In the manufacturing context, it’s essential to distinguish between AIAG PFMEA and VDA AIAG PFMEA. We’ve compiled the main differences regarding structure and format, SOD ranking scale, risk assessment and action prioritization, and team involvement.
Structure and Format:
- AIAG PFMEA: It is organized into ten columns, each capturing specific information about the process, failure modes, potential effects, and corresponding actions.
- VDA AIAG PFMEA: On the other hand, this one follows a 7-step risk analysis and mitigation approach. It focuses on a different way of organizing information than the AIAG format.
Severity, Occurrence, and Detection (SOD) Ranking Scale:
- AIAG PFMEA: Its approach uses a ranking scale of 1 to 10 for evaluating Severity (S), Occurrence (O), and Detection (D) scores. Higher scores indicate higher risks.
- VDA AIAG PFMEA: This uses a 5×5 risk matrix with axes representing Severity and Occurrence. The Detection ranking is not explicitly considered in the same way as AIAG.
Risk Assessment and Action Prioritization:
- AIAG PFMEA: Prioritizes actions using the Risk Priority Number (RPN) formula (RPN = Severity x Occurrence x Detection). The higher the RPN, the higher the priority for mitigation.
- VDA AIAG PFMEA: It emphasizes the product’s or process’s absolute risk. Severity and Occurrence are combined to determine an “Action Priority” (AP) without including the Detection ranking.
Team Involvement:
- AIAG PFMEA: It typically encourages cross-functional teams to perform the PFMEA analysis.
- VDA AIAG PFMEA: This one also involves a team approach, but the specific composition of the team may vary.
It’s important to note that AIAG and VDA aim to achieve similar goals: identify potential risks in processes and products and take appropriate actions to mitigate them. They both follow the concept of PFMEA, but their approaches, terminologies, and assessment methodologies may differ. To ensure compliance and accuracy, it is recommended to consult the latest versions of the AIAG and VDA PFMEA guidelines and adapt them as per your specific industry requirements and regulations.
