Barrier-Oriented FWGM-Based Fuzzy-FMEA for Risk Assessment and Safety-Barrier Prioritization in Solvent-Based...

This study proposes a barrier-oriented application of conventional failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and fuzzy weighted geometric mean (FWGM)-based fuzzy-FMEA for laboratory-scale solvent-based electrospinning. The process was decomposed into 14 sequential steps, and one representative failure mode was defined for each step. Severity, occurrence, and detection were rated by a five-member expert panel, and hazard-type-specific weights were assigned to chemical-dominant, electrical-dominant, fire/static-dominant, and combined-dominant hazards. Conventional FMEA identified material review/approval, equipment setup, pre-start inspection, and response to abnormalities as the highest-risk steps (RPN = 60). FWGM-based fuzzy-FMEA re-ranked tied RPN groups and identified response to abnormalities and equipment setup as the joint highest-FRPN failure modes (FRPN = 79.35), followed by pre-start inspection (77.39) and material review/approval (75.89). Barrier-oriented interpretation revealed four dominant mechanisms: upstream information-based hazards, direct high-voltage access, pre-start combined hazards, and intervention under abnormal or residual-energy states. Scenario-based post-control analysis showed that grounded enclosures, interlocks, de-energize-discharge-verify procedures, pre-start checklists, and bonding/grounding measures reduced FRPN by 25.88-43.79% for prioritized failure modes. The proposed framework supports SOP development, equipment improvement, training prioritization, and laboratory risk-assessment documentation for solvent-based nanofiber manufacturing.