DFMEA

The documentation of a Baja ATV is highly focused on this area. Different teams may have their own style of presenting their DFMEA report. This article deals with an example of how a typical report is made.

Design:

The idea of making an ATV is not solely for All Terrain use. The vehicle should be ambitioned to even more parameters. Aesthetics, Easy operation, Manufacturability, Safety shall be mentioned as some of the parameters. The dimensional configurations should fit inside the rulebook of BAJA. Having 4/more wheels, not having more than 64” at the widest point, Maximum length being 108”, Safe operation over all terrains, Ground clearance and accommodating 95^th percentile male shall be listed among them.

FMEA:

As the Baja ATV has a number of parts, the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis were broken

down into separate categories (e.g. mechanical, structural, etc.).  Among these, the structural failure should be given the highest preference as it directly affects the safety of the driver.

An example of FMEA of few parts is shown below

Item Name	Failure Mode	Failure Cause	Operation Effects/Hazards	Safety Effects/ Hazards	Safeguards	Actions
Frame	Structural/Safety	High load/shock	Frame bends	Driver in Risk	High Factor of Safety	Diligent testing
Engine	Mechanical	Dirty air and fuel	Possibility of explosion	Serious Injury	Optimised position	N/A
A-arms	Mechanical	Shock/Impact Load	Suspension compromised	Serious Injury	High Factor of Safety	Diligent testing
Steering column	Mechanical	Damage by Debris	Inability to steer	Serious Injury	High Factor of Safety	Diligent testing
Pedals	Mechanical	Excess load by driver	Inability to operate	Serious Injury	High Factor of Safety	Diligent testing
Goggles	Safety	Damage by Debris	Disqualification	Serious Injury	Verify the specification	N/A