This book gives the reader tools for optimizing performance and reducing variation in manufacturing. Statistical process control and Taguchi methods are featured in the book along with other less published techniques. The book covers the product life cycle from design to manufacturing and is aimed at improving industrial practice. Methods are shown through case studies and extensive graphics are used to illustrate points.

Optimization in Quality Control presents a broad survey of the state of the art in optimization in quality, and focuses on industrial and national competitiveness. Each chapter has been carefully developed and refereed anonymously by experts in the area of optimization in quality control. Some of the topics covered in this volume include: fundamentals of optimization techniques contemporary approaches to optimization models in process control economic design of control charts determining optimal target values in multiple criteria economic selection models examining quality improvement schemes by trading off between expected warranty servicing costs and increasing manufacturing costs designing optimal inspection plans. This book will serve as an important reference source for academics, professionals and researchers.

The Six Sigma concept has enjoyed triumphant success throughout the business world for two decades, contributing to significant net income improvement for many companies. This successful concept has been supplemented with the tools of Lean Management, a set of strategies for improving product quality and delivery performance and reducing cost. Six Sigma+Lean links the tried-and-tested tools of both programs in the proven DMAIC process model. The chronology matches that of the approach taken in a Six Sigma+Lean improvement project.

In this volume of the Six Sigma and Beyond series, quality engineering expert D.H. Stamatis focuses on how Statistical Process Control (SPC) relates to Six Sigma. He emphasizes the "why we do" and "how to do" SPC in many different environments. The book provides readers with an overview of SPC in easy-to-follow, easy-to-understand terms. The author reviews and explains traditional SPC tools and how they relate to Six Sigma and goes on to cover the use of advanced techniques. In addition, he addresses issues that concern service SPC and short run processes, explores the issue of capability for both the short run and the long run, and discusses topics in measurement.

In a world where innovation and sustainability are paramount, Fundamentals of Design of Experiments for Automotive Engineering: Volume I serves as a definitive guide to harnessing the power of statistical thinking in product development. As first of four volumes in SAE International’s DOE for Product Reliability Growth series, this book presents a practical, application-focused approach by emphasizing DOE as a dynamic tool for automotive engineers. It showcases real-world examples, demonstrating how process improvements and system optimizations can significantly enhance product reliability. The author, Yung Chiang, leverages extensive product development expertise to present a comprehensive process that ensures product performance and reliability throughout its entire lifecycle. Whether individuals are involved in research, design, testing, manufacturing, or marketing, this essential reference equips them with the skills needed to excel in their respective roles. This book explores the potential of Reliability and Sustainability with DOE, featuring the following topics: - Fundamental prerequisites for deploying DOE: Product reliability processes, measurement uncertainty, failure analysis, and design for reliability. - Full factorial design 2K: A system identification tool for relating objectives to factors and understanding main and interactive effects. - Fractional factorial design 2RK-P: Ideal for identifying main effects and 2-factor interactions. - General fractional factorial design LK-P: Systematically identification of significant inputs and analysis of nonlinear behaviors. - Composite designs as response surface methods: Resolving interactions and optimizing decisions with limited factors. - Adapting to practical challenges with “short” DOE: Leveraging optimization schemes like D-optimality, and A-optimality for optimal results. Readers are encouraged not to allow product failures to hinder progress but to embrace the "statistical thinking" embedded in DOE. This book can illuminate the path to designing products that stand the test of time, resulting in satisfied customers and thriving businesses. (ISBN 9781468606027, ISBN 9781468606034, ISBN 9781468606041, DOI 10.4271/9781468606034)

As quality becomes an increasingly essential factor for achieving business success, building quality improvement into all stages—product planning, product design, and process design—instead of just manufacturing has also become essential. Quality Engineering: Off-Line Methods and Applications explores how to use quality engineering methods and other modern techniques to ensure design optimization at every stage. The book takes a broad approach, focusing on the user’s perspective and building a well-structured framework for the study and implementation of quality engineering. Starting with the basics, this book presents an overall picture of quality engineering. The author delineates quality engineering methods such as DOE, Taguchi, and RSM as well as computational intelligence approaches. He discusses how to use a general computational intelligence approach to improve product quality and process performance. He also provides extensive examples and case studies, numerous exercises, and a glossary of basic terms. By adopting quality engineering, the defect rate during manufacturing shows noticeable improvement, the production cost is significantly lower, and the quality and reliability of products can be enhanced. Taking an integrated approach that makes the methods of upstream quality improvement accessible, without extensive mathematical treatments, this book is both a practical reference and an excellent textbook.