Blog — Page 27

More posts from the Advantive team. 325 posts total.

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  Aug 19, 2014 · Grace Barton

  The differences between control limits and spec (specification) limits

  The differences between control limits and spec (specification) limits may seem irrelevant or nonexistent to those outside process production, but the gulf between them is in fact huge. In fact, they are two entirely different animals. Spec limits may be designated by a customer, engineer, etc., indicating the allowable spread of a given measurement. Control … Continued

• Jul 24, 2013 · Grace Barton

  How Walmart Ensures Product Quality Through Traceability

  Recently, product recalls have been dominating the news. From cars that don’t brake properly to pills that don’t properly release time-sensitive medication to child safety seats that detach while the vehicle is moving, more and more companies are experiencing the pitfalls associated with a lack of enterprise quality management. Walmart, however, is one company that has … Continued

• Jul 22, 2013 · Grace Barton

  Why Statistical Process Control is Necessary for Your Organization

  Imagine this scenario: a patient undergoes hip surgery, only to be told that the replacement product that was installed inside of his or her body must be recalled due to a defective feature. Months, or perhaps years, of grueling rehab are compromised due of a lack of statistical data that could have prevented such instances … Continued

• Jul 16, 2013 · Grace Barton

  What is Manufacturing Quality Control?

  Think of the amount of work required to transform a car from a random collection of assorted parts into the assembled entity that it is when it reaches the end of a production line. Cars don’t just spontaneously appear. There are a multitude of pieces that have to be put together in order to create … Continued

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  May 20, 2013 · Grace Barton

  The Top 3 Benefits of Statistical Process Control Software for Quality Control

  The next time you are walking through a store, take a moment to stop and look around. It can be any store, really, as long as there are products that line the shelves or showroom. Think about the level of care that went into inspecting each product that is for sale.  Companies ensure the quality … Continued

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  Feb 20, 2012 · Grace Barton

  Organizing Charts in Engineering Mode: The Matrix Style

  You have four charts and only one computer screen. How do you consolidate to a multiple chart view to compare data without having to thumb through individual charts? You might be tempted to resort to flashy, “Matrix”-style moves, but fear not, there is a simpler approach that is just as effective and doesn’t require stretching. … Continued

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  Aug 1, 2011 · Grace Barton

  Modifying Control Chart Sensitivity

  Control limits are typically set at +/- 3 standard deviations for the statistic being plotted. That‘s how traditional Shewhart control charts have been constructed for nearly a century. The result is a statistical tool that is simple and elegant, yet robust enough to tackle all manner of different situations and distributions of data. Control limits and their widths … Continued

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  Aug 4, 2010 · Grace Barton

  Gage R&R study questions answered

  We frequently entertain questions about MSA and specifically, gage R&R. Below are two questions we recently received: Question #1: “What are the requirements for the parts chosen in a study? Do the parts have to have the same specification?” Answer: The parts selected should be representative of the process variation that is producing them. This implies that … Continued

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  Dec 3, 2009 · Grace Barton

  The difference between run charts and control charts

  A customer recently asked one of our support representatives the following questions: What is the difference between a run chart and a control chart? And when should I use one vs. the other? These are great questions because they allow us to highlight some of the benefits of control charts. When you create any chart, … Continued

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  Feb 3, 2009 · Grace Barton

  Stats tip: Within and between subgroup variation clarified

  I received a question after my last blog post asking me to clarify the concept of within and between subgroup variation which is used in calculating Cpk, Cp, Cr, Ppk, Pp, Pr and other statistics. Here is an example I used to help explain the differences. Let’s say that every day I run about 30 … Continued

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  Jan 29, 2009 · Grace Barton

  Stats tip: Help! My Ppk is larger than my Cpk

  I often get asked SPC application questions such as: Can Ppk be larger than Cpk? Can Cpk be larger than Cp? Do you recommend CPM, Cpk, Ppk or something else? I prefer to answer these process capability questions with simple one-word answers, but that doesn’t usually satisfy the quality zealot’s curiosity. So here’s the long … Continued

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  Feb 26, 2008 · Grace Barton

  3 “Nevers” of Control Limits, Part 2

  Never allow control limits to be automatically recalculated I was hiking in the Smoky Mountains National Park with a colleague, and we happened upon fellow hikers. Being the friendly sorts that we are, we stopped to take a breather and chat with our new female friends. We enjoyed resting and speaking with the women until … Continued