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CONTROL CHARTS FOR

VARIABLES

Dr. Abdul Shakoor

Control Charts for Variables

This chapter gives an introduction to

control chart methods.
It gives the concepts of the method
and begins by examining the control
chart for variables construction and
the process capability studies.

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Variation
Words of Wisdom……..
 Understanding variation ………. Is the key
to success.
W.Deming
 Variability is like a virus ….Each process
can infect the one it touches, including the
management of a process.
Infected processes are noisy and produce
noisy meetings.
Myron Tribus

Variation
The Devil is the deviation. No two things
can never be made exactly a like, just like
no two things are alike in nature.
Variation cannot be avoided in life. Every
process has variation. Every measurement
has variation. Every sample.
Variation can be small (precision
instruments will tell us) or it can be large
(can be judged by necked eye as well).
We cannot eliminate all variations but we
can control them.

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Defective: A unit of product that

doesn't meet consumer requirements
or specifications. Also known as non
conforming units

Defect: A flaw or single quality charat.

That doesn't meet requirements.
Also known as Non conformity.
There can be more than one defects
in defective.

Eight Sources of Variations

With in Units Between machines
(Part Variation) (machine to machine
variation)
Between units Between shifts
(part to part variation) (shift to shift variation)
Between batch Across the time
(batch to batch variation) (time to time variation)
Between Line Measurement Error
(Line to Line variation) (Reproducibility and
repeatability)

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Sources of Variations
Variation exist due to the combination of
Equipment, Material, Environment, and
Operator.
Equipment Effect: this source includes
Tool wear , machine vibration, work holding
devices positioning, and hydraulic and
electrical fluctuations etc
Material: Variation depends upon the
quality characteristics such as tensile
strength, ductility, thickness, porosity and
moisture content can contribute towards
variation in the final product.

Sources of Variations
Environment: Temperature ,light,
radiations, particle size (dust), pressure
and humidity contribute towards variation in
the final product.
Operator; Methodology used by the
operator to produce that particular part.
Physical and mental preparation is also
required for the development of that part.
Inspection: Non calibrated inspection
tools, incorrect application of quality
standards or procudueres adopted for
inspection of critical parts reults in variation
in parts

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Success to Process Control

The key to success is an effective SPC
program that continuously finds and
eliminates problems.
Central to an SPC program are the
following :
 Understand the causes of variability:
1. Schewart finds two main types of
causes of variability
• Chance causes of variability
• Assignable causes of variability
 Develop methods of recognizing these
causes i.e. SPC charts

Two basic Causes of Variability

Chance Causes of Variation:
Due to the cumulative effect of many small
unavoidable sources of variation
Also known as
 Common causes
 Random variation
 Inherent variation
 Natural variation
A process operating with only chance causes
of variation present is said to be In
Statistical Control

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Two basic Causes of Variability

Assignable or Special Causes of
Variations:
Variation in a process that disturb so that
what it produce seems unnatural.
Examples are
 Improper adjusted machine
 Excessive tool wear
 Defective raw material
A process operating in the presence of
assignable causes of variation is said to be
out of Control

Objectives of Control Charts

All control charts have one primary
function!
To detect assignable causes of variation that
cause significant process shift so that :
Investigation and corrective action may be
undertaken to rid the process of the
assignable causes of variation before too
many non conforming units are produced.
In other words to keep the process in control

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Objectives of Control Charts

The following are the secondary

objectives or direct benefits of the
primary objective:
To reduce variability in the process
To help the process to perform
consistently and predictably
To help estimate the parameters of
the process and establish the process
capabilities.

Control Chart Method

Control chart - means
of visualizing
variations that occur in
the central tendency
and dispersion of a set
of observations
Graphical record of a
particular quality
characteristic –
hardness, length, etc
Each solid circle
represent the average
value with in the
subgroup.

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Control Chart Method

Average values are used in control charts
rather than the individual observations
because average values will indicate a
change in variation much faster.
Three meanings of the centre line in
control charts
1) Average of the plotted average values
2) It can be a standard or reference value
3) It can be a population mean value if that
is known.

Upper and lower control Limits. CL are

used to assist in judging the significance of
the variation in the quality of the product.
Evaluate variations in quality subgroup to
subgroup
CL are a function of sub groups averages.
C Limits established at 3 standard dev.
from central line; for normal distribution –
we expect 99.73% of items would lie within
the limits
Specification limits are the permissible
limits of a quality characteristics of each
individual unit of a product.

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Control charts are the statistical tool that

distinguish between natural and unnatural
variation.
Un natural variation are because of
assignable causes. it usually require
corrective action by people close to the
processes such as operator ,technician,
maintenance worker, and first line
supervisor.
Natural variation is the result of chance
causes. it require management
interventions to achieve quality
improvement.

Control Chart Method

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Control Chart Method

What are the objectives ?
For quality improvement
To determine process capability
For decisions in product specifications
Provide information on production processes for
current decisions
A control chart is used to decide when a natural pattern
of variation occur and the process should be left alone.
When assignable causes are then investigate, solve,
rectify, improve the process.
Make decisions on recently produced items -
release next process, customer or other
disposition method, sorting, rework, reject

Variable Control Chart –

x (average)- R chart
Variable control chart – monitor measured data
quality characteristic
Steps
1. Select quality characteristic
2. Choose rational subgroup
3. Collect data
4. Determine trial limits and central line
5. Establish revised central line and control
limits
6. Achieve the objective

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Variable Control Chart –

x (average)- R chart
1.Select quality characteristic
Measurable data (basic units, length,
mass, time, etc.)
Affecting performance, function of
product
From Pareto analysis – highest %
rejects, high production costs
Impossible to control all characteristics -
selective or use attributes chart

2. Choose rational subgroup

Rational subgroup - variation within the group
due only to chance causes and can detect
between groups changes
Two ways selecting subgroup samples
1. Select subgroup samples at one instant of time or
as close as possible (minimize variation within
subgroup and maximum variation among sub
group)
2. Select period of time products are produced
(maximum variation with in sub group and minimum
variation among sub group).

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- Rational subgroup from homogeneous lot : same

machine, same operator
- Decisions on size of sample empirical judgment +
relates to costs
choose n = 4 or 5  use R-chart
when n  10  use s-chart
- frequency of taking subgroups often enough to
detect process changes
- Guideline of sample sizes/frequency using
Say, 4000 parts/day
 75 samples
if n = 4  19 subgroups
or n = 5 15 subgroups

3. Collect data
Use form or standard check sheet
Collect a minimum of 25 subgroups
Data can be vertically / horizontally
arranged
Subgroup Number

Measure 1 2 3 4 5 …… ….. …. 25

x1 35 34
x2 40 40
x3 32 38
x4 37 35
x5 34 38

x 35.6 37.0

R 8 6

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Example problem

4. Determine trial control

limits
UCL x  x  3 σ x  x  A 2 R
Calculate Central line g LCL x  x  3 σ x  x  A 2 R
g  R
X =  xi R = i 1 i
i 1
g
g
X = avg. of subgroup avg.
xi = avg. of ith subgroup
g = no. of subgroups
R = avg. of subgroup
ranges
Ri = range of ith subgroup
UCL R  R  3 σ x  D 4 R
Where A2, D4, D3 are factors
- vary according to different n LCL R  R  3 σ x  D 3 R

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5. Revised Control Limits

First plot preliminary data collected
using control limits & center lines x  xd
established in step 4 X new 
g  gd
Use/adopt standard values, if good R  Rd
control i.e. no out-of-control points Rnew  g  gd

Ro
o 
X  Xo R  Ro d2
If there are points out-of-control
discard from data, look at records –
if show an assignable cause – don’t
use

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Control charts with limits

established
Limits for both
charts become
narrower after
revised
Revised limits used
to report / plot
future sub-groups
For effective use –
chart must be
displayed and
easily seen

6. Achieving objective
Initiate control charts
results in quality
improvement
Less variation in
sub-group averages
Reduction in
variation of range
Can reduce
frequency of
inspection -
monitoring purpose
– even once/mth.

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How Control Chart Helps In QI

Psychological effect to do better – example -
maintenance group helps adjust process
center
Purchasing involved in changing material
supplier to ensure consistent quality
Production – standardize work methods,
use/develop new tooling
Improvements must be from investigation of
assignable causes (need technical back up)

Zones for Pattern Tests

UCL =
3 sigma = x + A2R
Zone A
= 2
2 sigma = x + 3 (A2R)

Zone B
= 1
1 sigma = x + 3 (A2R)
Zone C
Process =
x
average
Zone C
=
1 sigma = x - 1 (A2R)
3
Zone B
=
2 sigma = x - 2 (A2R)
3
Zone A
=
LCL 3 sigma = x - A2R
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Copyright 2006 John Wiley Sample4-32
number
& Sons, Inc.

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