Warehouse FMEA in 3D
About this app
System FMEA of an automated warehouse following AIAG-VDA in seven steps: structure tree synchronised with the 3D system, failure chains run as disturbances through conveyors, stacker cranes and shuttle store, S/O/D rating with action priority and expert comparison, actions, FMEA form and a failure catalogue per component type.
With explain mode: an AI tutor walks you through the app, points out what matters in the scene and answers your questions.
FMEA according to the AIAG-VDA handbook
FMEA according to the AIAG-VDA FMEA Handbook (2019) has seven steps: planning and preparation, structure, function, failure and risk analysis, optimisation and results documentation. A failure chain links the failure cause at an element, the failure mode of the system element in focus and the failure effect in the higher-level system. Severity S of the effect, occurrence O of the cause and detection D are each rated from 1 to 10. These give the action priority high, medium or low. The risk priority number S × O × D remains only for comparison with older FMEAs.
What the app shows
The plant of the fictional warehouse DL Neckar stands in 3D: pre-zone with check point, conveyors with turntable and chain conveyors, a high-bay warehouse with three aisles and stacker cranes, a tote shuttle store with lift and a goods-to-person picking station. The structure tree is linked to the model. Eight failure chains run through the plant as faults: the cause pulses red, the effect spreads, conveyors back up and the control room drops below normal operation of 156 pallets and 400 totes per hour. The action priority table is marked as a teaching version.
What you can try
Rate each failure chain with S, O and D and compare your values with the expert rating. Choose prevention and detection controls: a detection control visibly intercepts the chain in the model, a prevention control makes the cause less frequent. Severity stays the same; only a design change lowers it. Compare action priority and risk priority number: the RPN ranks a chain with medium priority ahead of one with high priority. A generic failure catalogue per component type shows the installation points in the plant and can be copied into the form.
Frequently asked questions
- What is action priority in FMEA?
- A rating of high, medium or low from the combination of severity, occurrence and detection, introduced with the AIAG-VDA FMEA Handbook of 2019. It weights severity more heavily than the risk priority number does. The app uses a marked teaching version of the table.
- Is a high RPN automatically urgent?
- No. The RPN multiplies S, O and D with equal weight. In the app a stopped chain conveyor has RPN 210 at medium priority, undetected overweight RPN 189 at high priority, because its severity is 9.
- What is the difference between prevention and detection controls?
- Prevention controls lower the occurrence O of the cause; detection controls improve detection D before the effect occurs. Neither changes severity S.
- What failures occur in an automated warehouse?
- In the app, among others: an overhang missed by the contour check, overweight, unreadable labels, a stopped chain conveyor, a turntable not reaching its end position, a shifted reflector of the laser positioning, a broken toothed belt on the tote lift and a telegram between warehouse management and material flow controller without acknowledgement.
Subject: Warehouse and factory planning
More from Warehouse and factory planning
- ABC-XYZ Lab
- Factory Layout from the From-To Matrix
- High-Bay Warehouse with Stacker Crane
- Review an AI Project Plan
- Order Picking Lab 3D
- Warehouse KPI Check
- Risk Matrix for a Warehouse Project
- From Data to Warehouse
A VisuApp by heyprof: interactive, free in your browser, no sign-up. What is a VisuApp? · All apps