New and Enhanced Features in Xfmea Version 8
With the release of Version 8, Xfmea offers a completely updated user interface that has many new and enhanced features. This page provides a summary of some of the major additions and enhancements in Version 8.
New Synthesis Platform and Seamless Integration with Other Analysis Tools
With the release of Version 8, the centralized databases that store your FMEA analysis projects are now accessible with any of ReliaSoft’s other Synthesis-enabled software tools: Weibull++ for life data analysis, ALTA for accelerated life testing data analysis or BlockSim for system analysis using reliability block diagrams (RBDs) or fault trees. To give just a couple examples of the many integration opportunities available in the new Synthesis Platform, you can now:
- Seamlessly use Weibull++, ALTA or BlockSim analyses to set the reliability/maintenance characteristics of the items you’re analyzing in Xfmea. When the underlying data analyses change, the analysts can choose to automatically update the related records.
- Work with the same failure modes and reliability analysis (FMRA) in both Xfmea and BlockSim. This allows you to take advantage of the more advanced system modeling capabilities in BlockSim without having to update and maintain two separate analyses.
Design for Reliability (DFR) Planner
Version 8 provides a new tool that helps you to track and manage the stages in the DFR plan for a particular system, assembly or component. The new configurable planning tool allows you to define the major and subsidiary "gates" within the process, and it also allows you to assign actions and track them in the same way that you can for "recommended actions" identified during the FMEA.
Failure Modes and Reliability Analysis (FMRA)
The new failure modes and reliability analysis (FMRA) displays all of the FMEA records that could have an impact on system reliability in a single hierarchical tree. Two of the major new capabilities facilitated by this view include:
- The option to use the occurrence ratings defined in the FMEA to generate a preliminary baseline reliability estimate for the system. The software also enables you to improve the estimate later when sufficient failure data becomes available.
- Direct integration with reliability block diagrams (RBDs) and fault trees in BlockSim.
Process Flow Diagram (PFD) Worksheet
Xfmea 8 provides a new PFD Worksheet that allows you to record more details about the steps in the process, while also starting to identify the key product and process characteristics that will need to be kept under control during manufacturing. This analysis can be integrated with both the process FMEA (PFMEA) and the control plan.
Three Choices for the FMEA Structure
The software now offers a choice of three structures for the FMEA hierarchy. You can continue to use the same structure from previous versions (where the analyst chooses which effect severity rating to use for calculating each cause RPN). But now you can also choose to display causes before effects (an approach sometimes used for RCM analysis) or to display both causes and effects as direct dependents of the failure mode (where the software automatically selects the highest effect severity rating for RPN calculation).
Redesigned Properties Windows and Easier to Modify Configurable Settings
We have completely redesigned the record properties windows in Version 8 to display only the fields you have chosen to enable for the project. The new interface also make it easier to build the analysis without having to open a different window for each record type.
The software continues to offer extensive capabilities to configure the workspace to fit particular analysis and reporting needs and the new Version 8 interface makes it much easier for authorized users to manage the project’s configurable properties (i.e., which fields are displayed, the options in drop-down lists, available rating scales, etc.).
Enhanced, Easy-to-Use Interface with Internet Connectivity
All Synthesis applications offer a completely updated user interface with an "Office 2010" look and feel, and many usability enhancements. Some of the most useful include the ability to check-in/check-out portions of the analysis, "baselines" that allow you to restore or roll back to a previous stage in the analysis, and more flexible tools to organize and manage analysis projects.
Whenever possible, the new interface takes advantage of an active Internet connection to deliver the most up-to-date announcements, documentation and theoretical resources. For example:
- The new ReliaSoft Online panel provides up-to-date tips and announcements each time you start the application, and on demand when you need them.
- The context-sensitive Reliability Web Notes panel automatically delivers theoretical background information for the feature you’re currently working with, including links to related examples, articles and other resources.
- The new Help Center provides quick access to a variety of support tools, including the ability to automatically download software updates and generate an e-mail with the details needed for technical support.
