What is SPC?

Translates measurements and data into graphs, information, and decisions

Traditionally used by manufacturing companies An effective method of reducing waste and improving quality

Example

Consider a soft drink bottling company They want 12 ounces of soda in each bottle In reality, all the bottles are a little different One has 12.03 oz. Another has 11.54 oz. Some variation is natural, no two things are exactly alike. The company decides that bottles with 11.5 to 12.7 ounces can be sold.

The Dark Ages: Before SPC

The bottling company considered each bottle individually A bottle is either Acceptablesold Unacceptablethrown away The company was unsure about when to adjust their filling process

Result: A lot of waste!

The Birth of SPC

Walter A. Shewhart

Observed that the current production methods created a lot of scrap product Studied statistical methods for reducing process variability Introduced the control chart in 1924

W. Edwards Deming

Applied Shewharts ideas at the organizational level Spread the word about SPC Took SPC to Japan after WWII

SPC and the Bottling Company

Instead of just looking at bottles one at a time, consider all the bottles and the method used to fill them (PROCESS) Put information such as the average, maximum, and minimum amount of soda in each bottle into a chart so the big picture is visible (STATISTICS) Know what variation is natural and when to make adjustments so fewer bottles are unacceptably over or under filled (CONTROL)

Result: Reduced waste and increased profit!

Control Charts
Use your data Give you the big picture Tell you when your processes are out of statistical control (need adjusting)

Reading a Control Chart

X Chart
pronounced and also written as Xbar

Range Chart

X, Xbar, Mean, Average

Each of the words above have the exact same meaning! To calculate, add up the observations, then divide by the number of observations
the average of is the average of is 30, 40, 50, 60 (30 + 40 + 50 + 60)/4 = 45 1, 2, 1.6 (1 + 2 + 1.6)/3 = 1.533

Each point on the chart is an average measurement

Xbar Chart

Consider a subgroup of three bottles: 12.21, 12.40, 11.67 The average (mean) amount in the bottles is 12.09 This is the first point on the Xbar Chart (The individual observations do not appear on the chart)

Multiple average (Xbar) values are plotted on one chart

12.09

Control Limits on the X Chart

Calculated using your data Are not the same as specifications UCL: Upper Control Limit CL: Center Line
This is the average of all your Xbar points Your points will center around this line

All of your points should be below this line

LCL: Lower Control Limit

All of your points should be above this line UCL=13.287 CL=12.160

LCL=11.032

Range

To calculate the range of a group of numbers, subtract the smallest from the largest.
The range of is
The range of is

20, 19, 42, 10, 25, 36 42 10 = 32.

13.01, 12.60, 12.54, 11.50 13.01 - 11.50 = 1.51.

Range Chart

Each point on the chart is the difference between the maximum and minimum measurements

Remember the three bottles: 12.21, 12.40, 11.67 The range of these bottles is 0.73 This is the first point on the Range Chart (The individual observations do not appear on the chart)

Multiple range values are plotted on one chart

0.73

UCL CL LCL

A Process that is In Control

Has no points outside the Control Limits Saves money and prevents waste Is repeatable

This process is In Control

An Out-of-Control Process

Has unnatural patterns or points outside the Control Limits Is wasteful Requires action
This process is beginning to go out-of-control.