Quality & InspectionFree referencePDF, Excel, Word exportDiscrete Manufacturing

Process FMEA Failure Mode Library: Common Failure Modes, Effects and Causes by Process

Starting a PFMEA from a blank sheet wastes the first meeting. This library lists failure modes that recur across common manufacturing processes, with the effect they usually have and the causes that most often turn out to be real. Search by process or keyword, then copy the relevant lines into your own FMEA.

Download:

Process	Typical step	Potential failure mode	Typical effect	Typical causes to test
Machining	Turning or milling a critical diameter	Dimension oversize	Rework, or scrap if no material left; fit or function failure	Tool offset error, insert wear, program error
Machining	Turning or milling a critical diameter	Dimension undersize	Scrap; loose fit downstream	Wrong offset, thermal growth, tool breakage mid-cycle
Machining	Finish pass	Surface finish out of specification	Seal leak path, wear, customer rejection	Dull insert, wrong feed or speed, coolant issue
Machining	Edge break	Burr remains	Assembly damage, operator injury, contamination	No deburr step, worn tool, inconsistent manual deburring
Machining	Fixture load	Feature in wrong location	Scrap; interference at assembly	Part loaded in wrong orientation, fixture wear, wrong work offset
Drilling	Drill and tap	Hole missing or incomplete	Assembly stop, wrong or missing fastener	Broken drill, program skip, no tool breakage detection
Drilling	Drill and tap	Hole position out of tolerance	Fit failure, fastener cannot be installed	Spindle runout, fixture movement, drill walk
Welding	Arc weld	Porosity	Reduced joint strength, leak	Shielding gas flow, contaminated base metal, damp filler
Welding	Arc weld	Lack of fusion	Joint failure in service	Low heat input, travel speed too high, wrong joint prep
Welding	Arc weld	Burn-through	Scrap, leak	Excess current, gap too large, thin material
Welding	Fixture and weld sequence	Distortion	Dimensional nonconformance, assembly interference	Heat input, wrong weld sequence, insufficient clamping
Heat treat	Furnace cycle	Hardness out of range	Premature wear or brittle fracture	Wrong recipe, load density, furnace temperature drift
Plating or coating	Bath process	Insufficient coating thickness	Corrosion, early field failure	Bath chemistry, dwell time, current density, masking error
Plating or coating	Pretreatment	Poor adhesion	Peeling or flaking	Inadequate cleaning, contaminated rinse, expired chemistry
Painting	Spray application	Runs or sags	Cosmetic rejection, rework	Film build too heavy, viscosity, booth temperature
Injection molding	Fill and pack	Short shot	Incomplete part, scrap	Low shot size or pressure, blocked vent, cold material
Injection molding	Clamp and eject	Flash	Assembly interference, cosmetic reject	Worn tool parting line, insufficient clamp tonnage
Injection molding	Pack and cool	Sink marks or warpage	Cosmetic or fit failure	Insufficient packing, short cooling time, uneven wall thickness
Casting	Pour and solidify	Shrinkage porosity	Leak, reduced strength	Gating design, pour temperature, insufficient feeding
Stamping	Press stroke	Burr or crack at edge	Operator injury risk, downstream fracture	Die clearance, worn punch, material grade variation
Stamping	Press stroke	Wrinkle or springback	Fit failure at assembly	Blank holder force, material properties, die wear
Assembly	Component selection	Wrong component installed	Functional failure, recall exposure	Similar part numbers, mixed bins, no poka-yoke
Assembly	Component placement	Component missing	Function not delivered; field return	Operator omission, no presence check, kit shortage
Assembly	Fastening	Fastener under-torqued	Loosening in service	Tool out of calibration, operator bypass, wrong torque setting
Assembly	Fastening	Fastener over-torqued	Stripped thread or cracked part	Tool setting, no torque verification, lubricant variation
Assembly	Component placement	Part installed in wrong orientation	Function failure or damage on power-up	Symmetrical part design, no keying feature
Assembly	Cleanliness	Foreign object debris or contamination	Functional failure, hydraulic or optical contamination	Open containers, chips not removed, poor housekeeping
SMT	Solder paste print	Insufficient or excess solder paste	Open joint or solder bridge	Stencil wear or blockage, squeegee pressure, paste age
SMT	Reflow	Tombstoning	Open circuit on small passives	Uneven pad heating, pad size imbalance, placement offset
SMT	Pick and place	Component misaligned or missing	Open or short, functional failure	Nozzle wear, feeder error, vision calibration
SMT	Pick and place	Wrong polarity or wrong value	Board failure, possible damage	Feeder loaded wrong, wrong reel, program error
Cable assembly	Crimp	Crimp height out of specification	Intermittent connection or pull-out	Worn crimp tool, wrong die, wire strand damage
Cable assembly	Insertion into housing	Wire in wrong cavity	Circuit mis-wire, system malfunction	Manual routing, no continuity test, ambiguous drawing
Packaging	Labeling	Wrong or unreadable label	Shipping error, loss of traceability	Wrong label stock, printer fault, no scan verification
Packaging	Pack and ship	Damage in transit	Customer rejection, claims	Inadequate dunnage, wrong carton, stacking height
Test and inspection	Measurement	Gauge out of calibration	Escaped nonconforming parts or false rejects	Missed calibration due date, handling damage
Test and inspection	Functional test	Wrong test program revision	Defects not detected	Revision control gap, local copies, no checksum or lock
Receiving	Incoming inspection	Nonconforming material accepted	Downstream scrap or field failure	Missing certificate check, sampling plan too loose, label mix-up

These are starting prompts for a team brainstorm, not a complete or validated list for your product. Remove what does not apply, add what your history shows, and rate each retained line with your own severity, occurrence and detection criteria.

Build an FMEA starter list from your ERP history

Optional: we can show how NCR, scrap and rework data in your ERP can seed failure modes automatically.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use the library

Filter by the process step you are analysing, for example SMT or welding. Read each failure mode aloud with the team and ask a single question: could this happen on our line, with our equipment and our part? Keep the lines that pass and delete the rest. Then rewrite each retained line in your own words, tied to your specific part number, operation and characteristic. A generic line such as dimension oversize becomes more useful once it names the feature, the tolerance and the operation number.

Use the process column to match the step on your process flow diagram
Treat the cause column as hypotheses to verify, not conclusions
Add failure modes from your own NCR, scrap and warranty history
Never copy a line without rating it for your own process

Failure mode, effect and cause: keep them separate

A failure mode is how the process step could fail to deliver its requirement. The effect is what the next operation, the end customer or the regulator would experience. The cause is why the failure mode happens. Teams often mix these, writing scrap as a failure mode when it is an effect, or worn tool as a mode when it is a cause. The AIAG and VDA FMEA Handbook organises the analysis as a failure chain of effect, mode and cause, and rating each link separately keeps severity, occurrence and detection honest.

Where the library helps and where it does not

It helps with completeness: it prompts modes a team may overlook, such as FOD, wrong revision of a test program or a missing presence check. It does not know your tolerances, your customer-specific requirements or your process capability. A library line also says nothing about severity, which depends on your product and its end use. Safety and regulatory effects must be rated by people who know the application. Use the output as a checklist of questions, and let your own data decide which lines matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this list a complete PFMEA?

No. It is a prompt list for brainstorming. A real PFMEA is specific to your part, process steps, equipment and customer requirements, and every retained line must be rated for severity, occurrence and detection by your own cross-functional team.

Can I export the table to Excel?

Yes. The reference table exports to Excel, CSV, PDF and Word. A common approach is to export the rows you need, paste them into your FMEA template and then rewrite them to match your specific operations.

Where should I get real failure modes from?

From your own data first: nonconformance reports, scrap and rework codes, customer returns, warranty claims and lessons learned from similar parts. Industry libraries come second, and they never replace history from your own line.

Does this cover design FMEA?

No, this list is about manufacturing process steps. A DFMEA analyses how a product function could fail by design, which needs a different set of prompts based on the product structure and its functions.

If your NCR, scrap and rework history lives in your ERP, Netray can help pull real failure modes and counts from it so your FMEA starts from evidence rather than memory.

Talk to an Expert Explore More Free Tools