If equipment already cannot do its job, this is which type?

If equipment already cannot do its job, this is which type?

• A. Functional Failure
• B. Potential Failure
• C. Hidden Failure
• D. Overload Failure

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how failure is defined by whether the device is actually performing its intended function. If the equipment can no longer do its job at all, that’s a functional failure—its core function has ceased. This is different from a potential failure, where the device could fail in the future but is still operating now; a hidden failure, which is a fault that isn’t obvious during normal operation; and an overload failure, which results from exceeding design limits and causing damage. For example, a sensor that completely stops producing a valid signal has a functional failure because it cannot fulfill its measurement function at this moment.

The main idea here is how failure is defined by whether the device is actually performing its intended function. If the equipment can no longer do its job at all, that’s a functional failure—its core function has ceased. This is different from a potential failure, where the device could fail in the future but is still operating now; a hidden failure, which is a fault that isn’t obvious during normal operation; and an overload failure, which results from exceeding design limits and causing damage. For example, a sensor that completely stops producing a valid signal has a functional failure because it cannot fulfill its measurement function at this moment.