Effectiveness of FMEA Risk Analysis

The effectiveness of technical risk analysis is evaluated for the example of FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis). The models employed are based on assessment of the relations between the failure modes identified by the FMEA method and actual defects seen in production and operation, including those due to the materials chosen. Two main types of indices are presented; they are based on the types of inconsistencies actually detected, some of which fall beyond the scope of those identified in FMEA.