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Introduction To The Taguchi Method .PFA
Introduction To The Taguchi Method .PFA
DEVELOPPED
BY
AJMI ISRA
&
BALTI CHAYMA
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our families for their unwavering support throughout
this project. Their encouragement and understanding during challenging moments were invaluable.
We are also grateful to Professor Ali TRABELSI for his guidance and expertise. Mr Ali’s insightful
feedback and willingness to answer our questions significantly enhanced our learning and the final
outcome of this project and helped us navigate the complexities of this project.
We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on this project. Working together allowed us to learn
from each other's strengths and perspectives, fostering a successful partnership.
1
Table of contents
3. Case study...................................................................................................................................12
2
Figures
3
Tables
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I. Introduction to the Taguchi Method
In today's highly competitive industrial landscape, the pursuit of optimal performance,
enhanced quality, and cost efficiency is paramount for organizations across various sectors.
To achieve these objectives, engineers and researchers employ sophisticated methodologies
rooted in statistical principles and experimental design. One such methodology that has
garnered widespread attention and adoption is Taguchi Methods, developed by Dr. Genichi
Taguchi, a renowned Japanese engineer. Taguchi Methods offer a systematic approach to
optimizing processes and products, with a focus on robustness and efficiency.
At the core of Taguchi Methods lies the utilization of Orthogonal Arrays, a structured
experimental design framework that enables researchers to efficiently study the effects of
multiple factors on a system while minimizing the number of experiments required. By
strategically selecting factor levels and utilizing orthogonal arrays, researchers can uncover
valuable insights into process variability, identify significant factors, and optimize system
performance.
The application of Taguchi Methods and Orthogonal Arrays spans various industries,
including manufacturing, automotive, electronics, healthcare, and beyond. From fine-tuning
manufacturing processes to enhancing product design and performance, Taguchi Methods
have proven to be invaluable tools in the pursuit of operational excellence.
The Taguchi method stands as a robust quality engineering approach, highlighting the
significance of crafting products and processes resilient to environmental and manufacturing
fluctuations. Key tenets of this method encompass:
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have modest revisions made, whilst severely off target products may result in major
waste or dissatisfied clients.
L(x) = K * (x - T) ^2.
Where
.L(x): is the monetary loss resulting from a particular departure from the target value
K: the loss coefficient is a constant that establishes how quickly monetary loss rises in
response to departures from the desired value.
x: is the actual value of the quality characteristic under evaluation.
T:is the desired, ideal, or best value for the quality attribute.
The reason for the significant implications of the Taguchi Loss Function is its dichotomous
relationship which is quadratic in nature. Other terms when a product deviates from
specification linearly indicate that losses also increase proportionally. When calculated as
quadratic, the losses when a product moves from two or three standard deviations from
quality can explode exponentially even if the actual production is well within two or five
sigmas from performance. It is easy to envision a situation when even a statistically
insignificant discrepancy over a product dimension can elicit more defective units. The
expenses for the required rework, scrapped materials, and potential warranty claims can grow
drastically, while one would not expect it. Therefore, the potential costs can eliminate any
profit from producing the respective product.
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establish a reputation for reliability by meeting client expectations and sticking to tight
tolerances. This will ultimately result in increased customer satisfaction and market success.
The Robust Design Concept aims to create products and processes that perform
consistently under varying conditions. Key aspects include identifying critical
parameters, understanding variation, optimizing designs to minimize the effects of
variation, and employing tolerance design. It often involves experimental techniques
like Design of Experiments and incorporates reliability engineering principles. The
process is iterative, focusing on continuous improvement based on feedback. Overall,
robust design minimizes risks, reduces costs, and enhances customer satisfaction by
considering variation upfront in the design and optimization process.
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Figure 3-The Process of the Robust Design
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1. Larger-the-better S/N Ratio: Used when the goal is to maximize a performance
characteristic.
2. Smaller-the-better S/N Ratio: Used when the goal is to minimize a performance
characteristic, such as defects or costs.
3. Nominal-the-best S/N Ratio: Used when the goal is to achieve a target value for a
performance characteristic.
Where :
( ( ))
n
1 yi
S/ N =−10× log 10 ∑
n i=1 σ 2
The S/N Ratio is a powerful tool for assessing the quality of a product or process and for
identifying the parameters that most influence that quality. It is widely used in
manufacturing industries, engineering, and other fields where process optimization is
critical.
Figure 5- Signal+Noise
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I.4. Orthogonal Arrays
Let us take an example where a business produces circuit boards for electronic devices. In this
instance, OA can facilitate the most effective testing of the boards' numerous components,
including connectors, capacitors, and resistors. You can choose which particular combinations
of components to test by utilizing an orthogonal array. For example, OAT allows you to
efficiently test a subset of these components, covering different combinations, if you have
varied resistance values, capacitor sizes, and connector kinds.
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Let’s consider three variables: resistor value (R1, R2, R3), capacitor size (C1, C2, C3), and
connector type (T1, T2, T3). We can use an L27 orthogonal array, which is a suitable choice
for testing three variables with three levels each.
resistor value R1 R2 R3
capacitor size C1 C2 C3
connector type T1 T2 T3
In the L27 orthogonal array, with 13 columns available, a 3-factor, 3-level setup would
require 27 experiments. However, despite this, the L27 setup was chosen to accommodate
additional factors for further study with the same material and it is given by 3³ =27.
The Taguchi Method finds application across various industries, including manufacturing,
automotive, electronics, healthcare, and beyond. It is particularly useful in optimizing
processes, improving product quality, and minimizing costs. By systematically varying factors
and levels using techniques like orthogonal arrays, Taguchi Methods help identify optimal
settings that enhance performance and robustness. This approach has been instrumental in
streamlining production processes, reducing defects, and enhancing customer satisfaction in
diverse industrial settings.
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3. Case study
In a 1987 Quality Progress report, Genichi Taguchi used a real-world example to illustrate his
methodology. Maximizing the pull-off force—which is essential for automotive applications
—between a connector and a nylon tube was the goal. Taguchi's technique aimed to reduce
this connection's sensitivity to fluctuations in order to increase its dependability. By using
intensive experimentation and statistical analysis, he determined the crucial design
characteristics and refined them to attain resilience. Robust Parameter Design, a methodology
that prioritizes robustness to production variability and environmental influences, changed
quality engineering, especially in the automobile sector.
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3.2. Orthogonal Array
Given that each parameter has 3 levels, and there are 4 parameters:
So, there would be 81 possible arrays for 4 parameters, each with 3 levels according to
Taguchi's method.
Instead Taguchi used the L8 design to model the noise factors and the L 9(34) series of
orthogonal arrays to model the design factors.
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Table 4- Orthogonal Array
Outer array(L8) E 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
F 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2
G 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
Inner array(L9) Average
Run A B C D Ave
1 1 1 1 1 15.6 9.5 16.9 19.9 19.6 19.6 20.0 19.1 17.5
2 1 2 2 2 15.0 16.2 19.4 19.2 19.7 19.8 24.2 21.9 19.4
3 1 3 3 3 16.3 16.7 19.1 15.6 22.6 18.2 23.3 20.4 19.0
4 2 1 2 3 18.3 17.4 18.9 18.6 21.0 18.9 23.2 24.7 20.1
5 2 2 3 1 19.7 18.6 19.4 25.1 25.6 21.4 27.5 25.3 22.8
6 2 3 1 2 16.2 16.3 20.0 19.8 14.7 19.6 22.5 24.7 19.2
7 3 1 3 2 16.4 19.1 18.4 23.6 16.8 18.6 24.3 21.6 19.8
8 3 2 1 3 14.2 15.6 15.1 16.8 17.8 19.6 23.2 24.2 18.3
9 3 3 2 1 16.1 19.9 19.3 17.3 23.1 22.7 22.6 28.6 21.2
The objective was to maximize the pull-off force of a connector to a nylon tube for an
automotive application so SNL.
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Table 5- Tabulated S/N ratios
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