最後更新：2026.06.22
Customer Profile: SDI Corporation
SDI Corporation, originally founded in 1953 as Shun Der Manufacturing, has been involved in the semiconductor industry since 1983. SDI Corporation is primarily divided into two product lines, lead frames and stationery (the SDI brand), built on a foundation of metal stamping and tooling technology. In the high-power lead frame field it is one of the world’s leading suppliers, and by 2009 it had already entered the ranks of the world’s top five lead frame suppliers.
SDI Corporation’s power lead frame products are widely supplied to automotive electronic components, expanding from consumer electronics all the way to the higher-value-added automotive and industrial domains, with business locations across Taiwan, China, Japan, and Europe. Its manufacturing branch structure is extensive, with a dedicated R&D center and quality assurance center.
The Challenge: The Limits of Managing FMEA in Excel
SDI Corporation had long used Excel to maintain the master and project files for FMEA and QC-PLAN (Control Plan). With its extensive product lines and multi-plant operations, the company faced the following pain points:
Difficult Version Control
After a master file was updated to a new revision, the FMEA files of individual projects were easily missed during synchronization. Excel files were scattered across the computers of different personnel, making version traceability difficult and resulting in multiple FMEA versions of the same product existing simultaneously.
Unreliable Change Notification
When FMEA content changed, the colleagues responsible for the QC-PLAN might not receive notification, resulting in the FMEA being updated while the Control Plan was not adjusted in sync, creating a quality risk of inconsistent documentation.
Limited Search Capability
Constrained by how Excel operates, it was not possible to use keywords to search across the project content in different files. When a specific failure mode or process parameter needed to be located, files had to be opened and compared one by one, which was extremely inefficient.
The Added Burden of AIAG-VDA 5th Edition
This coincided with AIAG-VDA’s launch of the 5th edition FMEA standard in 2019, which added numerous requirements such as the seven-step analysis process and the AP (Action Priority) assessment framework. SDI Corporation assessed that if it added the maintenance of 5th edition FMEA on top of its existing Excel basis, the workforce would be unable to cope.
According to the AIAG-VDA FMEA Handbook (2019), the 5th edition replaces the traditional RPN (Risk Priority Number) with AP (Action Priority) and introduces the Seven-Step Approach, substantially increasing the demand for systematic tools within enterprises.
Why SDI Corporation Chose MiDFUN
After extensive comparison and evaluation, the completeness of the MiDFUN FMEA system and its many years of industry consulting experience led SDI Corporation to decide on deploying the MiDFUN FMEA + QC-PLAN solution. The key decision factors included:
Coexistence of FMEA 4th and 5th Editions
The MiDFUN FMEA system builds its architecture through a “type to group” classification approach, allowing FMEA 4th and 5th editions to exist simultaneously, and also accommodating multiple types such as DFMEA, PFMEA, and MFMEA. This allows colleagues to adapt gradually during the system transition phase, without having to fully revise everything at once.
Line-by-Line Linkage Between FMEA and Control Plan
Building on the existing function that links FMEA and CP, MiDFUN further optimized it and completed the development of line-by-line linkage between FMEA and Control Plan. Whenever there is any change in document content, the system automatically notifies the project owner, leaving the maintenance of version control and document consistency to the system and greatly reducing the risk of manual omission.
Cross-Project Keyword Search
The MiDFUN FMEA system supports cross-project keyword search, allowing engineers to quickly locate specific failure modes, process parameters, or control measures across the FMEA documents of all product lines, resolving the efficiency problem of opening and comparing files one by one in the Excel era.
Deployment Scope and Progress
| Phase | Plant | Deployment Content | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Changhua Plant | Deployment of the MiDFUN FMEA + QC-PLAN system | Successfully Live |
| Phase 2 | Nantou Plant | Expand system usage and deepen system benefits | In Progress |
Conclusion
SDI Corporation’s shift from managing FMEA in Excel to the MiDFUN FMEA system not only resolved long-standing pain points such as version control, change notification, and cross-project search, but also smoothly addressed the new requirements of the AIAG-VDA 5th edition FMEA standard. The line-by-line linkage function of the MiDFUN FMEA system ensures that document consistency between FMEA and Control Plan is automatically maintained by the system, greatly reducing the risk of human omission. As the Phase 2 deployment at the Nantou plant advances, SDI Corporation will further implement the investigation of root causes of FMEA failure modes, jointly coordinating the production line and R&D units to prevent problems from recurring and continuously raising the level of quality management.
Key Terms
Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.What is FMEA? Why does a lead frame manufacturer need an FMEA system?
A: FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) is used to identify in advance where problems may occur during the design or process stage. Lead frame manufacturing involves multiple precision processes such as stamping, etching, and electroplating, and the products supply domains with extremely high safety requirements such as automotive electronics. Managing FMEA with a systematic tool ensures version consistency and change traceability better than Excel.
Q.What does “line-by-line linkage between FMEA and Control Plan” mean?
A: It means the system links each failure mode item in the FMEA one-to-one with the corresponding control measure in the Control Plan. Whenever there is any change to the FMEA content, the system automatically notifies the Control Plan owner to update in sync, so the problem of “the FMEA has already been changed but the QC-PLAN was forgotten” no longer occurs.
Q.Can FMEA 4th and 5th editions be used at the same time?
A: Yes. The MiDFUN FMEA system uses a “type to group” classification architecture, allowing the 4th and 5th editions to exist simultaneously, and also accommodating different types such as DFMEA, PFMEA, and MFMEA. Enterprises do not have to revise everything at once and can transition gradually according to project needs.
Q.What are the problems with managing FMEA in Excel?
A: Common problems include: projects easily being missed after a master file update, the QC-PLAN owner not receiving change notifications, the inability to search across files with keywords, and difficult version traceability. The more product lines and the more plants there are, the more serious these problems become. The MiDFUN FMEA system resolves these pain points through automatic notification and version control mechanisms.
Q.For a multi-plant enterprise deploying an FMEA system, is it advisable to do it all at once or in phases?
A: Based on SDI Corporation’s approach, phased deployment is the more pragmatic strategy. In Phase 1, SDI Corporation first completed the deployment and go-live of the MiDFUN FMEA + QC-PLAN system at the Changhua plant, allowing colleagues to become familiar with system operation and establish internal standard processes; in Phase 2 it then guided the Nantou plant to expand usage. The benefit of phasing is that the successful experience of the first plant can serve as a template for internal promotion, lowering the deployment resistance of other plants. MiDFUN, established over 30 years ago, is familiar with managing the pace of multi-plant deployment and can plan the most suitable deployment schedule according to the enterprise’s actual situation.
About MiDFUN
About MiDFUN
MiDFUN Co., Ltd. has been dedicated to quality management software for the manufacturing industry since 1993. With rich consulting experience in the field of FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), from the system transition between AIAG-VDA 4th and 5th editions to the line-by-line linkage between FMEA and Control Plan, MiDFUN has helped many semiconductor and automotive component enterprises complete the digitalization of FMEA. Its product line covers
FMEA Failure Mode and Effects Analysis,
SPC Statistical Process Control,
MSA Measurement System Analysis,
SQM Supplier Quality Management, and ten major quality systems in all, which can be deployed in phases according to enterprise needs.
