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Since the 1970s the auto industry has been using FMEA— failure mode effects analysis—to pinpoint failure modes, find their causes and take preventive action to improve the quality of products and processes. FMEA works, but it takes considerable time and manpower to thoroughly complete.

Now companies are turning to a much faster and more comprehensive way to assess system, product and process designs. The Seven Failure Modes (7FM) is an exclusive
technology developed by QualSAT International Inc. of Farmington Hills, Mich. Founder John Lindland explains how 7FM works.

What is QualSAT’s mission?
We help clients produce superior product and process designs, improve the quality of purchased products and achieve flawless execution of all business processes. QualSAT provides training and consulting services in quality, quality systems, process improvement and process/manufacturing systems implementation. The Seven Failure Mode technology enables our clients to identify 80%-95% of potential weaknesses at the design phase and complete the analysis in as little as 20% as much time as older approaches require.

It costs at least 10 times as much to fix a problem as to avoid a problem. Our mission is to show how to quickly identify and avoid potential problems. QualSAT offers more than 50 training options to help companies achieve their objectives, including 7FM.

What is 7FM?
It’s an approach to understanding how a system, product or process could fail. It provides a systematic approach to identify all failure modes, and it focuses teams on the causes that create the failure modes and effects that impact functionality. It’s more a thought process and philosophy than hardware or software—although a 7FM software suite is currently under development. It’s a new way of looking at quality—and its failure sequence—that quickly and systematically analyzes every possible mode of failure. Best of all, it’s a powerful new way of thinking that people can be trained to do themselves.

Speed and depth of analysis are important factors. With FMEA, a team could spend hours talking about a single failure mode and then argue whether the failure mode was actually a cause or an effect. 7FM will provide all functions and their failure modes within 3-4 hours. Analyzing possible failures is complex when many components and materials are involved. 7FM enables designers to get a solid analysis completed and still meet deadlines.

7FM helps product developers simultaneously design for manufacturability, quality and low cost. Results can be spectacular. The general manager of one large transmission plant says QualSAT’s techniques helped his operation reduce warranty costs by more than 95% over five years.

How does 7FM work? It begins with a superior approach to identifying system, design and process functions. The cornerstone of our design philosophy is that dimensions make a product work and materials make it last. The seven failure modes consider these factors in analyzing the intended function. For example, the function might simply not do what it should. Or it could fail by not performing, or performing excessively, incompletely, erratically, unevenly, too slowly or too quickly. These seven broad areas can be applied to any intended function.

How long does an analysis take?
It varies, but generally 3-5 days. It’s best to perform the analysis as quickly as possible because the design is still open to inexpensive change. We work with a company’s engineering team to change the way they think and give them an analytical ability that stays with them.

Where can readers learn more?
I’ve just written a book, The Seven Failure Modes, that discusses the philosophy in depth, provides detailed examples and explains how to apply the concept. The book will be available at the end of August through major online bookstores for $94.99. And if you order directly from us at www.qualsat.com this month, I’ll autograph your copy.

To learn more about QualSAT International, its capabilities and results, visit www.qualsat.com; or contact Managing Director George Tabry at gtabry@qualsat.com or (866) 899-0020, ext. 204.