Having right knowledge on Quality Tools enables effectiveness of solutions deployed

Critical to Quality (CTQ)

Every product that are launched in the market have characteristics that describe their performance relative to end user, the customer’s expectations and requirements.  Some of these expectations can be to get high mileage or fuel economy of a car, having right of packaged goods such as corn flakes or such cereals, star rating related to fuel efficiency to improve power efficiency or lower the losses/cost of power at homes or life of springs or shock absorbers.  These are all some of the examples of product characteristics which can also be called CTQ or Critical to Quality requirements.

Taguchi Methods of Quality Control

Quality can be therefore defined or measured in terms of these characteristics.  Quality also can be related to loss to the customer or society caused by a product during its life cycle. One of the methodologies which help in addressing quantity is Taguchi Methods. This can be applied in two main areas such as offline and online Quality control.  Each of these methods are cost sensitive and have their own decisions to be made.

Offline Quality control refers to the initiation during product development stage in ensuring the right quality of product and processes related to it.  Taguchi methods are proven to support quality improvement in early stages of product development. In contrast, online quality refers to the monitoring of real time manufacturing processes to validate and confirm the quality level of products produced.  Statistical process controls and six sigma methodologies can be used for online quality assurance and real time correction of any deviations from specifications.

Majority of those who work in engineering and quality domains and familiar with setting up tests to model actual field usage conditions and the cause -effect relationship of design to performance, their knowledge of a proper testing strategy is found to be very limited.  The reason is that they work on full-factorial designs. They are not aware of most efficient testing strategy and potential savings in test time and money spent. The design of experiments method – DOE process helps people to easily understand how to utilize the quality improvement method.

Taguchi uses a specific cost model for product characteristics which places more emphasis on reducing variation.  More particularly, when the total product variation is within specification limits for the product.

Principles of Taguchi methods of quality control

1. Reduction in various which improves quality of a product or process which in turn reduces loss to society.

2.  Proper development strategy can help in systematic reduction of variation. The key outcome expected is to achieve higher quality at lower costs.

Japanese companies have implemented some basic testing and development strategies that allowed them to successfully become world economic forerunners in Quality revolution.  Since 1960s, many Japanese engineers were trained in Taguchi’s methods.  Nippon Denso, one of the earlier Deming Prize winner has used over 2500 experiments in automotive electrical product design.

Seven Steps Academy of Excellence conducts both in house and public training programmes on Quality and some of the sought after programmes are Lean Six Sigma green belt and Lean Six Sigma black belt programmes as training partner for ASQ South Asia in Bangalore, Ahmedabad as Weekend programmes.  Inhouse training programmes on Six Sigma Green belt and blackbelt are offered all over india. Our customers are from locations from Bangalore, Mysore, Hosur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Calcutta, Gurugram, Neemrana, Pant Nagar, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam.

Some of the Key Topics that are Covered in Quality Management Training are:

• Economics of reducing variation.
• Design of experiments process.
• Orthogonal array selection and utilisation.
• Conducting tests.
• Analysis and interpretation methods for experiments.
• Confirmation of experiment.
• Parameter design.
• Tolerance design.

Some of the topics covered in Quality Management Training programme are:

• Definitions 
  • Measures of Central Tendency
  • Measures of Variability
  • Normal Distribution
  • Standard Normal Transform

• Probability Density Function
  • Cumulative Distribution
  • Inverse Cumulative Distribution

• Discrete Probability Distributions
  • Distribution Selection
  • Hypergeometric
  • Binomial
  • Poisson
  • e-dpu Rational
• Normal Approximation of Binomial
• Process Capability
  • The Basics
  • Definitions
  • Principles
  • Precision and Accuracy
  • Shift
  • Capability and Inspection
  • Calculating Capability
  • The Standard Normal Transform
  • Using Z to Calculate Capability
  • Exercises
  • Using iGrafx to simulate process performance
  • Using Minitab to calculate Capability Analysis
  • Capability Examples
  • Continuous Data
  • Attribute Data

• Rolled throughput yeield – RTY
  • The importance of using RTY
  • The use of e-dpu to estimate RTY
  • How to calculate RTY
  • The impact of complexity on RTY

Also, learning and experience application of the following types of charts:

• Normality tests
•   Histograms
•   Capability analysis
•   Marginal plots
•  Run charts
•  Control charts
•  Matrix plots
•  Draftsman plots
•  Dot plots
•  Box plots
•  Pareto charts
•  Cause and effect diagrams
•  Scatter plots

Gauge R& R

•  How to quantify measurement variation (error)
•  How to identify the sources of measurement variation
•  How to assess measurement system stability
•  How to assess measurement system capability
•  How to improve the measurement system