August 2012 This month's newsletter is the first in a multi-part series on using the ANOVA method for an ANOVA

Gage R&R study. This method simply uses analysis of variance to analyze the results of a gage R&R study instead of the classical average and range method. The two methods do not generate the same results, but they will (in most cases) be similar. This newsletter focuses on part of the ANOVA table and how it is developed for the Gage R &R study. In particular it focuses on the sum of squares and degrees of freedom. Many people do not understand how the calculations work and the information that is contained in the sum of squares and the degrees of freedom. In the next few issues, we will put together the rest of the ANOVA table and complete the Gage R&R calculations. In this issue: Sources of Variation Example Data The ANOVA Table for Gage R&R The ANOVA Results Total Sum of Squares and Degrees of Freedom Operator Sum of Squares and Degrees of Freedom Parts Sum of Squares and Degrees of Freedom Equipment (Within) Sum of Squares and Degrees of Freedom Interaction Sum of Squares and Degrees of Freedom Summary Quick Links Any gage R&R study is a study of variation. This means you have to have variation in the results. On occasion, I get a phone call from a customer wondering why their Gage R&R study is not giving them any useful information. And, in looking at the results, I discover that each result is the same - for each part and for each operator. There is no variation. I am asked - Isn't it good that there is no variation in the results? No, not in a gage R&R study. It means that the measurement process cannot tell the difference between the samples. So remember, a gage R&R study is a study in variation - this means that there must be variation. If you are not familiar with how to conduct a Gage R&R study, please see our December 2007 newsletter. This newsletter also includes how to analyze the results using the average and range method. As usual, please feel free to leave comments at the end of the newsletter.

Sources of Variation

Suppose you are monitoring a process by pulling samples of the product at some regular interval and measuring one critical quality characteristic (X). Obviously, you will not always get the same result when measure for X. Why not? There are many sources The total standard deviation, t, for a measurement is equal to the length of the hypotenuse. The process standard deviation, p, is equal to the length of one side of the triangle and the measurement system standard deviation, ms, is equal to the length of the remaining side. You can easily see from this triangle what happens as the variation in the product and measurement system changes. If the product standard deviation is larger than the measurement standard deviation, it will have the larger impact on the total

Example Data
We will re-use the data from our December 2007 newsletter on the average and range method for Gage R&R. In this example, there were three operators who tested five parts three times. A picture of part of the Gage R&R design is shown below.

Operator 1 will test 5 parts three times each. In the figure above, you can see that Operator 1 has tested Part 1 three times. What are the sources of variation in these three trials? It is the measurement equipment itself. The operator is the same and the part is the same. The variation in these three trials is a measure of the repeatability. It is also called the equipment variation in Gage R&R studies or the "within" variation in ANOVA studies. Operator 1 also runs Parts 2 through 5 three times each. The variation in those results includes the variation due to the parts as well as the equipment variation. Operator 2 and 3 also test the same 5 parts three times each. The variation in all results includes the equipment variation, the part variation, the operator variation and the interaction between operators and parts. The variation in all results is the reproducibility. The data from the December 2007 newsletter are shown in the table below. Operator A Part 1 Results 3.41

3.29

3.64

2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

2.44 4.34 3.47 2.2 3.08 2.53 4.19 3.01 2.44 3.04 1.62 3.88 3.14 1.54

2.32 4.17 3.5 2.08 3.25 1.78 3.94 4.03 1.8 2.89 1.87 4.09 3.2 1.93

2.42 4.27 3.64 2.16 3.07 2.32 4.34 3.2 1.72 2.85 2.04 3.67 3.11 1.55

The operator is listed in first column and the part numbers in the second column. The next three columns contain the results of the three trials for that operator and part number. For example, the three trial results for Operator A and Part 1 are 3.29, 3.41 and 3.64. We will now take a look at the ANOVA table, which is used as a starting point for analyzing the results.

The ANOVA Table for Gage R&R

In most cases, you will use computer software to do the calculations. Since this is a relatively simple Gage R&R, we will show how the calculations are done. This helps understand the process better. The software usually displays the results in an ANOVA table. The basic ANOVA table is shown in the table below for the following: k = number of appraisers r = number of replications n= number of parts In the next newsletter, we will compare the ANOVA method to the Average and Range method for Gage R&R.

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