// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Failure Analysis
The process of investigating the cause of a product or system failure to understand why it occurred and prevent future occurrences.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Failure Analysis is a systematic engineering discipline involving the examination of failed components, products, or systems to determine the root cause of failure, often employing techniques like microscopy, spectroscopy, and mechanical testing.
BACKGROUND
Failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) is a method used to identify potential failures in a system and determine how severe their consequences would be. It is an extension of Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). While FMEA identifies how a product might fail, FMECA adds a criticality analysis to rank those failures based on their probability and severity.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Root Cause Analysis
- Forensic Engineering
- Fault Analysis
- Problem Investigation
USAGE NOTE
Crucial for product improvement, warranty claims, and safety investigations.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Failure Analysis.
Develops the MindSphere Industrial IoT platform and the Xcelerator portfolio, which use digital twins and data analytics to simulate, predict, and analyze equipment and process failures in manufacturing environments.
Provides engineering simulation software (FEA, CFD) used to predict and analyze mechanical, thermal, and electrical failures during the design phase. Their technology is also applied to create physics-based digital twins for real-time operational failure analysis.
Specializes in Machine Health as a Service, using AI to analyze data from vibration and temperature sensors. The platform predicts machine failures, provides root cause analysis, and offers actionable repair recommendations for industrial equipment.
Offers Asset Performance Management (APM) software that uses data analytics and digital twins to predict equipment degradation and failure, enabling proactive maintenance and root cause analysis in industrial sectors.
Develops the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, enabling the creation of 'virtual twins' of products and production facilities. This technology allows for the simulation and analysis of potential failure modes before and during manufacturing operations.
Creates advanced analytics software for time-series data from process manufacturing. Their tools empower engineers to rapidly investigate production deviations, diagnose equipment issues, and perform root cause analysis on process failures.
Develops the ThingWorx Industrial IoT platform, which enables manufacturers to connect to assets and analyze real-time data to predict failures. Their Vuforia augmented reality platform can then guide technicians through complex diagnostic procedures.
Develops and manufactures advanced scientific instruments, such as scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and spectrometers, which are critical technologies for conducting detailed physical and material failure analysis of failed industrial components.