1. Why/When is Taguchi Method Appropriate?
A new tip Every Friday
Friday, 29th June 2001

2. Tip #11
Taguchi Method Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product (next 6 slides)
Friday, 29th June 2001

3. Taguchi Method Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product
PRODUCT LIFE-STAGES are
stage 1: Process Research & Development
stage 2: Manufacture
stage 3: Packaging
stage 4: Storage
stage 5: Transportation
stage 6: Installation and Commissioning
stage 7: Operation / use
stage 8: Maintenance
stage 9: Repair
stage 10: Discard and Salvage

4. Taguchi Method Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product
PRODUCT LIFE-STAGE #1
Process Research & Development
Taguchi Method is primarily a R&D development method for experimentally improving quality and for making the product ROBUST against NoIsE
This is done by conducting a matrix experiment in which several control parameters are varied in balanced manner and NoIsE is intentionally included during experimentation.
The resulting quality characteristics is measured and analysed to give
 BEST CONTROL PARAMETER SETTINGS
 to make the process insensitive to the NoIsE

5. Taguchi Method Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product
PRODUCT LIFE-STAGE #2
Manufacture
All the variations that are likely to be encountered during manufacturing are included during the planned experiments.
These variations could be in,
Equipment (used in production – variations in its parameters)
Raw materials (from different suppliers)
Manpower (skilled / unskilled with same level of training)

6. Taguchi Method Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product
PRODUCT LIFE-STAGE #7
Operation / use
All the variations (usually environmental) that are likely to be encountered during operation and use are included during the product testing.
These variations could be in,
Power supply (variations in voltage, frequency etc.)
Ambient (temperature, humidity, dust, rf interference)
Improper use (unskilled user, inadequate training)

7. Taguchi Method Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product
PRODUCT LIFE-STAGE #9
Repair
All the variations that are likely to be encountered during long term use due to wear and tear are included during the product testing - for example test a product after wear-and-tear, say 48 hours of continuous use at elevated temperature/humidity etc.
All the variations due to slow drifting of parameter values are included as NoIsE during the experiments itself (and products are made robust against the parameter that shows slow drift

8. Earlier Tips Links below
Friday, 27th July 2001
Friday, 20th July 2001
Friday, 13th July 2001
Taguchi Method
“inner” L9 array with “outer” L4 and L9 NoIsE arrays
“inner” L18 array with “outer” L4 and L9 NoIsE arrays
Taguchi Method Why/When is Taguchi Method not Appropriate?
Tips 12, 11, 10 

9. Earlier Tips Links below
Friday, 6th July 2001
Friday, 29th June 2001
Friday, 22nd June 2001
Taguchi Method
“inner” L8 array with “outer” L4 and L9 NoIsE arrays
Useful at ALL Life-stages of a Process or Product
Performs Process “centering” or “fine tuning”
Tips 9, 8, 7 

10. Earlier Tips Links below
Taguchi Method Identifies the “right” NoIsE factor(s) for Tolerance Design
Taguchi Method
Finds best settings to optimize TWO quality characteristics Simultaneously
7. Taguchi Method
When to select a ‘Larger’ OA to perform “Factorial Experiments”
Friday, 15th June 2001
Friday, 8th June 2001
Friday, 1st June 2001
Tips 6, 5, 4 

11. Earlier Tips Links below
Friday, 25th May 2001
Friday, 18th May 2001
Friday, 11th May 2001
Taguchi Method Using Orthogonal Arrays for Generating Balanced Combinations of NoIsE Factors
Taguchi Method Signal-to-Noise Ratio for Quality Characteristics approaching IDEAL value
4. Taguchi Method improves " quality “ at all the life stages
at the design stage itself
Tips 3, 2, 1 

12. Earlier Tips Links below
Friday, 4th May 2001
Friday, 27th April 2001
Friday, 6th April 2001
3. Taguchi Method Appropriate for Concurrent Engineering
2. Taguchi Method can study Interaction
between Noise Factors and Control Factors
1. Taguchi’s Signal-to-Noise Ratios are in Log form

13. end