Statistical process control and process ability applications in manufacturing industrial components about flow automation

The concept of quality with respect to customer satisfaction has been with us since the human being produces for others. There are two important things for a product and production process. One of them is the cost of the product, which implies the cost of scrap and rework. The other important thing is the quality level of the product. While markets get more global today, both of them are very important for a company. Companies must reduce their costs and increase the level of quality, in order to maintain their market share. If the cost of the product is not low enough or the quality level of the product is not satisfactory, customers don't buy it. In order to increase the quality level and to reduce the costs, some quality tools are needed. One of them and may be the most effective of them is Statistical Process Control. In the first chapter, information about basic concepts, such as Quality, Quality Control, Total Quality etc. is given. Then definition of statistical process control, its place within TQM, application purposes, application fields and advantages is analyzed. In the second chapter, some basic statistical terms are given. Statistical techniques that are used in quality practices are discussed. In attempting to control any quality characteristic, it is necessary to make observations or measurements that result in numerical data. Whenever numerical data are collected and analyzed for the purpose of making some decisions and of taking some actions, statistical techniques must be used. The most commonly used techniques are given in this chapter. In the third chapter, control charts are analyzed. Types of control charts, structures of them, applications and comments are presented and the advantages for the users are discussed. Statistical process control charts help us to detect, to diagnose and to correct production problems in a timely fashion. The result is substantial improvement in product quality. On the other hand, control charts also tell us when to leave a process alone, thus preventing unnecessary adjustments that tend to increase the variability of process, rather than reduce it. In the fourth chapter, an activity schedule for SPC tool is prepared by using the data handled in the first three chapters. This schedule which begins with the definition of the process, gives the operations to be done for determination of the characteristics to be controlled, selection of the controlling tool and methods or machine and process capability analysis in an order. Keywords : Statistical process control, process control charts, process ability.