Practical Exercise 5

X-bar and R chart

After completing this exercise, students will be able:

• To understand and develop X-bar and R chart from a given case study
• To know how to use Minitab and MS Excel in constructing X-bar and R chart

Assumption:
• You have already completed the topic for Define, Measure, Analyze, Measure and Control steps
of Six Sigma DMAIC methodology

Getting Started with Minitab:

To construct X-bar and R chart using Minitab, follow these simple steps:

1. Open a new worksheet in Minitab.

2. Generate random data by clicking Calc-Random Data-Integer (Figure 5.1) and fill the dialog box to
create the population as shown in Figure 5.2 (population size=1000)

Figure 5.1 Generate random data

 Figure 5.2 Creating Population (PopSize=1000)

3. Randomly chose the values in population by selecting Calc-Random Data-Sample From Columns
(Figure 5.3) and fill the box as shown by Figure 5.4 (number of observations = 15 times or in control
chart known as Subgroup)

Figure 5.3 Sampling

 Figure 5.4 Number of observations (15 times)

4. Repeat step number 3 five times to create five samples (n=5). The result is presented in Figure 5.5.
Note that your data may be different from the Figure or other students because of random sampling
method.

Figure 5.5 Set of data (n=5)

5. Select Stat-Control Charts-Variable Charts for Subgroups-Xbar-R to create Xbar-R chart as

shown by Figure 5.6

Figure 5.6 Steps for constructing Xbar-R chart

6. Input the Xbar-R Chart box as shown in Figure 7, click OK and the result is presented in Figure 5.8
 Figure 5.7 Dialog box of Xbar-R Chart

Figure 5.8 Xbar-R Chart

Note: Check Xbar-R options-Estimate to make sure that R-bar is selected as the method for estimating
the standard deviation (instead of pooled standard deviation)

Getting Started with MS Excel:

To construct X-bar and R chart using MS Excel, follow these simple steps:

1. Open a new worksheet in Excel.

2. Enter your data samples (copy from Minitab) and calculate X-double-bar and R-bar, as shown in Figure
2.1. (Note that your data samples may be different because of the random sampling method in
Minitab)
 Figure 2.1 X-double-bar and R-bar

3. Before creating X-bar chart, calculate the values of UCLx-bar and LCLx-bar using

X A2*Rand create a table as can be seen in Figure 2.2.

 Figure 2.2 Data for X-bar chart
4. Create the X-bar chart, sort all data in the table (except data in No-Column) and then select Insert-
Line charts as shown in Figure 2.3. The X-bar chart is presented by Figure

2.4

Figure 2.3 Steps to create X-bar chart

 100.00
95.00
90.00
85.00
80.00 X-double bar

75.00 UCL

70.00 LCL

65.00 X-bar

60.00
55.00
50.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Figure 2.3 X-bar chart using MS Excel

5. To create R Chart, calculate the values of UCLR and LCLR using D3*R-bar and D4*R- bar
respectively and create a table such as in Figure 2.4

Figure 2.4 Data for R chart

6. Repeat Step 4 to create R chart and the result is presented in Figure 2.5
70.00

60.00

50.00

R-bar
40.00
UCL
30.00 LCL
R
20.00

10.00

0.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Figure 2.5 R chart using MS Excel

7. Compare the result of using MS Excel and Minitab.