International Journal of JOURNAL Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN AND 0976 INTERNATIONAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 6340(Print),

, ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

TECHNOLOGY (IJMET)

ISSN 0976 6340 (Print) ISSN 0976 6359 (Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), pp. 551-558 IAEME: www.iaeme.com/ijmet.html Journal Impact Factor (2012): 3.8071 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com

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SCRUTINIZING AND IMPROVING PROCESS CAPABILITY INDEX BY APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL AND SIXSIGMA TOOLS
Piyush Kumar Soni*, M. K. Ghosh, Imtiyaz Khan, Himanshu Gangwal Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mandsaur Institute of Technology Mandsaur - 458001 (M.P.), India *Corresponding Author- Piyush Kumar Soni, H. No. D/2, Yatindra Vihar, Mandsaur - 458001 (M.P.), India +91 7898060802, piyushsoni05@gmail.com Abstract In this paper, the process control of a CNC Grinder manufactured at PMT Machines Ltd. Halol, (Gujarat) India is discussed. The varying measurements have been recorded for a number of samples of a Cam Roller Shoe obtained from a number of trials with the CNC Grinder. SPC technique has been adopted, by which the process is finally brought under control and the process capability index is improved. Quality control helps industries in improvement of its product quality and productivity. Statistical Process Control (SPC) is one of the tools to control the quality of products that practice in bringing a manufacturing process under control. Keywords: Statistical Process Control, Range and Standard Deviation, Control Charts, Normal Distribution Curves, Process Capability. Introduction Statistical process control (SPC) describes a widely-used set of approaches used to detect shifts in processes in, for example, manufacturing. Among these are control charts" [1]. Statistics is a body of methods by which useful conclusions can be drawn from numerical data. A process is a systematic series of actions directed to some end. Statistical Process Control (SPC) refers to controlling a process (e.g., grinding) based on
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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

responding to process data with statistical techniques and tools. Statistical Quality Control (SQC) refers to controlling the quality of a product based on responding to machine shop data with statistical techniques and tools [3]. PMT Machines Ltd., Halol is one of the leading CNC Machine Tools manufacturers in India. The SPC methodology have been adopted for grinding of Cam Roller Shoes, a component of one of its customer companies, Delphi TVS, Chennai (India). The product was being ground by a CNC Grinding machine which was solely manufactured and assembled at PMT Machines Ltd. itself. As the thickness of shoes in different samples after grinding was found to be out of tolerance limits asked by Delphi TVS, the process capability found to be less than the standard value. This required the idea of SPC implementation and the techniques been practiced. Literature Review SPC tools can be used by operators to monitor their part of production or service process for the purpose of making improvements [2]. The use of statistical concepts in the field of quality emerged in the United States in the beginning of the nineteenth century. But its democratic use began only in the 1930s. W. Edwards Deming, who applied SPC methods in the US during the Second World War, was the one responsible for introducing this concept in Japan after the war ended. These methods were not used in France until the 1970s. The 1980s saw the SPC methods being used frequently, due to the pressure from large clients like automobile manufacturers and aircraft manufacturers. Companies who have been operating in the market for a while already have a quality control process in place. This process enables a company to meet four main objectives: higher quality, more effectiveness, optimum cost savings and greater rigor, and produces products of optimum quality [1]. Statistics is more applicable to measuring and controlling variation from common cause (random) than from special causes [3]. Control charts detects special causes of variation, measures and monitors common causes of variation, helps to know when to look for problems and adjust or when to keep hands off and when to make a fundamental change [3]. For normally distributed statistics, the area bracketed by the control limits will on average contain 99.73% of all the plot points on the chart, as long as the process is and remains in statistical control. A falsedetection rate of at least 0.27% is therefore expected. Control charts are also known as Shewhart charts or process-behaviour charts. Variable control charts are used to study a process when characteristics is a measurement, for example, cycle time, processing time, waiting time, highest, area, temperature, cost or revenue [4]. Goals of SPC: understand the process eliminate special cause variation reduce common cause variation and maintain a process that is in "statistical control" and has high "process capability".

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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

Methodology Recorded component details as furnished below: Specifications : 8.07 + 0.02 (as per the customer drawing). Upper Specification Limit (USL) : 8.09 mm Lower Specification Limit (LSL) : 8.05 mm Several measurements of thickness ground by the CNC Grinder in different trials have been recorded for every component in the observation tables. One of the observation tables (trial no. 6) is given as under:
Table 1: Component trial report

Component Details Part Name TC Trial Date 13/09/2011 Each Sample Size (N) 05 Trial Time 09:00 am 05:00 pm Per Cycle Time 7 min 46 sec Dressing Amount 0.5mm Thickness (in mm) Sample Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Mean Range Number (x1 ) (x2 ) (x3) (x4 ) (x5 ) (xi ) (Ri ) 1 8.071 8.075 8.084 8.088 8.082 8.08 0.017 2 8.075 8.066 8.074 8.078 8.082 8.075 0.016 3 8.069 8.065 8.062 8.073 8.076 8.069 0.014 4 8.076 8.073 8.07 8.061 8.065 8.069 0.015 5 8.055 8.06 8.072 8.069 8.064 8.064 0.017 6 8.051 8.055 8.059 8.069 8.066 8.06 0.018 7 8.056 8.063 8.063 8.069 8.074 8.065 0.018 8 8.055 8.051 8.061 8.065 8.068 8.06 0.017 9 8.056 8.066 8.05 8.047 8.061 8.056 0.019 10 8.04 8.044 8.045 8.055 8.061 8.049 0.021 11 8.035 8.041 8.048 8.057 8.044 8.045 0.022 12 8.046 8.045 8.061 8.056 8.042 8.05 0.019 13 8.045 8.048 8.053 8.055 8.064 8.053 0.019 14 8.055 8.052 8.057 8.07 8.061 8.059 0.018 15 8.076 8.069 8.069 8.061 8.065 8.068 0.015 16 8.063 8.064 8.074 8.062 8.057 8.064 0.017 n = 16 xi = 128.986 Ri = 0.282 To analyze the process capability, the statistical quality control chart techniques can be implemented in the following way: The arithmetic average (mean) of ranges,
R R = i n

= 0.282 / 16

= 0.0176

Process (or population) Standard Deviation, = R / D2 where, D2 = 2.326 (from table of constants, for N = 5)
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= 0.0176 / 2.326 = 0.0076

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

Therefore, Standard Deviation of the sample mean, x = /N = 0.0075 / 5 Average xi (Process mean), x = xi / n The control limits are, UCLx = x + 3x = 8.072 LCLx = x - 3x Range = [Highest value Lowest value] = 0.022 0.014 = 2.114 X 0.0176 The control limits for Range chart are, UCLR = D4 R LCLR = D3 R = 0 X 0.0176 where, D4 = 2.114 and, D3 = 0 (from table of constants, for N = 5) [5] Plotted control charts with the help of MS-Excel application software.
8.09 Average Thickness (mm), X-bar 8.08 8.07 8.06 8.05 8.04 8.03 8.02 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sample 7 8 9 #10 11 12 13 14 15 16

= 0.0034 = 8.062 = 8.052 = 0.008 = 0.037 =0

0.04 0.035 0.03 0.025 0.02 0.015 0.01 0.005 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516 Sample #

Fig. 1: X Chart for table 1

60

Range
8.04 8.05 8.06

Fig. 2: R - Chart for table 1

50

40

30

20

10

0 8.03 8.07 8.08 8.09

Fig. 3: Normal Distribution Curve for table 1.

As we can observe from the X - chart, the thickness of component numbers 1, 2, 10, 11, and 12 are out of the control limits, this means that process is not capable of producing the thicknesses within specification. It is concluded that the process is out of control and not capable to meet specific demand of tolerances. Now the root cause of this problem should be identified and solved. The CNC Grinder was checked by a team of Engineers from Design and Production Department and after a complete check up, it was found that the tool feed arrangement of CNC machine in Z direction was getting a shock of high tendency whenever feed command for varying depth of cut was given in the machine program. It happened all mainly because of an extreme backlash in drives of its special
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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

purpose jig. After a close discussion, the team decided to provide a calibrated scale with the drives in such a way that whenever machine starts to follow the command to move fast in a direction, the drives should take a lead exactly with the calibrated values of the scale. After the calibrated scale provided to the tool drives, all the first three sample trials gave the dimensional values within specification limits (i.e. 8.07 + 0.2). It meant that the CNC Grinder was become capable of giving the dimensions of the components as per the given tolerances. The same procedure of SPC was repeated again to determine the process capability after the remedies were applied. One of the observation tables (trial no. 11) is given as under:
Table 2. Component trial report

Component Details Part Name TC Trial Date 16/09/2011 Trial Time 09:00 am 05:00 pm Each Sample Size (N) 5 Dressing Amount 0.5mm Per Cycle Time 6 min 5 sec Thickness (in mm) Sample Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Mean Range Number (x1 ) (x2 ) (x3) (x4 ) (x5 ) (xi ) (Ri ) 1 8.071 8.072 8.073 8.07 8.069 8.071 0.004 2 8.073 8.073 8.07 8.072 8.067 8.071 0.006 3 8.071 8.072 8.068 8.066 8.068 8.069 0.006 4 8.068 8.07 8.071 8.069 8.072 8.07 0.004 5 8.07 8.071 8.07 8.073 8.071 8.071 0.003 6 8.067 8.07 8.07 8.072 8.071 8.07 0.005 7 8.07 8.073 8.069 8.069 8.069 8.07 0.004 8 8.07 8.071 8.07 8.067 8.067 8.069 0.004 9 8.067 8.067 8.068 8.074 8.069 8.069 0.007 10 8.069 8.072 8.073 8.073 8.073 8.072 0.004 11 8.07 8.07 8.067 8.07 8.073 8.07 0.006 12 8.073 8.074 8.07 8.071 8.072 8.072 0.004 13 8.07 8.072 8.069 8.07 8.069 8.07 0.003 14 8.073 8.072 8.071 8.068 8.071 8.071 0.005 15 8.074 8.072 8.072 8.071 8.071 8.072 0.003 16 8.072 8.072 8.071 8.071 8.069 8.071 0.003 Total xi = Ri = n = 16 129.128 0.071 The arithmetic average (mean) of ranges, R
=

R
i

= 0.071 / 16

= 0.0044

Process (or population) Standard Deviation, = R / D2 = 0.0044 / 2.326 = 0.0019 where, D2 = 2.326 (from table of constants, for N = 5)[5] Therefore, Standard Deviation of the sample mean, x = / N = 0.0019 / 5 = 0.00085 Average x (Process mean), x = xi / n = 8.0705
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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May May-August August (2012), IAEME

The control limits are, UCLx = x + 3 x = 8.0731; LCLx = x - 3 x = 8.0679 Range = [Highest value Lowest value] = 0.007 0.003 = 0.004 4 The control limits for Range chart are, UCLR = D4 R = 2.114 X 0.0044 0.00 = 0.0093 LCLR = D3 R = 0 X 0.0044 =0 where, D4 = 2.114 and D3 = 0 (from table of constants, for N = 5) 5)[5] Process Capability, = (8.09 8.05) = 3.51 6 X 0.0019 Capability Ratio, CR = 1 / Cp = 0.28 Let, CPU and CPL are Upper and Lower P Process rocess Capabilities, respectively. x CPU = USL = 3.42 and, CPL = x - LSL = 3.59 3 3 Cpk = Minimum (CPU, CPL) = Minimum (3.42, 3.59) = 3.42 Plotted control charts with the hel help of MS-Excel Excel application software as shown below: below
8.074 8.073 Average Thickness (mm), X-bar 8.072 8.071 8.07

8.069 8.068 8.067 8.066 8.065 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sample #

0.01 0.009 0.008 0.007 0.006 0.005 0.004 0.003 0.002 0.001 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 1516 Sample #

Fig. 4: X Chart for table 2.

Range

Fig. 5: R Chart for table 2.

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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

250

200

150

100

50

0 8.064 8.066 8.068 8.07 8.072 8.074 8.076 8.078

Fig. 6: Normal Distribution Curve for table 2.

Results: Upper Control Limit, UCL = 8.0731; Range, R = 0.004 ; Process Capability, Cp = 3.51 ; Upper Process Capability, CPU = 3.42 ; Cpk = Minimum (CPU, CPL) = 3.42

Lower Control Limit, LCL = 8.0679 ; Average Range, R = 0.0044 ; Capability Ratio, CR = 0.28 ; Lower Process Capability, CPL = 3.59 ;

Conclusion: The control limits obtained after the remedial actions taken for the grinder are within specification limits and the thickness produced in all the components of every sample lie under the control limits. The thicknesses of all the components are located very close to the process mean. All these results are positive by which we conclude that the process is under control. The process capability (Cp) increased to 3.51 which show that implementation of SPC technique is proved to be successful in improving the performance of grinding process thereby making it more capable of producing the products with right dimensions. Capability Ratio (CR) is reduced to 0.28 which means that the process spread now occupies 28 % of the given tolerance. The lower is the CR the more is capable the process. The provision of a calibrated scale with the mechanical drives of a CNC Grinder solved the backlash problems and increased its preciseness. Cpk is a better measure of process capability than Cp or CR since Cpk takes into account the actual process center compared to the target [3]. Here, we got Cpk as 3.42 which is greater than 2. Cpk of value greater than 2 was required by the customer company, Delphi TVS, Chennai and their demand has been met satisfactorily. These all become possible with the implementation of an SPC technique. Likewise, the SPC tools can be implemented to solve so many real life problems of different machines and processes in future that may

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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 3, Issue 2, May-August (2012), IAEME

come up with meeting the demand of higher quality and productivity of different manufacturing processes. The methods developed in the first half of this century by Shewhart and others are still very useful in many current applications. References 1. Term papers (2011), Statistical Process Control spc management -1, business and market, 34 pages. 2. Roberta Russell & Bernard W. Taylor (2006), III John Wiley & Sons, Statistical Process Control, Operations Management - 5th Edition, Inc.Beni Asllani, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. 3. SPC92b, file format: microsoft word statistical process control (spc) & statistical quality control (sqc) chemrat.com/chemhog2/spc_files/spc92b.doc 4. Rami Hikmat Fouad, Adnan Mukattash (2010), Statistical Process Control Tools: A Practical guide for Jordanian Industrial Organizations JJMIE, Volume 4, Number 6, ISSN 1995-6665 Pages 693 700. 5. Institute of Quality and Reliability, Control Chart Factors Tables of Constants for Control charts, Page 1 - 3. 6. Goyat N.S., Ahmad S., Chahal M., and Garg U. (2011), Effect of Machining Parameters on Output Characteristics of CNC Milling using Taguchi Optimization Technique IJIET, Vol.3, No.2, ISSN 0974-3146, pp.209-214. 7. M. Mahajan, (2011) Statistical Quality Control, Dhanpat Rai and Company, Chapter 6, pp. 172 195.

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