Robust Design of Mixing Static and Dynamic Multiple Quality Characteristics
Robust Design of Mixing Static and Dynamic Multiple Quality Characteristics
Robust Design of Mixing Static and Dynamic Multiple Quality Characteristics
Abstract
Increased market competition means that quality, cost and delivery time are crucial elements of
modern production techniques. Taguchi’s robust design is the most powerful method available for
reducing product cost, improving quality, and simultaneously reducing development time. Robust
design aims to reduce the impact of noise on the product or process quality and leads to greater
customer satisfaction and higher operational performance. The objective of robust design is to
minimize the total quality loss in products or processes. The PQL model proposed by this paper
simultaneously optimizes the static and dynamic problems by minimizing the total quality loss.
Using the proposed PQL model and steps for optimization, the method addresses complex para-
meter design, which varies with the properties and objectives of the experimental data, to im-
prove the product quality. The example of an electron beam surface hardening process is provided
to demonstrate the implementation and usefulness of the proposed method.
Keywords
Robust Design, Quality Characteristic, Quality Loss Function, SN Ratio, PQL
1. Introduction
Quality, cost and delivery time are the main production elements of the modern products due to the stringent
market competitiveness. Taguchi’s robust design [1] is the most powerful method available to reduce product
cost, improve quality, and simultaneously reduce development interval. The Taguchi method has been widely
applied to optimize the industrial parameter design including static and dynamic problems. The static problem is
defined so that the desired output of system has a fixed target. In the dynamic problem, the desired output of the
system depends on the signal factor setting, that is, the dynamic system is the one without a single target but a
response, which is a function of a signal. The optimization involves determining the best control factor levels so
that the output is at the target or desired value to minimize the total quality loss.
Many publications have addressed multiple static quality characteristics problems (see Derringer and Suich
[2], Elsayed and Chen [3], Khuri and Conlon [4], Jean and Tzeng [5] [6]). Several researchers have studied the
problem of robust design concerning the dynamic problems (see Lesperance and Park [7], Nair, Taam and Ye
[8], Wu [9], Jean and Tzeng [10], Jean [11]). However, few studies have been concerned with optimizing the
robust design involving static and dynamic quality characteristics.
How to cite this paper: Wu, F.-C. (2015) Robust Design of Mixing Static and Dynamic Multiple Quality Characteristics.
World Journal of Engineering and Technology, 3, 72-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/wjet.2015.33C011
F.-C. Wu
In this paper, we propose a PQL index to convert the multiple quality characteristics into a single characteris-
tic problem by minimizing the total PQL value to obtain the optimal parameter conditions.
NTB (dynamic)
β2
where
K = the loss coefficient (constant)
y = a measurable statistic of quality characteristic
m0 = the target value for static NTB quality characteristic
y = the sample mean of n units
s 2 = the sample variance of n units
β0 = the slope of ideal function for dynamic NTB quality characteristic
β = the estimated slope of regression for dynamic NTB quality characteristic
σ e2 = the error variance of regression for dynamic NTB quality characteristic
The loss coefficient K, m0 and β0 in L( y ) are generally ignored because they have no effect on the optimiza-
tion for a single quality characteristic. In multiple quality characteristics problems, the loss coefficient K plays a
major role in optimal parameter settings to make trade-offs among characteristics. Since log is a monotone func-
tion, minimizing L( y ) is equivalent to maximizing η.
( )
Suppose there are q control factors, X = X 1 , X 2 , , X q , in the experiment for a single quality characteristic.
The effects of SN ratios for some parameter conditions and starting conditions are ( δ1, j1 , δ 2, j2 , , δ q , jq ) and
( δ1,0 , δ 2,0 , , δ q ,0 ), respectively. Then, the estimated SN ratio values are presented as follows respectively.
η =T + δ1, j1 + δ 2, j2 + + δ q , jq (3)
( ) ( )
δ i , j − δ j ,0 = η i , j − T − η i ,0 − T =η i , j − η i ,0 (5)
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F.-C. Wu
Let L be the quality loss for the some parameter conditions and L0 be the quality loss for the starting condi-
tions. The ratio of L to L0 (proportion of quality loss, PQL) is defined as.
L K ⋅ 10−η 10
= 10 ( 0 )
− η −η 10
PQL= = (6)
L0 K ⋅ 10−η0 10
X
Consider the effect of each factor in PQL X with corresponding starting PQLηi , j , equation (6) can be re-
i
written as
( ) (=)
− δ1, j1 +δ 2, j2 ++δ q , jq − δ1,0 +δ 2,0 ++δ q ,0 10 q
( )
− δ i , ji −δ i ,0 10
q
( )
− η i , j −η i ,0 10
q
=PQL X 10
∏
= 10 ∏
= 10 ∏ PQLη i , ji
(7)
=i 1 =i 1 =i 1
Therefore, the optimal parameter conditions Xopt = X 1opt , X 2opt , , X qopt ( ) are minimizing the quality loss
L ( Y ) . That is,
q
PQL Xopt = Min : ∏ PQLηi , j (8)
i
i =1
L ( Y=
) L0 ⋅ PQL Xopt (9)
(
If the real quality loss of starting conditions, L ( Y ) = L1,0 , L2,0 , , L p ,0 , can not be obtained, we can take the )
quality loss Lj of quality characteristic Yj as the base to find the proportion of quality loss Li of quality characte-
ristic Yi to Yj. Hence, the proportion fi , j is expressed as
−η
K i ⋅ MSDi K i ⋅ 10 i0
10
Li
= = = fi , j , i = 1, 2, , p (11)
L j K j ⋅ MSD j K j ⋅ 10−η j0 10
To solve the multiple quality characteristics problems, an optimization procedure is proposed as follows.
Step 1. Compute the SN ratio for each quality characteristic and then calculate the main effect of factors for
each quality characteristic.
Step 2. Estimate the average SN ratio (η0) under the starting conditions for each quality characteristic.
Step 3. Transform the SN ratios into PQL for each quality characteristic.
Step 4. Estimate the quality loss of starting conditions for each quality characteristic and then program a
search module by EXCEL VBA to obtain the optimal parameter conditions.
4. Implementation
The case used is that described by Jean and Tzeng [5] [6] [10], Jean [11]. They studied the static or dynamic
problem in the electron beam surface hardening process. We use the published process conditions and experi-
mental data to demonstrate the proposed method, which can simultaneously optimize the static and dynamic
problems.
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F.-C. Wu
High energy electron beam is a unique tool for case hardening. The control factors are substrate matrix (factor
A), travel speed (factor B), accelerating voltage (factor C), electrical current (factor D), melted width (factor E),
beam oscillation (factor F) and post-heat treatment temperature (factor G). The signal factor is electron beam
scanning width (factor M). The levels of control and signal factors are listed in Table 1.
There are two quality characteristics for the process. The first is wear volume (STB type) and the second is
microhardness (dynamic type). A L18 orthogonal array is built and the assignment of controls, signal factor, ex-
perimental data and the computed SN ratios (η) for all quality characteristics are shown in Table 2.
The main effect of factors and PQL values for each quality characteristic are shown in Table 3, respectively.
Suppose that the quality loss of starting levels for wear volume and microhardness are L1 and L2 respectively.
The region of L2 L1 corresponding to the optimal parameter conditions using Equations (7), (8) and (12)] are
listed in Table 4.
Table 1. Levels of control and signal factors for electron beam surface hardening process.
Levels
Control factor
1 2 3
A. Substrate matrix Ductile Gray
B. Travel speed, mm∙s−1 10 20 30
C. Accelerating voltage, V 10 25 50
D. Electrical current, mA 10 15 20
E. Melted width, mm 5 15 20
F. Beam oscillation Line Circle Ellipse
G. Post-heat treatment temperature, ˚C 25 150 300
Signal factor
M. Electron beam scanning width 5 mm 10 mm 20 mm
a. Starting levels are identified by underscore.
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F.-C. Wu
Table 3. Summary of factor effects for wear volume and microhardness (η and PQL).
Factor
Quality characteristics Level
A B C D E F G
Wear volume (η) Level 2 −46.108 −45.641 −45.879 −46.234 −45.669 −45.833 −46.003
Wear volume (PQL) Level 2 1.000000 0.774170 0.851935 1.000000 1.000000 1.070381 1.187204
Microhardness (η) Level 2 −19.275 −19.195 −19.142 −19.277 −18.821 −19.561 −18.987
Microhardness (PQL) Level 2 1.000000 1.081846 1.000734 1.000000 1.000000 1.166878 0.969124
5. Conclusion
Robust design is used to determine the optimal levels for the control factors in a product or process so that the
quality loss is minimized. A real problem in a product or process usually has multiple quality characteristics.
This paper presents an effective method based on Taguchi’s quality loss function and SN ratio to simultaneously
optimize the robust design involving both static and dynamic quality characteristics. Using the PQL transformed
from the factor effects of SN ratios as the quality evaluation, we can convert the static and dynamic multiple
quality characteristics into a single characteristic problem to obtain the optimal parameter conditions by mini-
mizing the total PQL value. The implementation and effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated
through case study.
Acknowledgements
This research was financially supported by Ministry of Science and Technology (Republic of China) under Con-
tract MOST 104-2221-E-238-003.
References
[1] Taguchi, G. (1991) System of Experimental Design: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. American Suppliers Institute, Dearborn.
[2] Derringer, G. and Suich, R. (1980) Simultaneous Optimization of Several Response Variables. Journal of Quality
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F.-C. Wu
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