INTRODUCTION

Quality Control in Manufacturing

In manufacturing, quality control is a process that ensures customers receive products free
from defects and meet their needs. When done the wrong way, it can put consumers at risk. For
example, the recent defect found in Takata airbags resulted in the biggest automotive recall in
history. The recall includes almost 69 million airbag inflators and may cost billions of dollars.
The recall will last until the end of 2019 and take until 2020 to resolve.

Major recalls like these can be prevented through effective quality control in manufacturing.
Some common tools used to support quality control include:

Statistical process control (SPC) monitors and controls quality by tracking production
metrics. It helps quality managers identify and solve problems before products leave the
facility.

Six Sigma uses five key principles to ensure defects. When supported by lean tools like
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), 5S, and Kaizen, most if not all defects can be
eliminated.

Benefits of Using Quality Control in Manufacturing

 Customers expect and demand high-quality products. When customers receive quality
products you will:

Increase customer loyalty

Gain repeat business

Gain new customers from referrals

Maintain or improve your position in the market

Improve safety

Reduce liability risks

Contribute to overall positive branding of your product

Manufacturers with quality control procedures in place are far less likely to face product
recalls or place customers at risk from poorly made products. The cost associated with these
recalls can be steep. Testament to this is the Takata recall, which is estimated to cost the company
between $7 and $24 billion.

Discover how you can avoid costly recalls and support your quality control system with
TPM. Graphic Products Best Practice Guide to Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) will help
you on the road to total quality. Improve quality, eliminate defects, and increase your profits.

Incorrect Implementation of Quality Control in Manufacturing

Quality control in manufacturing can be a little tricky. Often, it is done at the end of the
production process, only catching defects after the fact.

Effective quality control is more involved and should include two levels:

Operators monitor the manufacturing process and ensure that there is little variation.

Engineers routinely monitor the product design for issues. When a problem is found, it is
immediately fixed.

By monitoring products at the end of production as well as reviewing the products design,
companies can solve problems more efficiently, saving time and money.

Using Quality Assurance with Quality Control in Manufacturing

Quality assurance streamlines production and helps to ensure that the final products meet
the companys quality criteria. It ensures that the processes used to design, test, and produce
products will be done correctly.

In manufacturing, quality assurance approaches, like ISO 9001, help manage and improve many
processes, including:

Acquiring raw materials

Purchasing third-party components and sub-assemblies

Designing and using inspection procedures

Complying with production processes

Responding to defects
 For every business, quality assurance is different. However, ISO 9001 works for businesses
both large and small and can be adapted for most any need. It provides the means for creating a
lasting quality assurance program, ensuring that everything, from raw materials to inspection
procedures are of the highest quality. Issues and defects from poor quality materials or third-
party components are all but eliminated.

Quality Control, Quality Assurance and Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing tools can bolster your companys quality program. Lean revolves around
improving quality and safety, while increasing efficiency and profits. Some powerful lean
manufacturing tools that can bolster your quality system include:

TPM improves product quality by eliminating downtime, defects, and accidents. TPM
accomplishes this through comprehensive maintenance programs and operator training.

Kaizen helps eliminate problems at their source by empowering workers to find and
solve problems on a daily basis.

5S helps organize and standardize the workplace. Take control with the 5S System Best
Practice Guide, by Graphic Products. Improve procedures and eliminate errors in your
facility.

While every facility has different needs and may require a different lean tool, using lean to
support quality control is essential. Procedures will be simplified, and the number of errors will
be reduced.

How to Implement Quality Control in Manufacturing

To implement an effective quality control program, first create and document your approach to
quality control. This includes:

Defining the quality standards for each product

Selecting the quality control method

Defining the number of products/batch that will be tested

Creating and training employees for quality control

Creating a communication system for reporting defects or potential issues.

Next, you will need to create procedures for handling defects. Consider the following:

Will batches be rejected if defected items are found?

Will there be further testing and potential repair work involved?

Will production be halted to ensure that there are no more defective products created?

How will new product versions be handled?

Finally, use a method like 5-Whys to identify the root cause of the defect, make any needed
changes, and ensure your products are defect free.

Quality Control Approaches

There is a tendency for individual consultants and organizations to name their own
unique approaches to quality controla few of these have ended up in widespread use:

Approximate
Terminology year of first Description
use

The application of statistical methods

Statistical quality
1930s (specifically control charts and acceptance
control (SQC)
sampling) to quality control.
 Popularized by Armand V. Feigenbaum in
a Harvard Business Review article and book of the
Total quality control same name. Stresses involvement of departments in
1956
(TQC) addition to production (e.g., accounting, design,
finance, human resources, marketing, purchasing,
sales).

The use of control charts to monitor an individual

Statistical process industrial process and feed back performance to the
1960s
control (SPC) operators responsible for that process. Inspired
by control systems.

Company-wide quality
1968 Japanese-style total quality control
control (CWQC)

Quality movement originating in the United States

Total Quality Department of Defense that uses (in part) the
1985
Management (TQM) techniques of statistical quality control to drive
continuous organizational improvement.

Statistical quality control applied to business

Six Sigma (6) 1986
strategy. Originated by Motorola.
BMW Company Profile

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (usually known under its abbreviation BMW) is a

German luxury vehicle, motorcycle, and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It is
one of the best-selling luxury automakers in the world. The company is a component of the Euro
Stoxx 50 stock market index. Headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, BMW owns Mini cars and is
the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcars under the BMW
Motorsport division and motorcycles under BMW Motorrad, and plug-in electric cars under
the BMW i sub-brand and the "iPerformance" model designation within the regular BMW
lineup.

In 2006, the BMW group (including Mini and Rolls-Royce) produced 1,366,838 four-
wheeled vehicles, which were manufactured in five countries. In 2010, it manufactured ,481,253
four-wheeled vehicles and 112,271 motorcycles (under both the BMW and Husqvarna brands).
The BMW X3 (E83) was made by Magna Steyr, a subsidiary of Magna of Canada, in
Graz, Austria under license from BMW until 2010. More than 45,973 were produced in 2009.
Starting October 2010, the new BMW X3 (F25) is produced at BMW US Manufacturing
Company, Greer, South Carolina.
It is reported that about 56% of BMW-brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol
engines and the remaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about
27% are four-cylinder models and about nine percent are eight-cylinder models. BMW also has
local assembly operation using complete knock down components in Thailand, Russia, Egypt,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, for 3, 5, 7 series and X3.

Quality Control Tools And Techniques Used By BMW

All BMW motorcycles sold worldwide are assembled in this plant, which also happens to
be BMWs oldest manufacturing facility. Motorcycle components were first built there in 1949,
with full motorcycle assembly starting in 1969. Today, the facility can produce up to 650
motorcycles daily.

While this BMW facility is impressive for a variety of reasonsfrom its clean and
ordered production operations to the outright cool factor that one can't help but sense while
surrounded by such an impressive array of beautifully designed motorcycles (whether you ride
them or not)the segments of the tour that struck me most were the automated quality
inspection stations.
 Though quality inspection may sound dull when talking about a production facility that
creates a product like the R1200GS, when you watch a robot operating autonomously to conduct
quality inspections of connecting/piston rods that drive the crankshafts of BMWs motorcycle
engines, its difficult not to stare. Inside the cage, this one armed robot picks a newly finished
connecting/piston rod from a bin, brings the rod over to an inspection instrumentwhich
performs quality measurements on the rods to a .5 micrometer level of precisionand then
deposits the rod into a slot for use in production or into another slot that sends the part back
through the system for scrap or rework.

All components either produced in the BMW facility or received there from other BMW
production facilities and third party suppliers are quality control tested to ensure their ability to
fulfill BMWs requirements. These requirements combine scientific measurement with feel, as
determined by BMW motorcycle experts who, during the test run of every motorcycle produced
at the facility, are said to be able to detect by feel if something is not quite right about the overall
quality of the finished motorcycle.

Stressing the importance of quality to BMWs production process, our tour guide pointed
out why even a 99 percent quality level is not acceptable. A 99 percent quality acceptance level
equates to some 80 parts in a BMW car potentially being problematic or 40 parts in a
motorcycle.

Five key points of automated quality inspection

The need for accurate boundary limits and reference data for every part being inspected.
Any discussion about automating quality inspections with your system integrator or
automation supplier needs to start with accurate data about the part and/or product
specifications that need to be met, said Cantrell.

Tracking and tracing components and their pass/fail of quality parameters, along with the
ability to retrieve such data on demand, is increasingly important for industries of all
kindsbut especially for the pharmaceutical, food and beverage and transportation
industries. Cantrell and Werner both pointed to the increasing use of MES (manufacturing
execution systems) in QC operations to approve/certify quality processes and provide
dynamic, real-time overviews of production quality.

Proper instrumentation. Cantrell said that when working with customers to review
existing quality inspection operations, he often finds that there is not enough of the type
of instrumentation needed to conduct quality inspection at the level sought by the
 manufacturerwhich can result in subpar components passing through the inspection
process.

Controlling material movement. This relates to the ability to have interlocks enacted by
the automated quality system to prevent movement of material until a part passes
inspection or has specific actions performed on it first. This enforces proper production
flow for a product or component, said Werner. Cantrell added that he has seen automated
QC systems make use of an MES to send instructions down to an industrial PC
positioned near an operator to ensure that the operators manually input data if that data is
not able to be automatically collected due to the production process. This is key in
traditional manual operations where a part can go through several processes before being
caught at QC, Cantrell said. Plus you can put this into place at several points along the
production process to check quality data and provide immediate status of a part,
component or product.

Communication with and interface to the quality control (QC) control system. The
interface between the QC automation system and the controller containing the setpoints,
as well as the network over which the system components communicate, are the most
critical points of the five listed here, according to Cantrell. The interface and
communication aspects are not just about part identification, but operating parameters
such as different torque specifications, he said. To communicate those setpoint
commands and receive verification, there needs to be two-way protocols in place. This
can be done through serial or Ethernet communications, as determined by the hardware
interface and protocol the equipment supports.

Cameras for clarity

Google Glass is not BMWs only Industry 4.0 project focused on using cameras in
quality control to eliminate the time it takes workers to move between different
workstations. A pilot project involving a camera-based gesture detection system has been
deployed at the Landshut site in Germany. This allows workers to check the quality of
bumpers between paintshop and assembly in a reliable and efficient way that ensures
peak accuracy.
In order to achieve a 100% level of accuracy, each deviation from the target is recorded
in a system and evaluated, says Essbauer. Previously, workers had to document the
result for each component they checked at a workstation. This way of working cost
valuable time, especially in cases where the PC could not be mounted directly at the test
bench and people had to walk to a different workstation to feed in the data. If several
faults appeared at different positions at the same time, the documentation became more
complex, with workers being required to remember several details very precisely.
 Gesture-detection technology at BMW Landshut facilitates the quality-checking of
bumpers between paintshop and assembly

BMW worked with the Fraunhofer Institute in Karlsruhe, Germany, to develop the
system. A number of different gestures can be recognised, for example a wiping motion
which means that the bumper has no quality issues and is ready for assembly. To register
a fault with part of the bumper, the tester points his or her finger at the relevant section.
The camera registers the gesture, and then the program evaluates it and stores the
information for follow up.
The workers have responded very positively to the new technology, states Essbauer.
The gesture control system is simple and easy to understand and can be applied
intuitively, without requiring extra training. People do not have to walk to other
workstations anymore and, as a result, can concentrate better on their work. Other
advantages include the speeding up of the testing process, more precise data entry, no
disruption of workflow and the fact that our employees dont have to use additional
equipment, such as special eyewear or microphones.
Intelligent energy management
While quality control is key for any automotive manufacturer and an important focus in
Industry 4.0, Essbauer is keen to stress the pivotal role that the workforce plays and how
BMW projects are benefitting employees: We are working on a big data approach to
improve energy efficiency at our plants in Spartanburg and Leipzig in Germany, as well
as the application of mobile communication technologies to support production workers,
she says. The main objectives are to increase quality and to take some burden off the
shoulders of workers at the plants, for example by improving ergonomics in the
workplace.
The big data approach to energy efficiency that Essbauer mentions is being achieved
through the introduction of an intelligent energy management data system (iEMDS),
which was piloted at Spartanburg for the production of BMW X models. The system is
based on intelligent electricity meters which constantly measure the energy consumption
of production facilities and robots so as to align them with the companys central big
 data network. Spartanburg has now installed smart sensors in more than 80 units of
production equipment and robots.
This system has also been rolled out across the Leipzig, Regensburg, Munich and
Landshut plants in Germany, and there are plans to implement it at more plants in
BMWs global production network. Projects are currently under way at 30 sites in 14
countries. BMW will benefit from lower energy consumption, greater reliability in
production and higher product quality thanks to the implementation of iEMDS across our
production sites, says Essbauer.
BMW predicts that it will save 25m ($30m) in energy costs over the next decade due to
the implementation of iEMDS. The company says the system has already resulted in total
energy savings of more than 100,000kWh in the year it has been up and running.
Pointing to enhanced ergonomics
BMW is also running ergonomics projects in relation to Industry 4.0. In mid-2014, the
vehicle-maker introduced a flexible finger cot which protects workers against excess
strains on the thumb joints while carrying out certain assembly activities. This initiative is
in pilot stage at the plant in Munich, Germany.
Developed in cooperation with the Department of Ergonomics at the Technical University
of Munich, each finger cot is a unique item, designed and customised to fit the size and
shape of a workers hand and made using 3D printing. In initial practical tests, the
feedback from workers was very positive, says Essbauer. We are currently looking into
how these assembly aids can be applied as standard tools in other areas of production.

The customised, 3D-printed finger cot

This feedback from workers is regarded as vitally important, because BMWs Industry
4.0 strategy focuses heavily on the workforce and developing new technologies that will
assist its personnel in production and production planning. Supporting workers through
automation is a particularly good approach when it comes to simple, highly repetitive
tasks which require considerable physical strength, Essbauer explains. Robots that
assist humans in production and take the heavy work off their hands will characterise the
factory of the future.
 Again acting as BMWs pioneer, Spartanburg became the first automotive production
facility in the world to implement direct human-robot cooperation in series production.
The installation of collaborative robots at the plant has lightened the workload of
assembly line personnel while also ensuring maximum production quality.

The successful implementation of an ergonomically optimised human-robot cooperation

in series production is a major step towards the future of automotive engineering and the
world of Industry 4.0 Saskia Essbauer, BMW

Man & machine teaming up

In door assembly, people and robots work side by side without a safety fence in one
team, explains Essbauer. Four collaborative robots equip the insides of the doors of
BMWs X3 models with sound and moisture insulation. Firstly, the foil with the adhesive
bead is put in place and slightly pressed on by assembly line workers. Prior to the
introduction of the new system, workers then carried out the fixing process by means of a
manual roller. Today, systems with roller heads on robot arms handle this labour-intensive
task, which requires maximum precision. The sealing protects the electronics in the door
and the entire vehicle interior against moisture.
The preliminary work for this futuristic application of collaborative robots was provided
by the Innovation Management Production team at the BMW Research and Innovation
Center in Munich. Developed over two years, the project was carried out in close
cooperation with Universal Robots of Denmark.
According to Essbauer, BMW decided to introduce assembly robots at the plant for
ergonomic reasons, but safety was always a priority. Automation as a means to assist
staff is particularly suitable for simple, highly repetitive work which requires
considerable strength, she says. The direct interaction of man and machine necessitates
top security standards as the robots are placed in the workers direct surroundings without
any protective devices.
She explains how the robots work: They run at a low speed within a defined
environment and are stopped immediately in case their sensors detect an obstacle in their
way. Thanks to the fully automated process, the rolling power applied to the fixing
process can be measured exactly. As a result, the processing quality can be monitored on
a permanent basis. In the case that the robots work process is interrupted unexpectedly, a
worker carries out the fixing procedure manually again, just to make sure.
BMW is evaluating further applications of collaborative robots in assembly, and the roll
out of this particular project to other plants in the production network is currently in the
planning stage. The successful implementation of an ergonomically optimised human-
robot cooperation in series production is a major step towards the future of automotive
 engineering and the world of Industry 4.0, concludes Essbau

INTELLIGENT PROCESSES

The tradition of quality at the BMW Group permeates all work processes of the
worldwide production network. A comprehensive, multi-level quality management system
ensures quality in all work processes as well as components and materials, and ultimately -
products. But above all, the BMW Group orients its quality management system to the needs of
its customers.

One foundation of "Made by BMW Group" is our employees. "Customer-oriented thought

and action" is part of corporation philosophy and anchors our goal of achieving perfect results in
all manufacturing areas. Our employees' attitude to quality from the very beginning, continuing
along the entire process chain, prevents mistakes and ensures continual improvement.

"Made By BMW Group" Seal Of Approval.

In addition to successful, regularly recurring certification of the quality management
system of all production plants according to DIN EN ISO 9000 ff., external studies in the
automobile industry attest to the first-class quality level of the BMW Group's manufacturing
plants. The renowned US American market research institute J.D. Power & Associates has
confirmed the first-class standards of the BMW Group Production numerous times.

Examples include the Industrial Excellence Award for the best plant received by
Landshut plant in May 2012. The award is based on a coherent system of strategy setting and
alignment delegation, integration, participation, performance measurement, communication and
employee development. Already in 2008, Dingolfing plant was awarded with the same prize.
Before that Munich plant received the award for the best automobile plant in Europe.

Quality assurance on BMW Convertibles

Process optimization in production line, Quality assurance in production, Validation of

fitting dimensions, Calibration stability of assembly jigs, MCS, PCS Mobile optical 3D
coordinate measuring technology is used for quality assurance on the production line in the
BMW Regensburg plant. For the assembly of roof modules for convertibles, optical measuring
equipment is used in process planning for the machine capability study (MCS) even before the
start of serial production. On the assembly line the photogrammetric system then enables flexible
inspection to be carried out during manufacture. Thus trends and deviations in production can be
detected at an early stage. As result of using optical metrology rework time is reduced and
production costs are cut down significantly. Also Quality Management can be specifically
improved by means of process capability studies.

Conclusion

Implementing a Total Quality Management system in a company requires extensive

training of employees. The employee training includes instruction in problem solving techniques
and the tools to evaluate a process and identify weaknesses such as statistical process control,
Pareto diagrams and brainstorming techniques. During the initial training period, productivity
can decline. Meetings for quality improvement teams also take workers away from their duties,
which also reduce productivity. While the improvements do reduce lead time, eliminate waste
and improve productivity, the beginning stages of implementing Total Quality Management in an
organization can reduce worker output.

Lowers Production Costs

A Total Quality Management program eliminates defects and waste, which reduces
production costs in a business. As teams gather to identify and eliminate weaknesses in the
business, the company continues to enjoy reduced costs and higher profit. Quality improvement
teams can eliminate defects, reduce lead time and identify redundancies in the production
process that can significantly add to the profit the company earns.

Employee Resistance

Total Quality Management requires change in mindset, attitude and methods for
performing their jobs. When management does not effectively communicate the team approach
of Total Quality Management, workers may become fearful, which leads to employee resistance.
When workers resist the program, it can lower employee morale and productivity for the
business. Total Quality Management uses small incremental improvements to move the business
forward. It can take years for a company to enjoy the benefits of the program.

Employee Participation

Once workers understand their participation and involvement in Total Quality

Management is essential to its success, morale and productivity improve. Workers become
empowered through participation on quality improvement teams. Businesses can improve morale
further by recognizing improvement teams that make meaningful changes in the production
process to reduce or eliminate waste.

Refrence

1) www.gom.com/fileadmin/user_upload/industries/tritop_assemblyline_EN.pdf
2) www.qualitydigest.com/aug01/html/bmw.html
3) https://secure.bmwgroup.com/bmwgroup...bmwgroup.../qualitaetsmanagement.html
4) www.assemblymag.com/.../92519-bmw-tests-google-glass-for-quality-assurance-in-pr...