Controls in FMEAs

In an FMEA, the controls typically are the methods to prevent or detect the cause during product development, or can be actions to detect a problem during service before it become catastrophic. There can be many controls for each cause.

Controls will be available in FMEAs only if the Enable Controls for Causes option is selected in the current project's interface style. They can also be created and used in control plans and PFD worksheets.

To access the commands to add or edit control records, right-click inside the FMEA hierarchy or worksheet, or use the Controls commands on the FMEA tab of the ribbon. (See FMEA Tab for a complete list.)

The properties (and their display names) will depend on the interface style for the current project. To view or change these settings, choose Project > Management > Configurable Settings > Interface Style.

Note the following:

• The Description is required.

• The Name will be used in locations where the full description would be too long to display (e.g., diagrams). If the field contains an asterisk (*) or is blank when you save the record, the software automatically uses the first 50 characters of the full description.

• The #, ID, Source Record, Associated Records, History and ribbon commands are similar for any FMEA record type. (See FMEA Records.)

• The options in the Control Type drop-down list depend on the current project's interface style. By default:
  • Detection controls will help to detect the failure before it reaches the end user.
  • Prevention controls will help to prevent the failure from occurring.

In the FMEA worksheet view, these controls can be displayed in either one or two columns depending on the project’s settings for the Number of Controls Columns in Worksheet View option in the interface style.

• Use the Associated Actions node to link the control to new or existing action records. The associated action(s) can be used to track specific responsibilities required to implement a particular control. (See Associating Actions with Controls.)

Deleting Controls from an FMEA

To delete a control from a specific location in an FMEA, select the control and press Delete or right-click the control and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

This removes the control from the current location, but the resource remains in the project so it can continue to be used in other places. If a resource is not being used in any other locations, in a secure database, an authorized user (i.e., the project owner or any user with the applicable "create/edit/delete resources" permission) can delete it via the Resource Manager.