Process Control Charts

Any process has a certain amount of natural

variability. But how can we tell if the processs
variability has gone out of control?
Example: An automated process whose intent is to
fill a bag with 200 pounds of cement.
Process Control is a technique for inferring that an
unplanned change has taken place in a process
measured by a process variable X.
Example: X is the exact weight of a bag of cement
intended to weigh 200 pounds.
1

Alternative Meanings for

the Process Variable X

The salt content, thickness, or crispness of

a bag of potato chips.
The number of chocolate chips in a
container of chocolate-chip ice cream.
The diameter of a bearing, or the center of
a gear.
The waiting time at a fast-food restaurant
or at an airport check-in counter.
The internal temperature of a rare steak
when it leaves a restaurants kitchen.
2

Sampling
Over some period of time, take N samples with each
sample having n observations.
Example: During each of N=10 consecutive hours,
remove n=4 bags of cements from the filling process and
weigh them.
OBSERVATIONS
SAMPLE 1

199.98

200.37

200.94

200.80

SAMPLE 2

200.42

201.04

199.91

199.80

SAMPLE 3

199.59

200.08

199.04

198.47

SAMPLE 4

200.44

201.34

199.39

200.09

SAMPLE 5

199.80

199.37

200.41

196.63

SAMPLE 6

199.68

198.52

201.73

198.99

SAMPLE 7

199.83

201.68

198.53

200.33

SAMPLE 8

197.65

199.67

200.04

199.52

SAMPLE 9

199.11

200.75

200.86

199.76

SAMPLE 10

199.65

198.98

201.33

199.65

Two Ways a Process Can be

Out-of-Control
Both of the processes below are out-of-control.
But in different ways! Can you see the difference?

SAMPLE 1
SAMPLE 2
SAMPLE 3
SAMPLE 4

OBSERVATIONS
20 10 30
40 30 20
40 50 30
50 40 60

SAMPLE 1
SAMPLE 2
SAMPLE 3
SAMPLE 4

OBSERVATIONS
20 10 30
31 20 9
8 32 20
33 20 7
4

Two Ways to be Out-ofControl (continued)

SAMPLE 1
SAMPLE 2
SAMPLE 3
SAMPLE 4

OBSERVATIONS
20 10 30
40 30 20
40 50 30
50 40 60

X
20
30
40
50

R
20
20
20
20

SAMPLE 1
SAMPLE 2
SAMPLE 3
SAMPLE 4

OBSERVATIONS
20 10 30
31 20 9
8 32 20
33 20 7

X
20
20
20
20

R
20
22
24
26

Establishing the
Control Charts UCL & LCL

Go to Excel Workbook

Establishing the
Control Charts UCL & LCL

Range Control Chart

X-bar Control Chart

40

210
UCL
200

X-bar-bar
LCL

190

Sample Range

220

Sample Mean

(continued)

30
UCL
20

R-bar
LCL

10
0

180
1

Sample

10

10

Sample

The Mean is out-of-control!

Sample
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

Sample Data
198
191
188
207
199
205
200
208
194
203
200
193
214
216
207
223
193
208
201
201

203
205
199
211
197
187
195
218
199
208

212
197
197
202
199
205
193
205
195
195

X-bar
201.000
199.250
200.000
205.250
198.250
196.250
204.500
213.250
198.750
201.250

Range
21
19
8
11
9
18
23
18
15
13

Range Control Chart

X-bar Control Chart

Out-of-control
40

Sample Mean

210
205

UCL

200

X-bar-bar

195

LCL

190

Sample Mean

185

Sample Range

215

30

UCL
R-bar

20

LCL
Range

10
0

180
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Sample

31

32

33

34

35

36

Sample

37

38

39

40

The Range is out-of-control!

Sample
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

190
224
186
211
217
204
193
211
205
188

Sample Data
199
198
207
195
199
199
204
194
200
188
202
184
200
201
208
212
205
202
198
178

199
192
209
202
200
195
205
173
211
207

X-bar
196.500
204.500
198.250
202.750
201.250
196.250
199.750
201.000
205.750
192.750

Range
9
32
23
17
29
20
12
39
9
29

Range Control Chart

X-bar Control Chart

Out-of-control
40

Sample Mean

210
205

UCL

200

X-bar-bar

195

LCL

190

Sample Mean

185

Sample Range

215

30

UCL
R-bar

20

LCL
Range

10
0

180
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Sample

31

32

33

34

35

36

Sample

37

38

39

40

Patterns to Investigate
Case #1
Why might this process be out-of-control?

Sample Data

Case #1
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Upper
Middle
Lower
Data
31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

Sample

10

Patterns to Investigate
Case #2
Why might this process be out-of-control?

Sample Data

Case #2
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Upper
Middle
Lower
Data
31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

Sample

11

Patterns to Investigate
Case #3
Why might this process be out-of-control?

Sample Data

Case #3
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Upper
Middle
Lower
Data
31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

Sample

12

Patterns to Investigate
Case #4
Why might this process be out-of-control?

Sample Data

Case #4
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Upper
Middle
Lower
Data
31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

Sample

13

The Process Control Cycle

Initialization. Take an initial set of N samples with n
observations, and use these to compute the initial lower and
upper control limits.
Step 1. Continue with periodic samples until the process goes
out-of-control. Look for an assignable cause.
Step 2. If possible, improve the process in a manner that
decreases the chance that the same assignable cause will
reoccur.
Step 3. After a process improvement, recalibrate the lower
and upper control limits by taking another set of N samples
with n observations. Return to Step 1.
14

Another Type of Control Chart

We have discussed control charts in the context of a process
whose performance is measured by a continuous variable X.
For some processes, performance is measured by an binary
attribute an attribute that is either present or not present.

Examples:
A product is either defective or non-defective.
A invoice either contains an error or is error-free.

A customer is either satisfied or unsatisfied.

To control a process measured by an binary attribute, you
need to use another type of control chart known as a p-chart.
15