Process Capability

Process Capability
Control limits are occasionally mistaken for tolerances; however, they are
quite different things. Control limits provide a means for determining
natural variation in a production process. They are statistical results
based on sampling.

Tolerances are design specifications reflecting customer requirements for

a product. They specify a range of values above and below a designed
target value within which product units must fall to be acceptable.
Process Capability
For example, a bag of potato chips might be designed to have
a net weight of 9.0 oz of chips with a tolerance of 0.5 oz. The
design tolerances are thus between 9.5 oz (the upper
specification limit) and 8.5 oz (the lower specification limit).
The packaging process must be capable of performing within
these design tolerances or a certain portion of the bags will be
defective, that is, underweight or overweight.
Process Capability
Tolerances are not determined from the production
process; they are externally imposed by the designers
of the product or service.

Control limits, on the other hand, are based on the

production process, and they reflect process variability.
Process Capability
It is possible for a process in an instance to be statistically “in
control” according to control charts, yet the process may not
conform to the design specifications. To avoid such a situation,
the process must be evaluated to see if it can meet product
specifications before the process is initiated, or the product or
service must be redesigned.
Process Capability
Process capability refers to the natural variation of a
process relative to the variation allowed by the design
specifications. In other words, how capable is the
process of producing acceptable units according to the
design specifications?
Process Capability
Process Capability
Process Capability
Process Capability
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES

One measure of the capability of a process to meet design

specifications is the process capability ratio (Cp). It is defined
as the ratio of the range of the design specifications (the
tolerance range) to the range of the process variation, which
for most firms is typically 3𝜎 or 6𝜎.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
Cp < 1.00
Cp = 1.00
Cp > 1.00
Thus, companies would logically desire a Cp equal to
1.0 or greater, since this would indicate that the
process is capable of meeting specifications.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
The Munchies Snack Food Company packages potato chips in
bags. The net weight of the chips in each bag is designed to be
9.0 oz, with a tolerance of 0.5 oz. The packaging process
results in bags with an average net weight of 8.80 oz and a
standard deviation of 0.12 oz. The company wants to
determine if the process is capable of meeting design
specifications.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES

Thus, according to this process capability ratio of 1.39, the

process is capable of being within design specifications.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES

The process capability index Cpk differs from the

Cp in that it indicates if the process mean has
shifted away from the design target, and in which
direction it has shifted—that is, if it is off center.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
If the Cpk index is greater than 1.00, then the process is capable of
meeting design specifications.

If Cpk is less than 1.00, then the process mean has moved closer to one
of the upper or lower design specifications, and it will generate defects.

When Cpk equals Cp, this indicates that the process mean is centered
on the design (nominal) target.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
Recall that the Munchies Snack Food Company packaged
potato chips in a process designed for 9.0 oz of chips with a
tolerance of 0.5 oz. The packaging process had a process mean
of 8.80 oz and a standard deviation of 0.12 oz. The company
wants to determine if the process is capable, and if the
process mean is on or off center.
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
PROCESS CAPABILITY MEASURES
Although the Cp of 1.39 computed in Example 3.7 indicated that
the process is capable (it is within the design specifications), the
Cpk value of 0.83 indicates the process mean is off center. It has
shifted toward the lower specifications limit; that means
underweight packages of chips will be produced. Thus, the
company needs to take action to correct the process and bring the
process mean back toward the design target.
References:
Operations Management by William Stevenson

Operations Management by Russell and Taylor