What is F.O.D.
The acronym F.O.D has three meanings
- Foreign Object Debris
- Foreign Object Damage
- Foreign Object Detection
Foreign Object Debris
This refers to anything that is not where it should be and
- In manufacturing or similar, could contaminate what is being made, injure people or degrade the quality of the product
- In aviation or similar, could be a hazard to people, aircraft, equipment or anything else of value
Examples are :-
- Tools
- Components
- Coins, pens, paper clips
- Food wrappers and other rubbish
- Dirt, grit and vegetation
- Wildlife such as birds and animals
- Humans
Foreign Object Damage
This refers to the damage caused by foreign object debris that can
- Reduce the quality of a manufactured item
- Compromise the function of what is being made
- Decrease the value of the manufactured product
The end result can be :-
- Blow out tires at high speeds
- Destroy fan blades when sucked into a jet engine
- Damage components inside equipment
- Reduce the expected life of equipment.
The results of foreign object debris can be death or serious injuries.
Other benefits of foreign object detection
- Decreased costs. A lower failure rate means a lower cost to manufacture
- Improved quality. A higher quality end product is worth more.
- Lower maintenance cost. Decrease the cost to maintain and repair equipment. It also means it needs replacing less often.
- Reduced downtime. When an item is not operational, it is losing money.
- Increased production. Plan downtime proactively rather than reactively