Application of Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) to Reduce Downtime in a Textile Share Company

Abstract

Downtime is significant among the role players of production loss and low productivity. The case company is currently experiencing high downtimes and it is producing less than 48% of its capacity. This case study aims at reducing the high downtime through the application of Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) as a major productivity improvement tool. Both secondary and primary data were collected through documentation assessments, observations and discussions with kep people in the weaving section. The findings of the research show that, this particular section of the company, the recorded downtime is found to be very high compared to actual operation time. The loom machines are down daily for 38.69% of the total production time on average which highly affects the productivity. As a result, the failure modes, their effects and cause of the weaving/loom section of the company are prioritized using the Risk Priority Number (RPN). The corrective actions that the company should take to improve its productivity are articulated. Taking the FMEA result of the loom machines processes and focusing on the vital few causes of the identified failure modes that contribute more than 50% of the RPNs, the company can decrease the downtime of the section by 299.04 hrs/day.

Keywords

• Downtime
• failuor mode effect analysis
• productivity