Solutions to SPC Practice Problems

1. The overall average on a process you are attempting to monitor is 50 units. The process
standard deviation is know n to be 1.72. Determine the upper and low er control limits for a
mean chart, if you choose to use a sample size of 5. Set z = 3.
The control limits are calculated as follow s:
1.72
z 50 3
n 5
50 2.308
Or (47.69, 52.31)

2. Food Storage Technologies produces refrigeration units for food producers and retail
food establishments. The overall average temperature that these units maintain is 46
Fahrenheit. The average range is 2 Fahrenheit. Samples of 6 are taken to monitor the
production process. Determine the upper and low er control limits for both a mean chart
and a range chart for these refrigeration units.
Since the standard deviation is not know n, w e w ill use the given information about the
average range of the samples, together w ith the follow ing table1:
Sampl e Si ze, n M ean Factor, A 2 Upper Range, D 4 Low er Range, D 3
2 1.880 3.268 0
3 1.023 2.574 0
4 0.729 2.282 0
5 0.577 2.115 0
6 0.483 2.004 0
7 0.419 1.924 0.076
8 0.373 1.864 0.136
9 0.337 1.816 0.184
10 0.308 1.777 0.223
12 0.266 1.716 0.284
Factors for Computing 3 Sigma Control Chart Limits

1 Table S6.1 from H eizer and Render, p. 204 (Factors for Computing 3 Sigma Control Chart Limits)

Similar to Exhibit TN 7.7, p. 310, in Chase, Jacobs, A quilano.

For the mean chart:
A2 R 46 0.483
46 0.966
Or (45.03, 46.97)
For the range chart:
LCL D3 R
0
0

UCL D4 R
2.004
4.008

3. Sampling 4 pieces of precision-cut w ire (to be used in computer assembly) every hour
for the past 24 hours has produced the follow ing results:
H our X (inches) R (inches) H our X (inches) R (inches)
1 3.25 0.71 13 3.11 0.85
2 3.10 1.18 14 2.83 1.31
3 3.22 1.43 15 3.12 1.06
4 3.39 1.26 16 2.84 0.50
5 3.07 1.17 17 2.86 1.43
6 2.86 0.32 18 2.74 1.29
7 3.05 0.53 19 3.41 1.61
8 2.65 1.13 20 2.89 1.09
9 3.02 0.71 21 2.65 1.08
10 2.85 1.33 22 3.28 0.46
11 2.83 1.17 23 2.94 1.58
12 2.97 0.40 24 2.64 0.97
Develop appropriate control charts and determine w hether there is any cause for concern
in the cutting process. Plot the information and look for patterns.
First, w e’ll compute the upper and low er limits for both an X chart and an R chart. For the
mean chart, note that X 2.982 and R 1.024 :
A2 R 2.982 0.729 024
2.982 0.746
Or (2.236, 3.728)

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Operations Prof. Juran
For the range chart:
LCL D3 R
0 024
0

UCL D4 R
2.282 024
2.336
N ow , w e plot the charts:
Mean Chart R Chart
4.0 2.5

3.8

2.0
3.5

Sample Range (Inches)

Sample Mean (Inches)

3.3
1.5

3.0

1.0
2.8

2.5
0.5

2.3

2.0 0.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Hour Hour

Based on our rules for interpreting control charts, this process can be assumed to be in
control.

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Operations Prof. Juran
4. Small boxes of N utraFlakes cereal are labeled “ net w eight 10 ounces.” Each hour,
random samples of size n = 4 boxes are w eighed to check process control. Five hours of
observations yielded the follow ing data:
Wei ghts
Ti me Box 1 Box 2 Box 3 Box 4
9 a.m. 9.8 10.4 9.9 10.3
10 a.m. 10.1 10.2 9.9 9.8
11 a.m. 9.9 10.5 10.3 10.1
12 a.m. 9.7 9.8 10.3 10.2
1 p.m. 9.7 10.1 9.9 9.9
a. Using these data, construct limits for X and R charts.
We note that X 10.04 and R 0.52 . For the mean chart:
X A2 R 10.04 0.729 0 52
10.04 0.38
Or (9.66, 10.42)
For the range chart:
LCL D3 R
0 0 520
0

UCL D4 R
2.282 0 520
1.187
b. Is the process in control?
Mean Chart R Chart
10.50 1.4

1.2

10.25
Sample Range (Inches)

1.0
Sample Mean (Inches)

0.8
10.00
0.6

0.4
9.75

0.2

9.50 0.0
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Hour Hour

The process appears to be in control.

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Operations Prof. Juran
 c. What other steps should the quality department follow at this point?
There aren’t really very much data here, nor are the sample sizes very large. We could
increase the sample size and continue to monitor the charts over time.

5. You are attempting to develop a quality monitoring system for some parts purchased
from Warton & Kotha M anufacturing Co. These parts are either good or defective. You
have decided to take a sample of 100 units. Develop a table of the appropriate upper and
low er control chart limits for various values of the fraction defective in the sample taken.
The values for p in this table should range from 0.02 to 0.10 in increments of 0.02. Develop
the upper and low er control limits for a 99.73% confidence interval.
H ere is how to calculate the limits for the first value of the proportion defective:
p p 0.02 0 98
p z 0.02 3
n 100
0.02 3 0140
0.02 0.0420
Or (0.0000, 0.0620)
(N ote that w e have substituted zero for any negative number. In this case the low er
control limit w ould have been –0.022.)
H ere is the completed table of control limits:
n = 100
p UCL LCL
0.02 0.0620 0.0000
0.04 0.0988 0.0000
0.06 0.1312 0.0000
0.08 0.1614 0.0000
0.10 0.1900 0.0100

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Operations Prof. Juran
6. In the past, the defect rate for your product has been 1.5%. What are the upper and
low er control chart limits if you w ish to use a sample size of 500 and z = 3?
p p 0.015 985
p z 0.015 3
n 500
0.015 3 0 0054
0.015 0.0163
Or (0.000, 0.0313)

7. Refer to problem 6 above. If the defect rate w ere 3.5% instead of 1.5%, w hat w ould be
the control limits?
p p 0.035 0 965
p z 0.035 3
n 500
0.035 3 0082
0.035 0.0247
Or (0.0103, 0.0597)

8. Refer to problems 6 and 7 above. M anagement w ould like to reduce the sample size to
100 units. If the past defect rate has been 3.5%, w hat w ould happen to the control limits (z
= 3)? Should this action be taken? Explain your answ er.
p p 0.035 965
p z 0.035 3
n 100
0.035 3 0 0182
0.035 0.0551
Or (0.0000, 0.0901)
This turns out to result in a rather large increase in the w idth of the control range (the
upper limit increases by more than 50%). This may have a significant negative effect on
quality, by increasing the risk of a Type II error.

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Operations Prof. Juran
9. Blackburn, Inc., an equipment manufacturer in N ashville, has submitted a sample cutoff
valve to improve your manufacturing process. Your process engineering department has
conducted experiments and found that the valve has a mean ( ) of 8.00 and a standard
deviation ( ) of 0.04. Your desired performance is defined by the specification limits
(7.865, 8.135). What is the Cpk of the Blackburn valve?
SL X X LSL
Cpk min ,
3 3
.135 8 8 7.865
min ,
3 * 0.04 3 * 0.04
min 125,1.125
1.125
This process is capable. It is centered betw een the specification limits, and its variability is
sufficiently small that it w ill meet customer needs almost all of the time.

10. The manager of the Oat Flakes plant desires a quality specification w ith a mean of 16
ounces, an upper specification limit of 16.5, and a low er specification limit of 15.5. In this
example, the process is know n to have a population standard deviation of 1.0 ounces.
Using the data below , in w hich w eights are expressed in ounces, determine the standard
deviation of the 12 w eights and then determine the Cpk of the process.
Wei ght of Sampl e Wei ght of Sampl e Wei ght of Sampl e
H our A vg. of 9 Boxes H our A vg. of 9 Boxes H our A vg. of 9 Boxes
1 16.1 5 16.5 9 16.3
2 16.8 6 16.4 10 14.8
3 15.5 7 15.2 11 14.2
4 16.5 8 16.4 12 17.3
N ote that X 16.00 .
SL X X LSL
Cpk min ,
3 3
6.5 6.0 16.0 5.5
min ,
3* 1 3* 1
min 0 1667,0.1667
0.1667
This process is not capable; it is too variable to meet customer needs.

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Operations Prof. Juran