Major Global Manufacturer of Steel and Aluminium Products - Research Paper Example

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Process control Brief summary This is a report on the implementation of Statistical process control which applies statistical methods to monitor and control processes so that they are efficient and their operations are as desired. The products that are produced by a process after the application of SPC should be conforming and there should be no deviations. RTP Company has adopted statistical process control (SPC) as one of the tools related with Total Quality Management (TMQ) to measure how their manufacturing processes perform and make sure that these processes meet the standards that are required. To find out whether the process is implemented 25 days supervision was carried out as data from three types of steel rods on their diameters was taken each day for analysis since these rods were leaking. After analysis and control chart was drawn, it was found out that the process was not stable because over the 25 days when supervision was done and data collected randomly, the variance that results was not acceptable. (British Deming Association SPC Press, 1992) Table of content Cover page ………………………………………………………………….1 Brief summary……………………………………………………..………..1 Introduction and problem description……………………………..………..3 Methodology and Results……………………………………………………5 Discussion and Recommendations…………………………………….…...10 Conclusion…………………………………………………………...……..10 References………………………………………………………….……….11 Introduction and Problem description Statistical process control applies statistical methods to monitor and control processes so that they are efficient and their operations are as desired. The products produced by a process after the application of SPC should be conforming and there should be no wastes. It uses tools such as the control charts, which focuses on continuous improvement fro experiments. A process examination using this process and any variation noted numerically. This thus helps in the detection and correction of problems in processes. The data collected finds its use in the detection of any bottlenecks, any delays and wait times. SPC has two kinds of variation known as the common cause variation or the natural variation that may include temperature, raw materials properties current strength etc and the special cause variation that may include the raw materials that are abnormal or set up incorrect parameters. It thus entails the understanding of the process, getting to know the cause of variation and elimination of the source of the variation. Control charts monitoring aids in the understanding of the process. Variations detected from the control charts and their causes identified help in eliminating them through standard work developments proofing the errors or by trainings. (Selden, P., 1997) RTP industries mainly manufacture aluminum and steel globally. It has plants where many different types of metals produced in countries such as Italy, UK, USA, Hungary, India, china and Brazil. It is also involved in the supply of manufactures of cars and home appliances in Asia and Europe. Due to its reduction in prices caused by competition from India and Chinese manufacturers, the company thought that it was better for them to reduce the prices of their produce to fit in the market. This led to a fall in the company’s profits as well as the revenues thus calling for an action taken by the company to revive itself back to its better status. In the company’s research and development unit, it employed young engineers who they believed were inventive and this led to the introduction of some six more new products to the market since it was a strategy that was efficient and successful. Ever since, the company became reputable as a partner and supplier who are innovative. Through this success, thus, the company’s CEO has initiated a quality and efficiency plan, which is country wide with an aim of satisfying the customer, has needs through the identification of those needs effectively and make sure that there is no waste in the company. Thus, the company has adopted statistical process control (SPC) as one of the tools related with Total Quality Management (TMQ) to measure how their manufacturing processes perform and make sure that these processes meet the standards that are required. As part of this plan, the company has recently adopted a number of quality management tools associated with the Total Quality Management (TMQ). One of these tools is Statistical Process Control (SPC) that the company wants to use to measure the performance of their manufacturing processes to ensure that the processes meet the required standards. The new quality manager of the plant in northern England that is already using the Statistical Process Control (SPC) Mr. John Smith oversees that this process in the implementation of the new strategy for quality is used. The manager has thus conducted a trial application of the process by selecting a hydraulic product-manufacturing unit due to high customer return numbers caused by the problem in the size of steel rods in the product of hydraulic and the problem with the quality of the steel rods surface making them to have leakages. This means that the supervision of the process to check implementation of solution found to the current problem with the steel rods is undertaken. With the current problem, the SPC is not implemented and this needs to be corrected. Deviations needed to be detected to find out the cause of the leaking rods that were produced. (Lon, R., 2005) Methodology and Results To supervise on whether the SPC is implemented effectively, data was collected randomly from daily inspection samples of three steel rods. The inspection of the selected products was done to come up with two sets of data. These data was the diameter of steel rods for the three rods each day for 25 days and the number of surface errors for the three steel rods for 25 days. This data was essential for further analysis to determine whether the process was implemented properly. The diameter was collected for the steel rods that were collected and recorded in centimeters. In addition, the surface errors were calculated for every measurement and recorded every day for 25 days. The data was recorded and its summarized in table one which shows the results for the diameters of the selected steel rods for 25 days. Table 1. Showing diameter measurements in centimeters Observations sample 1 2 3 1 10.94 10.64 10.88 2 10.66 10.66 10.78 3 10.68 10.68 10.62 4 10.03 10.42 10.88 5 10.7 10.46 10.77 6 10.38 10.74 10.62 7 10.46 10.9 10.51 8 10.66 10.04 10.58 9 10.5 10.44 10.74 10 10.58 10.64 10.6 11 10.8 10.36 10.6 12 10.42 10.36 10.72 13 10.52 10.7 10.62 14 11.04 10.58 10.42 15 10.52 10.4 10.6 16 10.38 10.02 10.6 17 10.56 10.68 10.78 18 10.58 10.5 10.48 19 10.42 10.74 10.64 20 10.48 10.44 10.32 21 10.56 10.78 10.46 22 10.82 10.64 11 23 10.28 10.46 10.21 24 10.54 10.56 10.44 25 10.84 10.7 10.44 mean 10.574 10.5416 10.6124 standard deviation 0.215561 0.209914 0.182581 Assuming control limit = Z = 3 at 99.73% Sample 1, 2 and 3 SPC: sample ! 2 3 mean 10.574 10.5416 10.6124 standard deviation 0.215561 0.209914 0.182581 UCL 10.70334 10.66755 10.72195 LCL 6.637563 6.610443 6.61575 Control charts: SAMPLE 2: SAMPLE 3: The charts above indicates the upper control limit and the lower control limit of the metal rods. from the charts it is evident that the sample of metal rods are not within the control limit, some values are out of control and these are identifiable by the values that exceed the upper control limit and also below the loer control limit, the assumed to be 99.73%. Discussion and Recommendations From the supervision that was done it was found out that the Statistical process control (SPC)was not well implemented since the valued of the diameter of the steel rods as seen in the control charts fell beyond the limits. There was variation marked in the production of these products. This means that the error was due to manufacturing errors that did not provide quality rods that are within the control limits. It is true that there is a problem in the hydraulics production process since the customers often return the products that are produced because they are leaking. This calls for more tools that should be put in place to come with a solution to the problem. Quality tools should thus be used to aid in the determination of the problem and the ultimate elimination. Quality tools are used to determine the source of the problem and aid in the elimination of the deviation. Edwards, D., 2010) Conclusion It is evident that the process is not stable as per the control chart that was drawn using the data provided. This is because over the 25 days when supervision was done and data collected randomly, the variance that results is not acceptable. Data deviates above the upper limit and below the lower limit and this is an indication of stability of the process. References British Deming Association SPC Press. Why SPC? 1992 Edwards, D. Lectures on statistical control of quality. Nippon Kagaku Gijutsu Remmei, 2010 Lon, R. SPC for Right-Brain Thinkers: Process Control for Non-Statisticians. 2005. Quality Press, Milwaukee. ISBN 0873896637 Selden, P. Sales Process Engineering: A Personal Workshop. 1997. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press. ISBN 0873894189. Read More