Simultaneous Engineering of Quality Through Integrated Modeling

Abstract

Simultaneous engineering has become the means to ensure quality through incorporation of manufacturing. This proves difficult without quantitative support tools. We present here a modeling-based approach to simultaneously design a product and its production process. We demonstrate an approach of examining sensitivities of output to all inputs of a system, from product design specifications, process variables, and material specifications. We further develop mathematics of estimating the effects of in-line process control changes to improve quality. We demonstrate a method to choose noise sources to measure and process variables to control in-line based upon these measurements, and estimate the error reduction that such process control changes will provide. The tool allows simultaneous engineering of the product and process to improve quality.