Battery Cell FMEAs

DFMEA Challenges

TJ Digital Systems were approached to build a DFMEA for a high-profile a customer, looking to license new NMC 21700 cylindrical battery cell into the market. Current challenges for the customer were:

• "Takes too long & too complicated" 

• "Dedicated time and people to support, constant scope creep"

• ​“Inconsistent Scoring of Severity, Occurrence and Detection”

• “SC & CC definition – constant discussion between departments on FMs FCs & FEs"

• “Hard to scope and bound, creeps into process failure modes"

DFMEA Opportunities

• "Generic DFMEA that is easy to understand, with links to DVP" - The value was to understand the potential failure effect, modes and causes and how they could be mitigated through simulation or physical testing. 

• "Relevant control identified not just SCs & CCs" - Fully understand the reasons, with pointer to evidence, behind the Critical and Special Characteristics (CCs & SCs)  

• "Knowledge is captured, accessed across the business and not lost" - Ensure detailed knowledge and knowhow was captured and document, so it can be share across the wider business.  

• "Generic DFMEA prepared for components, which can be tailored for customers" - Have a blueprint of foundational knowledge which can be applied across multiple battery cells. 

• "Risk based mindset in the business" - Establish a risked based mindset to design throughout the technology team and wider business. 

DFMEA Future Benefits

• "Customer team can lead workshops with customers to manage their product development risk" - This could create an additional value stream for the customer.

• "Anticipate potential faults in customer products” - Hidden failure modes in battery cell development can be very costly so early identification is crucial.

• "Roll out to the PFMEA" - Customer aims to roll out the same methodology & approach to the battery cell Process FMEA. 

• "Tool to manage & boost production yields" - Ability to understand potential design failure modes before they are transferred to process & manufacture, to ensure early capture and corrective actions are implemented.