Design of Engineering Experiments

Blocking & Confounding in the 2k

• Text reference, Chapter 7

• Blocking is a technique for dealing with
controllable nuisance variables
• Two cases are considered
– Replicated designs
– Unreplicated
U li d designs
d i

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Chapter 7 Design & Analysis of Experiments 2
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 Blocking a Replicated Design

• This is the same scenario discussed

ppreviously
y (Chapter
( p 5,, Section 5.6))
• If there are n replicates of the design, then
each replicate is a block
• Each replicate is run in one of the blocks
(time periods,
periods batches of raw material
material, etc.)
etc )
• Runs within the block are randomized

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 Blocking a Replicated Design
Consider the
example
p from
Section 6-2; k = 2
factors, n = 3
replicates

This
hi is
i the
h “usual”
“ l”
method for 3
Bi2 y...2
SS Blocks  
calculatingg a block i 1 4
i 12
sum of squares  6.50

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 ANOVA for the Blocked Design
Page 267

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 ANOVA for the Replicated Design, pg 212

Comparing Tables 7.2 and 6.1 show that the

conclusions from the analysis are identical and
that the block effect is relatively small

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 Confounding in Blocks

• Now consider the unreplicated case

• Clearly the previous discussion does not
apply, since there is only one replicate
• To illustrate
illustrate, consider the situation of
Example 6.2, the resin plant experiment
• This i a 24, n = 1 replicate
Thi is li

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 Experiment
p from Example
p 6.2

Suppose only 8 runs can be made from one batch of raw material
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The Table of + & - Signs, Example 6-4

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 ABCD is Confounded with Blocks
(Page 279)

Observations in block 1 are reduced by 20

units…this
it thi isi the
th simulated
i l t d “block
“bl k effect”
ff t”
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 Effect Estimates

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 The ANOVA

The ABCD interaction ((or the block effect)) is not considered as part
p of
the error term
The reset of the analysis is unchanged from the original analysis

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ANOVA Summary
y for Single
g Replicate
p of 24

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 Another Illustration of the Importance of Blocking

Now the
N h
first eight
runs (in run
order) have
filt ti
filtration
rate reduced
by 20 units

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 The interpretation is
harder; not as easy to
identify the large
effects
One important
interaction is not
identified (AD)
Failingg to block when
we should have causes
problems in
interpretation the
result
lt off an
experiment and can
mask the presence of
real factor effects

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 C f
Confounding
di iin Bl
Blocks
k

• More than two

t o blocks (page 282)
– The two-level factorial can be confounded in 2,
8 … (2p, p > 1) blocks
4 8,
4,
– For four blocks, select two effects to confound,
automaticallyy confoundingg a third effect
– See example, page 282
– Choice of confounding schemes non-trivial; see
Table 7.9, page 285
• Partial confounding (page 285)
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 General Advice About Blocking
• When in doubt
doubt, block
• Block out the nuisance variables you know about,
randomize as much as ppossible and relyy on randomization
to help balance out unknown nuisance effects
• Measure the nuisance factors you know about but can’t
control
t l (ANCOVA)
• It may be a good idea to conduct the experiment in blocks
even if there isn't an obvious nuisance factor,, jjust to
protect against the loss of data or situations where the
complete experiment can’t be finished

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