Analytic network process and fuzzy logic applications in failure mode and effects analysis

The increase in competition which came with technological improvements has made important quality and quality improvement techniques. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is one of these techniques that is used to identify and eliminate potential failures of system, design, process and service before they occur.This study describes two integrated approach developed for supporting risk priority evaluating and multi-criteria decision making processes.Firstly, an Analytic Network Process application is done to choose the most risky failure mode. Analytic Network Process is preferred as solution method because the decision problem has the entire complexity, multi-criteria structure, interdependencies and qualitative criteria.Secondly, Fuzzy Analytic Network Process application is done for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. Owing to the typical vagueness or imprecision of risk factors and relationships in a product, evaluating risk priority is becoming more difficult, particularly in a fuzzy environment. In developed approach, for dealing with the vagueness in the risk evaluating processes, fuzzy logic approaches are applied to represent the relationships between failure modes and criteria.`Conventional Failure Mode and Effect Analysis? technique and two proposed techniques have applied in an aluminium company to illustrate the proposed frameworks. Obtained results have been evaluated and compared.The weights of the failure modes are obtained after accomplishing the solution process, and therefore most risky failure mode is determined.