Process Capability
Prof. Sayak Roychowdhury
Process Capability
• Process capability refers to
the uniformity of the process
• The variability of CTQCs in the
process is a measure of the
uniformity of output
• Conducted during A and I
phases of DMAIC
Process Capability Analysis
1. Predicting how well the process will hold the tolerances
2. Assisting product developers/designers in selecting or
modifying a process
3. Assisting in establishing an interval between sampling
for process monitoring
4. Specifying performance requirements for new
equipment
5. Selecting between competing suppliers and other
aspects of supply chain management
6. Planning the sequence of production processes when
there is an interactive effect of processes on tolerances
7. Reducing the variability in a process
Two General Techniques
• By plotting histogram and get 𝑥ҧ ± 3𝑠
• Using NPP and estimate process mean and standard
deviation
Process Capability
• Assumptions:
• The quality characteristic has normal distribution
• Process is in statistical control
𝑈𝑆𝐿−𝐿𝑆𝐿
• Process Capability Ratio (PCR) : 𝐶𝑝 =
6ෝ
𝜎
1
•𝑃= 100 gives the percentage of the specification band
𝐶𝑝
used by the process.
𝑈𝑆𝐿−𝜇 𝜇−𝐿𝑆𝐿
• 𝐶𝑝𝑘 = min 𝐶𝑝𝑢 = , 𝐶𝑝𝑙
= is used to determine
3𝜎 3𝜎
if the process is centered.
• Generally, if 𝐶𝑝 = 𝐶𝑝𝑘 , the process is centered at the
midpoint of the specifications, and when 𝐶𝑝𝑘 < 𝐶𝑝 the
process is off center
Percentage Fallout
Process Capability
Recommended Values
Is 𝐶𝑝𝑘 Adequate?
Is 𝐶𝑝𝑘 Adequate?
• The process capability ratio 𝐶𝑝𝑘 was initially developed
because 𝐶𝑝 does not adequately deal with the case of a
process with mean 𝜇 that is not centered between the
specification limits.
• However, 𝐶𝑝𝑘 alone is still an inadequate measure of process
centering.
• Both processes A and B have 𝐶𝑝𝑘 = 1.33, yet their centering is
clearly different.
• For process A, 𝐶𝑝𝑘 = 𝐶𝑝 = 1.33, implying that the process is
centered, whereas for process B, 𝐶𝑝 = 2.67 > 𝐶𝑝𝑘 = 1.33,
implying that the process is off-center.
• For any fixed value of 𝜇 in the interval from LSL to USL, 𝐶𝑝𝑘
depends inversely on 𝜎 and becomes large as 𝜎 approaches 0.
Process Capability 𝐶𝑝𝑚
• A process capability ratio that is a better indicator of centering
𝑈𝑆𝐿−𝐿𝑆𝐿
𝐶𝑝𝑚 =
6𝜏
• 𝜏 is the squared root of expected squared deviation from
target
1
𝑇 = (𝑈𝑆𝐿 + 𝐿𝑆𝐿)
2
𝜏 = 𝐸[ 𝑥 − 𝑇 ] = 𝐸[ 𝑥 − 𝜇 2 ] + 𝜇 − 𝑇 2
2 2
= 𝜎2 + 𝜇 − 𝑇 2
𝑈𝑆𝐿 − 𝐿𝑆𝐿 𝐶𝑝
𝐶𝑝𝑚 = =
6 𝜎2 + 𝜇 − 𝑇 2 1 + 𝜉2
𝜇−𝑇
Where 𝜉 =
𝜎
Process Capability 𝐶𝑝𝑚
• A necessary condition for 𝐶𝑝𝑚 ≥ 1 is
1
𝜇−𝑇 < (USL − LSL)
6
Thus, a given value of 𝐶𝑝𝑚 places a constraint on the
difference between 𝜇 and the target value T.
