China Manufacturing Decoded

Fail‑Safe by Design: Avoiding Catastrophic Product Failures

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In this episode, Adrian is joined by Renaud Anjoran to explore fail-safe design principles: essential thinking for anyone developing most kinds of products.

Through real-world examples ranging from Tesla doors to Boeing and consumer electronics, they highlight how designers must ask: “If this fails, what happens to the user?”

They break down why it matters, what trade-offs exist, and how structured risk analysis, simplification, redundancy, and error-proofing can dramatically reduce hazards and costly failures.

 

Episode Sections:
  • 00:00:03 – Introduction
  • 00:01:00 – Tesla door handle fail-safe issue
  • 00:02:32 – Building lock systems vs. car safety
  • 00:05:55 – Structured thinking in fail-safe design
  • 00:07:21 – Designing with users in mind
  • 00:09:02 – Risk analysis methods: FMEA & fault tree analysis
  • 00:11:10 – Catastrophic failures & extreme examples
  • 00:12:18 – Everyday product applications
  • 00:14:21 – Principle: Simplification in design
  • 00:16:13 – Redundancy in critical systems
  • 00:20:30 – Battery management & safety logic
  • 00:20:34 – Human error and mistake-proofing
  • 00:23:09 – Error-proofing examples: tables & plugs
  • 00:23:41 – Trade-offs and cost considerations
  • 00:26:03 – Testing, regulations & standards (UL, ETL, etc.)
  • 00:27:11 – Summary & wrap-up
  • 00:28:07 – Final thoughts & listener takeaway
  • 00:28:19 – Outro

    •  

    Are you designing a new product?

    Ask yourself: “If this fails, what happens?”

    Visit Sofeast.com to learn how our quality, reliability, and product development teams can support you in building safer, more reliable products.

     

    Related content...
    • Fail Safe Design Principles & Examples | Product Risk Reduction
    • Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 Near Disaster! Quality & Reliability Issues?
    • Why Product Safety, Quality, and Reliability Are Tightly Linked
    • Tesla’s Cybertruck Debacle: Reliability, Politics, & Plummeting Sales [Podcast]
    • We can do your manufacturing at Agilian Technology

      •  


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