This is a basic introduction to statistical process control that assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. This one-hour webinar will teach participants the fundamental concepts of variation, accuracy, and their relationship to statistical process control (SPC) charts. Plus, paid participants will receive a free copy of Bill Levinson's SPC Control Chart Simulator software (a $50 value).

This interactive training program is designed to teach production workers how to read and interpret statistical process control (SPC) charts in an hour or less. It also facilitates very rapid training in the concepts of variation and accuracy. It achieves this through animated figures that relate something familiar (like a target) to the control charts. It also incorporates an animated histogram (like the popular quincunx classroom tool) that shows the distribution as it is being simulated.

COURSE OUTLINE

• Overview of what attendees will learn:
• Concept of variation and its effect on outgoing quality, including the issues of process capability and Six Sigma quality
• Concepts of random or common cause versus special or assignable cause variation
• Use and interpretation of statistical process control (SPC) charts to distinguish these two sources of variation
• Variation is inherent in all processes. Deming's red bead demonstration shows why it is futile as well as demoralizing to blame (or praise) production workers for adverse (or positive) variations in quality.
• Variation may be random or common cause or special or assignable cause. Only special or assignable cause variation can be adjusted out of the process. Deming's funnel experiment shows why it is worse than useless to do the same with common cause or random variation.
• The purpose of statistical process control is to distinguish between random variation and assignable cause variation. SPC tells the production worker when to adjust the process and when to leave it alone.
• Precision (the opposite of variation) and accuracy are not the same thing. A precise process has relatively little spread in the critical to quality (CTQ) characteristic. An accurate process is centered on the nominal (bulls-eye), which is half way between the specification limits. The best quality, as measured by the nonconforming fraction or defects per million opportunities, comes from precise and accurate processes.
• A gun and target simulator will illustrate these concepts. A rifle that is not aimed at the center of the target (nominal) is not accurate, while a musket is not precise.
• The misadjusted rifle is out of control while the musket is not capable. That is, the rifle can do the job properly after adjustment, while the musket cannot do a good job even when adjusted perfectly.
• A Six Sigma process is one in which there are six standard deviations (sigmas) of process variation between the nominal and each specification limit. It will deliver two nonconformances per billion if accurate, or 3.4 DPMO if the accuracy is off by 1.5 sigmas.
• Targets and histograms, while very useful for illustrating the concepts of variation and accuracy, cannot provide real-time feedback to the production worker or inspector. Control charts are visual controls that make the status of the process visible on the shop floor in real time.
• The X (individuals) or x-bar (sample average) chart shows whether the process is centered on the bulls-eye or nominal. An out of control signal indicates that the process requires adjustment to bring it back onto nominal.
• The R (sample range) or s (sample standard deviation) chart shows whether the process' variation has increased.
• The width of the control limits are calculated to deliver (approximately in the case of the R and s charts) a 0.135% false alarm risk at each end. Production workers can therefore expect about 2.7 false alarms per thousand samples.
• The gun and target simulator will show the relationship between the targets and histograms, and the charts the production worker will actually see on the shop floor.
• A process sample is, like a group of 3-5 shots for sighting in a rifle, superior to an individual measurement (X), and should be used whenever possible.
• ISO 9001:2008 requires closed loop corrective action for out of control signals. The work instruction should provide an OCAP (Out of Control Action Plan) for this purpose.

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