Topic: PROCESS CAPABILITY

“Development of a Problem Solving Model

for the Hong Kong Textiles and Clothing
Industries” Project

HKRITA Ref. No. : RD/PR/001/07

ITC Ref. No. : ITP/033/07TP

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 Why Study Process Capability

Process Capability Studies provide a baseline for us to

understand how the process is operating relative to the
specifications.
It is the first, thorough look at how variability is affecting
the process, and gives us metrics for quantifying that
variability.
Such studies also provide information regarding what the
process could do under best conditions, and thus gives a
performance target to shoot for.

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 Process Variation
Process Variation is the inevitable differences among
individual measurements or units produced by a process.

Sources of Variation
• within unit (positional variation)
• between units (unit-unit variation)
• between lots (lot-lot variation)
• between lines (line-line variation)
• across time (time-time variation)
• measurement error (repeatability & reproducibility)

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 Types of Variation
Inherent or Natural Variation
• Due to the cumulative effect of many small
unavoidable causes
• A process operating with only chance causes of
variation present is said to be “in statistical control”

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 Types of Variation
Special or Assignable Variation
• May be due to
a) improperly adjusted machine
b) operator error
c) defective raw material
• A process operating in the presence of assignable causes of
variation is said to be “out-of-control”

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 Process Capability
Process Capability is the inherent reproducibility of a process’s
output. It measures how well the process is currently behaving
with respect to the output specifications. It refers to the uniformity
of the process.

Capability is often thought of in terms of the proportion of output

that will be within product specification tolerances. The frequency
of defectives produced may be measured in

a) percentage (%)
b) parts per million (ppm)
c) parts per billion (ppb)

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 Process Capability

Process Capability studies can

• indicate the consistency of the process output

• indicate the degree to which the output meets

specifications

• be used for comparison with another process or

competitor

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 Conventional Use of Distribution Curves
Lower Limit Upper Limit

We will use a smooth curve to

represent an actual process
distribution

Representative
Curve

15 20 25 30

X Dimension

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 Process Capability vs Specification Limits

a) b)

c)

a) Process is highly capable

b) Process is marginally capable
c) Process is not capable

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 Three Types of Limits
Specification Limits (LSL and USL)
• created by design engineering in response to customer
requirements to specify the tolerance for a product’s
characteristic

Process Limits (LPL and UPL)

• measures the variation of a process
σ limits of the measured characteristic
• the natural 6σ

Control Limits (LCL and UCL)

• measures the variation of a sample statistic (mean, variance,
proportion, etc)

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 Three Types of Limits

Distribution of Individual Values

Distribution of Sample Averages

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 Process Capability Indices
Two measures of process capability

• Process Potential
– Cp

• Process Performance
– Cpu
– Cpl
– Cpk

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 Process Potential
The Cp index assesses whether the natural
tolerance (6 σ) of a
process is within the specification limits.

Engineering Tolerance
Cp =
Natural Tolerance
USL − LSL
=
6σ

LSL USL

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 Process Potential
Historically, a Cp of 1.0 has indicated that a process is
judged to be “capable”, i.e. if the process is centered
within its engineering tolerance, 0.27% of parts produced
will be beyond specification limits.

Cp Reject Rate
1.00 0.270 %
1.33 0.007 %
1.50 6.8 ppm
2.00 2.0 ppb

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 Process Potential

a) b)

c) a) Process is highly capable (Cp>2)

b) Process is capable (Cp=1 to 2)
c) Process is not capable (Cp<1)

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 Process Potential
he Cp index compares the allowable spread (USL-LSL)
against the process spread (6σσ). It fails to take into
account if the process is centered between the
specification limits.

Process is centered Process is not centered

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 Process Performance
The Cpk index relates the scaled distance
between the process mean and the nearest
specification limit.

USL − µ
C pu =
3σ
µ − LSL
C pl =
3σ

C pk = Minimum {C pu , C pl }

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 Process Performance
Cpk Reject Rate
1.0 0.13 – 0.27 %
1.1 0.05 – 0.10 %
1.2 0.02 – 0.03 %
1.3 48.1 – 96.2 ppm
1.4 13.4 – 26.7 ppm
1.5 3.4 – 6.8 ppm
1.6 794 – 1589 ppb
1.7 170 – 340 ppb
1.8 33 – 67 ppb
1.9 6 – 12 ppb
2.0 1– 2 ppb

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 Process Performance
a) b)
Cp = 2
Cp = 2
Cpk = 2
Cpk = 1

c)
Cp = 2 a) Process is highly capable (Cpk>1.5)
Cpk < 1
b) Process is capable (Cpk=1 to 1.5)
c) Process is not capable (Cpk<1)

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 Example 1
Specification Limits : 4 to 16 g

Machine Mean Std Dev

(a) 10 4
(b) 10 2
(c) 7 2
(d) 13 1

Determine the corresponding Cp and Cpk for each

machine.

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 Example 1A

USL − LSL 16 − 4
Cp = = = 0.5
6σ 6(4 )

 USL − µ µ − LSL  16 − 10 10 − 4 

C pk = Min  ;  = Min  ;  = 0.5
 3σ 3σ   3(4 ) 3(4 ) 

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 Example 1B

USL − LSL 16 − 4
Cp = = = 1.0
6σ 6(2 )

 USL − µ µ − LSL  16 − 10 10 − 4 

C pk = Min  ;  = Min  ;  = 1.0
 3σ 3σ   3(2 ) 3(2 ) 

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 Example 1C

USL − LSL 16 − 4
Cp = = = 1.0
6σ 6(2 )

 USL − µ µ − LSL  16 − 7 7 − 4 

C pk = Min  ;  = Min  ;  = 0.5
 3σ 3σ   3(2 ) 3(2 ) 

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 Example 1D

USL − LSL 16 − 4
Cp = = = 2.0
6σ 6(1)

 USL − µ µ − LSL  16 − 13 13 − 4 

C pk = Min  ;  = Min  ;  = 1.0
 3σ 3σ   3(1) 3(1) 

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 Process Potential vs Process Performance

(a) Poor Process Potential (b) Poor Process

Performance

LSL USL LSL USL

Experimental Design
Experimental Design • to center mean
• to reduce variation • to reduce variation

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 Process Potential vs Process Performance

a)
Cp = 2 b)
Cpk = 2 Cp = 2
Cpk = 1

c)
Cp = 2
Cpk < 1
Cp – Cpk ≡ Missed Opportunity

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 Process Stability

A process is stable if the distribution of

measurements made on the given feature is
consistent over time.

Stable Process
Time

Unstable
Time
Process

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 Graphical Representation of
Causes of Variations (Juran’s Trilogy)
“Special Cause” 變異?
變異
變異不是來自原有系統本身，
變異不是來自原有系統本身，
但是卻代表一種改變.

UCL

CL

LCL

Foc
u s of
Si x
Sig
ma

“Common Cause” 變異?

變異
在流程內與生俱來的變異.

UCL

CL

LCL

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 Steps to Study Process Capability

• Select critical parameters for study

– Parameters from specifications, contract etc.
• Collect Data
– Collect 60 data or more as far as possible
– Define clearly the precision of each data (no. of significant figures, eg
up to 2 decimal places)
• Establish control
– Control the input to the process
• Analyze the data of the process collected
– Assumption : The process performance is a normal distribution
– Focus on mean and standard deviation of sample data
• Analyze the source of variation
– Find the factors that affect the process mean and process spread
(standard deviation)
• Establish process monitoring system
– Tool – Statistical Process Control

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 Summary on Indexes
Capability Formula Short or Includes Considers the
index long term shift process
and drift centering
USL – LSL Short term No No
Cp 6σST

No Yes
Cpk Short term

Pp USL – LSL Long term Yes No

6σLT

Long term Yes Yes

Ppk

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 Example 2 – Customer request a metal bar
from 2 suppliers

Customer require 2mm +/- 0.1mm

2 +/- 0.1 mm

Supplier A
Supplier A Supplier B
Cp = 1.11

Supplier B
Cp = 0.62

Lower Specification Limit Mean Upper Specification Limit

(LSL = 1.9mm) (μ= 2 mm) (USL = 2.1mm)

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 Location Change
If the center of distribution was shifted, customer may not happy even receive a high Cp value.

Cp can not reflect the condition of the center shift !!

Same Cp value

Distribution B Distribution A

Out of
specification

LowerSpecificationLimit Mean UpperSpecificationLimit

(LSL) (μ) (USL)

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 CpK Process Capability Index

• A measure of conformance (capability) to

specification
• Compares sample mean to nearest specification
against distribution width

CpK can more precisely reflect the capability of distribution.

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 Example 3 –
Process Variation on Two Suppliers

Supplier A Supplier A Supplier B Supplier B

Cp = 1.11 Cp = 1.11

CpK = 0.22 CpK = 1.11

μ = 1.92 mm μ = 2.00 mm

LSL = 1.9 mm Mean

USL=2.1mm
(μ= 2.0 mm)

Remark:
Same SD but different Central
Tendency affects Cpk seriously
but remains same for Cp.

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 - THE END -

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