(Last date for submission: Aug 3, 2017 Time 5.

00 pm)
(Please read instructions given on this page carefully)

ASSIGNMENT
Edward Door Company
The Edward Door Company (EDC) manufactures steel and aluminum exterior doors for commercial and
residential applications. EDC landed a major contract as a supplier to Tranquil Homes, a builder of
residential communities in several major cities. EDC had to expand its manufacturing operations to three
shifts and hire additional workers because of the large demand.

Not long after EDC began shipping doors to Tranquil Homes, it began receiving some complaints about
excessive gaps between the door and the frame. This problem was somewhat alarming to EDC, because
its reputation as a high-quality manufacturer was the principal reason that it was selected as a supplier to
Tranquil Homes. EDC placed a great deal of confidence in its manufacturing capability because of its well-
trained and dedicated employees, and it never felt the need to consider formal process control
approaches. In view of the recent complaints, John Edward, the company CEO, suspected that the
expansion to a three-shift operation and the pressures to produce higher volumes and meet just-in-time
delivery requests was affecting their quality.

On the recommendation of Donald Mathew, the plant manager, EDC hired a quality consultant to train
the shift supervisors and selected line workers in SPC methods. As a trial project, Donald Mathew wanted
to evaluate the capability of a critical cutting operation which he suspected might be the source of the
gap problems. The nominal specification (target specification) for this cutting operation is 30.000 inches
with a tolerance of 0.125 inches; therefore, the upper and lower specifications are: USL = 30.125 inches
and LSL = 29.875 inches. The consultant suggested to inspect five consecutive door panels in the middle
of each shift over a period of ten days and record the dimension of the cut. Exhibit 1 (on page 2) shows
10 days’ data collected for each shift by operator. As shown in the Exhibit, on each day there were three
shifts; each shift operated by a different worker. There were four operators Tom, Jim, Derek and Chris
operating the various shifts.
1. Interpret the data in Exhibit 1. Calculate the control limits and construct the appropriate control
charts (x bar and R chart) on Excel and comment on the state of statistical control. (Use formula
to calculate control limits. The formula is given on page 3. Choose the appropriate values for
factors A2, D3, D4 for the given sample size. Refer Table 1 on page 3 for factors for control chart)
2. If the process is not in control, what might be the likely causes, based on the information that is
available? How might the company eliminate the problems found by Tranquil Homes?
3. Calculate the process capability indexes? What do the Cp and Cpk indexes tell the company? (Please
note capability can be calculated only after establishing statistical control of the process)

Instructions: This is an Excel based assignment. You are required to generate the control chart on Excel
and answer the three questions given. Please carry your laptops to class with the control chart and
process capability on the date which will be notified to you. The chart is to be copied and pasted on a
word document and you are required to upload the assignment (3 questions) on Moodle on or before
the due date.

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Exhibit 1. EDC Production Data
Day Shift Operator Sample Observations
No. 1 2 3 4 5
1 1 Tom 1 30.046 29.978 30.026 29.986 29.961
2 Jim 2 29.972 29.966 29.964 29.942 30.025
3 Derek 3 30.046 30.004 30.028 29.986 30.027
2 1 Tom 4 29.997 29.997 29.980 30.000 30.034
2 Jim 5 30.018 29.922 29.992 30.008 30.053
3 Derek 6 29.973 29.990 29.985 29.991 30.004
3 1 Tom 7 29.989 29.952 29.941 30.012 29.984
2 Jim 8 29.969 30.000 29.968 29.976 29.973
3 Chris 9 29.852 29.978 29.964 29.896 29.876
4 1 Tom 10 30.042 29.976 30.021 29.996 30.042
2 Jim 11 30.028 29.999 30.022 29.942 29.998
3 Derek 12 29.955 29.984 29.997 30.008 30.033
5 1 Tom 13 30.040 29.965 30.001 29.975 29.970
2 Jim 14 30.007 30.024 29.987 29.951 29.994
3 Derek 15 29.979 30.007 30.000 30.042 30.000
6 1 Tom 16 30.073 29.998 30.027 29.986 30.001
2 Jim 17 29.995 29.966 29.996 30.039 29.976
3 Derek 18 29.994 29.982 29.998 30.040 30.017
7 1 Tom 19 29.977 30.013 30.042 30.001 29.962
2 Jim 20 30.021 30.048 30.037 29.985 30.005
3 Chris 21 29.879 29.882 29.990 29.971 29.953
8 1 Tom 22 30.043 30.021 29.963 29.993 30.006
2 Jim 23 30.065 30.012 30.021 30.024 30.037
3 Chris 24 29.899 29.875 29.980 29.878 29.877
9 1 Tom 25 30.029 30.011 30.017 30.000 30.000
2 Jim 26 30.046 30.006 30.039 29.991 29.970
3 Derek 27 29.993 29.991 29.984 30.022 30.010
10 1 Tom 28 30.057 30.032 29.979 30.027 30.033
2 Jim 29 30.004 30.049 29.980 30.000 29.986
3 Derek 30 29.995 30.000 29.922 29.984 29.968

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Table 1. Factors for Control Charts

Formula for control chart construction