Statistical Process Control
R.P.Vishnuprasath
KIT-Mechanical Engineering
What is Control Chart
The control chart is a graph used to study how a process changes over time.
Data are plotted in time order, where a control chart always has a central line for the average,
an upper line for the upper control limit and a lower line for the lower control limit.
A control chart is one of many process improvement techniques. There are always other
process improvement tools that should be used along with control charts.
A control chart is used to monitor a process variable over time. That variable can be in any type
of company or organization - service, manufacturing, non-profit and, yes, healthcare.
It provides a picture of the process variable over time and tells you the type of variation you are
dealing with as you move forward with continuous improvement.
This understanding of variation is the key to using control charts effectively.
When to Use a Control Chart
When controlling ongoing processes by finding and correcting problems as
they occur.
When predicting the expected range of outcomes from a process.
When determining whether a process is stable (in statistical control).
When analyzing patterns of process variation from special causes (non-
routine events) or common causes (built into the process).
When determining whether your quality improvement project should aim to
prevent specific problems or to make fundamental changes to the process.
Basics of Statistical Process Control
Statistical Process Control (SPC)
monitoring production process to
UCL
detect and prevent poor quality
Sample
subset of items produced to use for
LCL
inspection
Control Charts
process is within statistical control
limits
Variability
Random Non-Random
Common causes Special Causes
Inherent in a process Due To Identifiable Factors
Can be eliminated only Can Be Modified Through
through improvements in the
Operator Or Management action
system
SPC in TQM
SPC
Tool for identifying problems and make improvements
Contributes to the TQM goal of continuous
improvements
Quality Measures
Attribute
a product characteristic that can be evaluated with a discrete response
good – bad; yes - no
Variable
a product characteristic that is continuous and can be measured
weight - length
Applying SPC to Service
Nature of defect is different in services
Service defect is a failure to meet customer requirements
Monitor times, customer satisfaction
Applying SPC to Service
Hospitals
Timeliness and quickness of care, staff responses to requests, accuracy of lab tests,
cleanliness, courtesy, accuracy of paperwork, speed of admittance and checkouts
Grocery Stores
Waiting time to check out, frequency of out-of-stock items, quality of food items,
cleanliness, customer complaints, checkout register errors
Airlines
Flight delays, lost luggage and luggage handling, waiting time at ticket counters and
check-in, agent and flight attendant courtesy, accurate flight information, passenger
cabin cleanliness and maintenance
Applying SPC to Service (cont.)
Fast-Food Restaurants
Waiting time for service, customer complaints, cleanliness, food
quality, order accuracy, employee courtesy
Catalogue-Order Companies
Order accuracy, operator knowledge and courtesy, packaging,
delivery time, phone order waiting time
Insurance Companies
Billing accuracy, timeliness of claims processing, agent availability
and response time
Where to Use Control Charts
Process has a tendency to go out of control
Process is particularly harmful and costly if it goes out of control
Examples
at the beginning of a process because it is a waste of time and money to
begin production process with bad supplies
before a costly or irreversible point, after which product is difficult to
rework or correct
before and after assembly or painting operations that might cover defects
before the outgoing final product or service is delivered
Control Charts
A graph that establishes
Types of charts
control limits of a process
Attributes
Control limits
p-chart
upper and lower bands of
c-chart
a control chart
Variables
range (R-chart)
mean (x bar – chart)
Process Control Chart
Normal Distribution
A Process Is in Control If………..
1. No sample points outside limits
2. Most points near process average
3. About equal number of points above and below centerline
4. Points appear randomly distributed
Control Charts for Attributes
P-charts
uses portion defective in a sample
C-charts
uses number of defects in an item
P-Chart
z = number of standard deviations from process
average
p = sample proportion defective; an estimate of
process average
p= standard deviation of sample proportion
p(1 - p)
p = n
P-Chart Example
P-Chart Example (cont.)
P-Chart Example (cont.)
C-Chart
C-Chart
Number of defects in 15 sample rooms
NUMBER
SAMPLE OF
DEFECTS
190
1 12 c= = 12.67
15
2 8
UCL = c + 3c
3 16
= 12.67 + 3 12.67
: : = 23.35
: : LCL = c + 3c
15 15 = 12.67 - 3 12.67
190 = 1.99
c-Chart (cont.)
24
UCL = 23.35
21
Number of defects
18
c = 12.67
15
12
3 LCL = 1.99
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Sample number
Control Charts for Variables
Mean chart ( x -Chart )
uses average of a sample
Range chart ( R-Chart )
uses amount of dispersion in a sample
X-bar Chart
X-bar Chart Example
X- bar Chart Example (cont.)
Retrieve Factor Value A2
x- bar Chart Example (cont.)
R- Chart
UCL = D4R LCL = D3R
R
R=
k
where
R = range of each sample
k = number of samples
R-Chart Example
OBSERVATIONS (SLIP-RING DIAMETER, CM)
SAMPLE k 1 2 3 4 5 x R
1 5.02 5.01 4.94 4.99 4.96 4.98 0.08
2 5.01 5.03 5.07 4.95 4.96 5.00 0.12
3 4.99 5.00 4.93 4.92 4.99 4.97 0.08
4 5.03 4.91 5.01 4.98 4.89 4.96 0.14
5 4.95 4.92 5.03 5.05 5.01 4.99 0.13
6 4.97 5.06 5.06 4.96 5.03 5.01 0.10
7 5.05 5.01 5.10 4.96 4.99 5.02 0.14
8 5.09 5.10 5.00 4.99 5.08 5.05 0.11
9 5.14 5.10 4.99 5.08 5.09 5.08 0.15
10 5.01 4.98 5.08 5.07 4.99 5.03 0.10
50.09 1.15
R-Chart Example (cont.)
Retrieve Factor Values D3 and D4
R-Chart Example (cont.)
Using X- bar and R-Charts Together
Process average and process variability must be in
control.
It is possible for samples to have very narrow ranges,
but their averages is beyond control limits.
It is possible for sample averages to be in control, but
ranges might be very large.
Control Chart Patterns
Control Chart Patterns (cont.)
UCL
UCL
LCL
Sample observations
consistently increasing LCL
Sample observations
consistently decreasing
Zones for Pattern Tests
Control Chart Patterns
8 consecutive points on one side of the center line
8 consecutive points up or down across zones
14 points alternating up or down
2 out of 3 consecutive points in zone A but still
inside the control limits
4 out of 5 consecutive points in zone A or B
Performing a Pattern Test
SAMPLE x ABOVE/BELOW UP/DOWN ZONE
1 4.98 B — B
2 5.00 B U C
3 4.95 B D A
4 4.96 B D A
5 4.99 B U C
6 5.01 — U C
7 5.02 A U C
8 5.05 A U B
9 5.08 A U A
10 5.03 A D B
Sample Size
Attribute charts require larger sample sizes
50 to 100 parts in a sample
Variable charts require smaller samples
2 to 10 parts in a sample
SPC with Excel
UCL=0.19
LCL=0.01
SPC with Excel:
Formulas
Process Capability
Tolerances
design specifications reflecting product
requirements
Process capability
range of natural variability in a process what we
measure with control charts
Process Capability
Design
Specifications
(a) Natural variation
exceeds design
specifications; process
is not capable of
meeting specifications
all the time.
Process
Design
Specifications
(b) Design specifications
and natural variation the
same; process is capable
of meeting specifications
most of the time.
Process
Process Capability (cont.)
Process Capability Measures
Process Capability Ratio
tolerance range
Cp =
process range
upper specification limit -
lower specification limit
=
6
Computing Cp
Process Capability Measures
Process Capability Index
=
x - lower specification limit
,
Cpk = minimum 3
=
upper specification limit - x
3
Computing Cpk
Net weight specification = 9.0 oz 0.5 oz
Process mean = 8.80 oz
Process standard deviation = 0.12 oz
=
x - lower specification limit
,
Cpk = minimum 3
=
upper specification limit - x
3
8.80 - 8.50 9.50 - 8.80
= minimum , = 0.83
3(0.12) 3(0.12)
Appendix:
Determining Control Limits for x-bar and R-Charts
SAMPLE SIZE FACTOR FOR x-CHART FACTORS FOR R-CHART
n A2 D3 D4
Fac2 1.88 0.00 3.27
3 1.02 0.00 2.57
tor 4 0.73 0.00 2.28
5 0.58 0.00 2.11
s 67 0.48
0.42
0.00
0.08
2.00
1.92
8 0.37 0.14 1.86
9 0.44 0.18 1.82
10 0.11 0.22 1.78
11 0.99 0.26 1.74
12 0.77 0.28 1.72
13 0.55 0.31 1.69
14 0.44 0.33 1.67
15 0.22 0.35 1.65
16 0.11 0.36 1.64
17 0.00 0.38 1.62
18 0.99 0.39 1.61
19 0.99 Return 0.40 1.61
20 0.88 0.41 1.59
