New Density Clustering-Based Approach for Failure Mode and Effect Analysis Considering Opinion Evolution and Bounded Confidence

Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is a preventative risk evaluation method used to evaluate and eliminate failure modes within a system. However, the traditional FMEA method exhibits many deficiencies that pose challenges in practical applications. To improve the conventional FMEA, many modified FMEA models have been suggested. However, the majority of them inadequately address consensus issues and focus on achieving a complete ranking of failure modes. In this research, we propose a new FMEA approach that integrates a two-stage consensus reaching model and a density peak clustering algorithm for the assessment and clustering of failure modes. Firstly, we employ the interval 2-tuple linguistic variables (I2TLVs) to express the uncertain risk evaluations provided by FMEA experts. Then, a two-stage consensus reaching model is adopted to enable FMEA experts to reach a consensus. Next, failure modes are categorized into several risk clusters using a density peak clustering algorithm. Finally, the proposed FMEA is illustrated by a case study of load-bearing guidance devices of subway systems. The results show that the proposed FMEA model can more easily to describe the uncertain risk information of failure modes by using the I2TLVs; the introduction of an endogenous feedback mechanism and an exogenous feedback mechanism can accelerate the process of consensus reaching; and the density peak clustering of failure modes successfully improves the practical applicability of FMEA.