Failure Mode Types

Failure mode types are a grouping mechanism for failure modes.

The following equipment categories are used to group failure modes:

• Rotating (for example compressors, combustion engines, electric generators and gas turbines)
• Mechanical (for example cranes, heat exchangers, heaters and boilers, vessels, storage tanks and piping)
• Electrical (for example UPS, power transformers and frequency converters)
• Safety and control (for example fire and gas detectors, sensors, valves, nozzles and fire fighting equipment)

ISO 14224 prescribes that failure modes can generally be categorised into three types:

Failure mode type	Examples
Desired function is not obtained	Failure to start
Specified function is lost or outside of the acceptable limits	Spurious stop, high output
Failure indication is observed, but there is no immediate and critical impact on the asset function	Typically non-critical failures related to some degradation or incipient fault condition, for example initial wear

Also refer to Failure Modes.