1. Explain what is QFD (Quality Function Deployment)?
Quality Function Deployment refers to the conversion of qualitative desires and specification a customer expects from a product to the quantitative design characteristics.
Figure 1: Flowchart of steps in Quality Function Deployment – BY ME
A matrix as below is used to deploy QFD.
Figure 2: QFD matrix : By NPD solutions.
So, here customer requirements are correlated to product design requirements and the correlation is determined strong/mild- positive/negative which gives the sense whether current design supports the customer’s requirements the box to the right gives a graphical representation of how well the competitor’s design match the customers requirements. The technical evaluation shows the feasibility of customer requirements from a engineering point of view. In view of all of these priorities of inclusion of customer requirements are figured out and their importance rating is calculated.
2. Explain the WHATs in a QFD matrix.
As shown in the Figure 2 : QFD Matrix the customer requirements are called as WHAT’s of the QFD, it comes from the question : What customer wants.
In the above example of a company which manufactures turbines the customers want low weight, reliable, a side generator a specific volume handling capacity and a power ratings these specifications are WHAT the customer desires, now as opposed to this the design requirements of turbine developed by the company is presented and the table makes the correlation between these two.
3. Explain the HOWs in a QFD matrix.
HOWs form the other dimension of the relationship matrix it represents the design specification requirements of the company. These are the necessary design requirements for the current design to work. If the relationship matrix in figure 2 shows a positive correlation it means that the design allows to incorporation of the customers desires and then its technical difficulty and importance rating is calculated after which the desires of customers are integrated in the product thus forming a part of continuous development.
4. Explain the 1, or 3, or 9 interrelationship values in a QFD matrix
These number values represent the strength of the relationship between the WHATs and the corresponding HOWs. The higher the number, the stronger is the relationship. 9 is the strongest, 3 has a medium strength & 1 is the weakest relationship.
5. Explain how you calculate the technical priorities in the design target matrix.
Importance of Priorities=
Step 1: [Interrelationship rating(0,1,3 or 9)] *[ corresponding overall weighting value (planning matrix)]
Step 2: Summing up the column.
6. Define statistical process control.
In traditional quality control systems the quality is ensured by inspection of the products after the production, in contrast statistical process control is a method in which the quality is ensured by measuring the variations of the process before production this reduces a substantial amount of scrap and rework.
In SPC control charts are formed for continuous data recorded from the process and according to the Western Electric rules the process are judged to be in or out of control after which process capability is checked assuming the process results in products with defects between six standard deviations or in mathematical words the products follow a standard normal distribution curve.
7. Explain control charts for variables, with a simple mathematical example.
Control charts for variable are plotted for samples, with each sample containing continuous data of process variables like temperature, pressure, flow rate etc.
x̄ Control charts plot the variation in sample mean i.e x̄
R Control charts plot the variation in range for each sample
both the plots are closed on both sides by upper control limits and lower control limits and even if one of the points in the sample averages crosses the control limits the process is out of control.
Figure 3: X bar and control R bar Control charts. (Sample and plot By me)
So, the above chart shows the range and sample average is in control so the process is in control and can be checked for capability.
8. Explain control charts for attributes, with a simple mathematical example.
In the above example the charts were plotted for pressure which can be done but attributes cannot be measured so can’t be plotted for example no of defects. So we make use of attribute charts also known as C-charts, these are used to calculate the number of defects in a sample.
c-bar= total defects/number of samples
UCL= c-bar + (3 x square root of c-bar)
LCL= c-bar – (3 x square root of c-bar)
Once calculated and charted, this shows where the process was in or out of control.
9. Discuss and explain various continual quality improvement methods and tools.
Continual quality improvement is a management philosophy which aims at ongoing development of process to increase efficiency, reduce scrap, rework and lead time.
Common tools used are:
Control charts, Histogram, Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycle, Pareto charts, Fish bone diagram, Failure Mode Effect Analysis, Brain Storming, Process Mapping, Checksheets etc.
10. Explain the way control charts could be used for quality improvements.
Control charts can be are very useful and mark a huge difference between traditional and modern quality control methods.
Control charts can aid in detecting and eliminating problems before they arise and affect quality also reducing scrap and rework.
They can be used to gauge the effectiveness of any process changes, for good or bad.
Attribute charts give idea of no of defects, percentage defects, no of defects per part.
It also tracks the capability of producing a product to the specifications/expectations of the customer. Process capability measures help in this.
Social Networking
1 Technology in Small businesses.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/26/small-businesses-using-big-technology-attract-more-hirees.html
Shashank, Sravanan and me all agree with Eric Edelson, the CEO of Fireclay Tile, who quotes, “Although some small business might be hesitant to implement newer technology, in the long run, it is beneficial to have these invaluable tools,” As shown in the prose many small scale businesses use software packages like excel, i cloud, YouTube to streamlining their business . As exemplified in the prose, technology helps in creating work life balance, shorter work period, live participation etc which all aid to the company and it’s employees. Although the implementation of technology is tricky some tech support companies are making it easy, so the only concern is of money, I think streamlining the business will eventually increase the productivity, quality and thus make more profits for the business and thus covering the expenses of the tech involvement.
2. UD announces new Dean.
http://www.scsuntimes.com/news/20180726/ud-announces-new-college-of-engineering-dean
So the paragraph provides an introduction of professor Levi T. Thompson, the Richard E. Balzhiser collegiate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Michigan. He has earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Delaware and completed his Masters in Chemical & Nuclear Engineering from University of Michigan and had been awarded Doctorate in Chemical Engineering by U Michigan, the president and provost has warmly welcomed Dr. Levi and have lauded his vision of bridging between courses. We all wish a good luck to Dr. Levi T. Thompson.
3. Need of cleaner fuels!
In this story Francis Rooney, A republican is against taxation on carbon but claims switching to a cleaner fuel will help the country more in terms of independence of Europe from Russian gas. He suggests that US should export and tap more on the Natural gas reserves it has. I disagree with this statement as Natural Gas is not a clean fuel by it self it may be less carbon emitting than charcoal but it is again the same combustion process and the global warming will continue but maybe at a slower rates so if the taxation on carbon emission will lead to use of less coal it is a better plan to go with rather than letting on the current consumption of a coal and tapping gas as an additional help to increase global warming and sea level.
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