A test platform implementing SPC in a low-volume, high-mix test department

The implementation and use of statistical process control in a chemicals and plastics firm are examined. The essential external factors are focused upon, which are associated with the practical implementation of statistical process control. The important components of a Statistical Process Control process optimisation study are discussed in the context of their achievements at a manufacturing facility. Benefits achieved from a successful implementation of statistical process control are also discussed.

Implementation of statistical process control (SPC) in an automated environment requires a number of issues to be addressed. Changes in sample data distribution and statistical properties such as independence will affect the use and interpretation of traditional SPC procedures; changed monitoring and adjustment techniques will influence the subsequent decision-making; at the same time, automation could facilitate implementation of SPC with other control techniques. In this paper, the potential of combining SPC with engineering process control methods is discussed. Comparative analysis between traditional SPC methods and SPC combined with feedback control is presented. Actual and simulated data are used to illustrate the procedure which, because of its self-tuning ability, could greatly reduce system readjustment while most of the advantages of traditional SPC are preserved at the same time.

Distributed statistical process control in work cells

A systematic literature review is a rigorous method of assessing and combining research results compared to the usual literature review, which consists of annotated bibliographies, a systematic review of the existing literature regarding specific research questions on a topic of interest. Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a well-established technique in a context that has recently been used in software production. Software production is not like manufacturing because it requires more human resources and machines, resulting in an item's one-time production. It is therefore essential to assess what SPC works in a software context. Thus, this consideration has motivated us to define and conduct an evaluation review to assess whether SPC is used effectively and genuinely Quality Control Cycle (QCC) in Indonesia's various industries. According to a systematic literature review process, an established protocol was revised and refined by the authors. This journal collection of journals has been used in various industries in Indonesia. We report our preliminary considerations and results in a systematic review on the SPC and find 30 journals collected as references for readers in making research journals related to SPC. Our products and first impressions are favorable. This journal collection can also make it easier for researchers to get the desired journal references.

A production process composed of tens or even hundreds of subprocesses is a common phenomenon in industry. Each of the subprocesses contributes to various aspects of product quality. Ideally, a control chart can be set up on every subprocess to guarantee the quality of the final product. This is not practical however, because of limited human and economic resources, and the management has to decide which subprocesses are to be given higher priorities. In this paper, for the purpose of prioritizing processes in complicated production systems for implementing statistical process control (SPC) schemes, preliminary selection based on statistical and technical criticality of processes is discussed. An analytic hierarchy process approach based on pair-wise comparisons between several factors in deciding the relative criticality of the processes in a hierarchy structure is then studied. The approach can be used in management decision making in planning for SPC implementation. A case study is presented to illustrate the methodology.

Commercial-off-the shelf (COTS) military equipment offers the promise of technology advancement, low cost and reduced acquisition time. Unfortunately, it also offers the opportunity for a reliability and logistics disaster because commercial parts, standards, and practices may not meet military requirements. Additionally, commercial vendors have little or no experience in providing the kind of technical data required to support military deployment logistics. COTS hardware is expected to have the following characteristics: low cost; currently available from multiple suppliers; and built to documented standards in high volume production with a mature design. The reliability challenge in the next decade will be to manage COTS to take advantage of the promise and avoid the disaster. This can be done by carefully selecting the COTS vendors, thoroughly testing the hardware/software and applying only those analyses and data requirements (ESS, EQT, verification testing, prediction, FMEA, derating, parts control and FRACAS/FRB) to ensure reliability performance and logistics support. This paper offers some guidance in managing COTS program elements and provides insight into their impact on reliability.

A wide range of Radio Frequency (RF) assemblies require testing during their development and production. These include amplifiers, mixers, filters, up converters, down converters, antennas, phase shifters, power dividers, power combiners, Integrated Master Assemblies (IMAs), Weapons Replaceable Assemblies (WRAs), Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) and radio subassemblies. Though there are many differences between the RF assemblies, they all require a test system that is accurate, reliable and traceable while simultaneously minimizing test times. Other important attributes of a test platform for RF assemblies are that it must be calibrated, fully-characterized and incorporate self-test functionality. The test platform must also include a digital control solution for triggering, communicating with Units Under Test (UUT) and interfacing with handlers, fixtures, etc. Finally, the software for the test equipment must also be considered. Typical software functionality would include sequencing, reporting, testing, calibration, and self-test. While it is certainly possible to develop a test system specific to each type of RF assembly; there are many benefits to developing a common RF test platform that includes the functionality listed above.

The Advanced TOMAHAWK Weapons Control System (ATWCS) is being developed to support current and future tactical cruise missiles onboard navy ships. The ATWCS utilizes the Navy's standard Tactical Advanced Computer (TAC) 3 components and commercial standard Local Area Networks (LANs) to provide a flexible, robust system with excellent growth potential. Aggressive use of systems engineering principles has refined the system design so that it is adaptable to various Navy platforms. An excellent example of the success in meeting this design goal is the Submarine ATWCS.The primary data pathway for ATWCS is a Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) LAN connecting the four TAC 3 processors. Existing Common Display Consoles (CDCs) are used for display and control of the TAC 3 processors. The Submarine ATWCS builds on software already developed for surface ships. The open system architecture of this software is based on Computer Software Configuration Items (CSCIs) and several are obtained from other programs. Direct weapons interface in the Combat Control System (CCS) provides optimum efficiency in weapons control while gaining the functionality advantages of ATWCS.This paper describes the systems engineering solutions for both software and hardware to achieve a modern cruise missile weapons control capability for submarines utilizing non‐development items (NDI). Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technology, LANs and open system architecture.

In this paper, the problems of offline testing, manufacturer collaboration, and inconsistent standardization of existing test platforms are addressed in this study, with a special focus on complex field test scenarios and under-applied test data. To solve this problem, a test platform for distribution automation (DA) equipment based on Kubernetes technology is proposed. First, the composition and testing process of the DA testing system are elaborated in detail, and then a new testing platform is constructed by introducing Kubernetes technology. Finally, the feasibility of the platform is verified by building the new DA test platform based on Kubernetes technology for experiments. This study aims to improve the effectiveness of the test platform, promote the full application of field test scenarios and test data, and provide a more consistent and efficient solution for the testing of distribution automation equipment.

The advent of powerful Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) real-time hardware and significant advances in dynamic modeling and simulation software, combined with strides in cost-efficient virtual instrumentation and animation tools, provides the means for development of innovative low cost spacecraft control solutions. In this paper we develop hardware and software system architectures for a flexible simulator which can function as a powerful platform for research, education and testing. The objective is to provide a basic system configuration that is modular and can be easily reconfigured to meet several different requirements, thus providing a single platform for different phases of the design and development process. The use of graphical modeling and automatic code generation tools that are tightly integrated with the hardware ensures rapid software reconfiguration. The paper also discusses two applications that have taken advatage of this architecture.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The article addresses the challenge of implementing Statistical Process Control (SPC) in small and medium-sized enterprises with limited budgets and lacking automated monitoring systems. The study draws upon the experience of a domestic manufacturer of automotive air fi lters, characterized by small-batch production and low labor mechanization. The authors substantiate the necessity of implementing manual data collection methods and propose an effective approach that includes defect classifi cation, engaging frontline employees in quality management processes, and employing simple quality analysis tools such as control charts and Pareto diagrams. The developed methodology signifi cantly improved statistical data quality, enabling the identifi cation of systemic issues and prioritizing improvement directions. A comparative analysis demonstrated that the economic benefi ts of the proposed approach were comparable to those achievable with automated systems, albeit at signifi cantly lower costs. The study confi rms the feasibility and effectiveness of applying SPC without substantial fi nancial investments while enhancing employee engagement in quality management processes. The authors conclude that analog methods for data collection and SPC implementation hold signifi cant promise for enterprises with limited resources, though they emphasize the eventual need for automation as companies grow and evolve.

Cultural Contradictions of Statistical Process Control In American Manufacturing Organizations

Chapter 15 - The implementation of statistical process control

Responsible Organization, 36th International Conference on Organizational Science Development, Slovenia, Portorož, March 22-24, 2017, (Conference Proceedings). The conference on Organizational Sciences Development is a conference with the longest tradition at the University of Maribor. Each year, the conference brings together students, researchers, businessmen and public administration representatives, who are active in the area of organization and management. The theme of this year’s 36th international conference on Organizational Sciences Development is Responsible Organization referring to the wideness of an organization in its internal and external environment. The responsibility of the organization towards its employees, mission, strategy, processes, technology, and development are just a few areas in which the organization needs to follow the principles of responsibility. The identity of the organization is recognized through its versatile responsible activities, showing its value externally to the customers or recipients of the services offered by the organization. The concurrent mixture of technological and social progress influences individuals as well as the society. The impact of the organization is therefore not only local but global, making a mark on the international level. With this conference theme, we are opening new questions and seeking answers which could contribute to the progress of organizational sciences. Material influence, communications, knowledge, fairness, and nevertheless the ideal of responsible behaviour can be seen as influential factors which can contribute to occasional turbulent situations inside and outside our organizations. Since we are all caught up in moulded mind-sets, not following our experiences anymore, our wish was to keep up with the times and identify best practices, form new methods, and become familiar with the contemporary trends in organizations.

An approach to utilize the symmetric multiprocessing environment of the Silicon GraphicsTM (SGI) OnyxTM and Onyx2TM has been developed to support the generation of infrared (IR) scenes in real-time. This development, supported by the Navy, is driven by a desire to maximize use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and minimize cost and development time. In the past, real-time IR scene generators have been developed as custom architectures that are expensive and difficult to maintain. An SGI based Real- time Infrared Scene Simulator (RISS) system was developed to utilize the SGI's fast symmetric multiprocessing hardware to perform real-time IR scene radiance calculations for scene objects. During real-time scene simulation, the SGI symmetric multiprocessors are used to update polygon vertex locations and compute radiometrically accurate floating point radiance values. The output of this process can be utilized to drive a variety of scene rendering engines including the SGI Reality Engine2TM, the SGI Infinite RealityTM, and Amherst Systems' custom Scene Rendering System. This paper will discuss the critical technologies that apply to infrared scene generation and hardware-in-the- loop testing using COTS hardware. Specifically, the application of RISS high-fidelity real time radiance algorithms on the SGI's symmetric multiprocessing hardware will be discussed. Also, issues relating to the integration of the real-time algorithms with various rendering engines and external real-time control will be addressed.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.