting to conduct a process FMEA, it is important to do a brainstorming within the team to analyse the advantages of the FMEA. The main reason for performing a FMEA in the knitting department is to improve the quality of the fabric and to prevent and decrease the defects and failures during the manufacturing process. The following chart shows a brainstorming for the advantages of the FMEA.

Figure 3: Brainstorming Modified after: Stamatis [1995], p. xxvii

14

cp. DGQ-Band13-11 [2004], p. 44