Control Charts

Project Quality
Management

Control Charts
Definition:
- A statistical tool to
determine if a process is in
control.

History of Control
Charts

Developed in 1920s
By Dr. Walter A. Shewhart
Shewhart worked for Bell
Telephone Labs

Two Types of Control

Charts

Variable Control Charts

Attribute Control Charts

Variable Control Charts

Deal with items that can be
measured .
Examples
1) Weight
2) Height
3) Speed
4) Volume

Types of Variable
Control Charts

X-Bar chart
R chart
MA chart

Variable Control Charts

X chart: deals with a average
value in a process
R chart: takes into count the
range of the values
MA chart: take into count the
moving average of a process

Attribute Control Charts

Control charts that factor in the
quality attributes of a process
to determine if the process is
performing in or out of control.

Types of Attribute
Control Charts

P chart
C Chart
U Chart

Attribute Control Charts

P Chart: a chart of the percent
defective in each sample set.
C chart: a chart of the number
of defects per unit in each
sample set.
U chart: a chart of the average
number of defects in each
sample set.

Reasons for using

Control Charts

Improve productivity
Make defects visible
Determine what process
adjustments need to be made
Determine if process is in or
out of control

Real World Use of

Control Charts
Example from Managing
Quality by Foster.

The Sampson company develops special

equipment for the United States Armed
Forces. They need to use control charts to
insure that they are producing a product that
conforms to the proper specifications.
Sampson needs to produce high tech and top
of the line products, daily so they must have
a process that is capable to reduce the risks
of defects.

How Will Using Control Charts

help your Project?
Possible Goals when using
Control Charts in your project:

Line reengineering
Increased motivation
Continually improve of your
process
Increased profits
Zero defects

Control Chart Key Terms

Out of Control: the process may
not performing correctly
In Control: the process may be
performing correctly
UCL: upper control limit
LCL: lower control limit
Average value: average

Process is OUT of
control if:
One or multiple points outside
the control limits
Eight points in a row above the
average value
Multiple points in a row near the
control limits

Process is IN control if:

The sample points fall between
the control limits
There are no major trends
forming, i.e.. The points vary,
both above and below the
average value.

Calculating Major Lines

in a Control Chart
Average Value: take the average of
the sample data
UCL: Multiply the Standard deviation
by three. Then add that value to the
Average Value.
LCL: Multiply the Standard deviation
by three. Then subtract that value
from the Average Value.

Examples of Control
Charts

Examples of Control
Charts

Control Charts
The following control chart
shows the improvement of a
process. The standard deviation
decreases as the process
becomes more capable.

Example of Control
Charts

-Developing Control Charts

Control Charts (aka process or QC charts) show sample data
plotted on a graph with CL, UCL, and LCL
Control chart for variables are used to monitor characteristics
that can be measured, e.g. length, weight, diameter, time
Control charts for attributes are used to monitor
characteristics that have discrete values and can be counted,
e.g. % defective, # of flaws in a shirt, etc.

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Setting Control Limits

Percentage of values
under normal curve

Control limits
balance
risks like Type I
error

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Control Charts for

Variables

Use x-bar and R-bar

charts together
Used to monitor
different variables
X-bar & R-bar Charts
reveal different
problems
Is statistical control on
one chart, out of
control on the other
chart? OK?
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Control Charts for

Variables

Use x-bar charts to monitor the

changes in the mean of a process
(central tendencies)
Use R-bar charts to monitor the
dispersion or variability of the process
System can show acceptable central
tendencies but unacceptable variability
or
System can show acceptable variability
but unacceptable central tendencies
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Constructing an X-bar Chart: A quality control inspector at the

Cocoa Fizz soft drink company has taken three samples with
four observations each of the volume of bottles filled. If the
standard deviation of the bottling operation is .2 ounces, use
the below data to develop control charts with limits of 3 standard
deviations for the 16 oz. bottling operation.
Time 1

Time 2

Time 3

Observation
1

15.8

16.1

16.0

Observation
2

16.0

16.0

15.9

Observation
3

15.8

15.8

15.9

Observation
4

15.9

15.9

15.8

Sample
means (Xbar)

15.87
5

15.975

15.9

Sample
ranges (R)

0.2

0.3

0.2

Center line and control

limit formulas
x 1 x 2 ...x n

, x
k
n
where (k) is the # of sample means and (n)
is the # of observations w/in each sample
x

UCL x x z x
LCL x x z x

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Solution and Control Chart (xbar)

Center line (x-double bar):

15.875 15.975 15.9

x
15.92
3

Control limits for3 limits:

.2
UCL x x z x 15.92 3
16.22
4
.2
LCL x x z x 15.92 3
15.62
4
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X-Bar Control Chart

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Control Chart for Range (R)

Center Line and Control

Limit formulas:

0.2 0.3 0.2

R
.233
3
UCLR D4 R 2.28(.233) .53
LCLR D3 R 0.0(.233) 0.0

Factors for three sigma control

Factor for x-Chart
Factors for R-Chart
limits
Sample
Size
(n)

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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A2
1.88
1.02
0.73
0.58
0.48
0.42
0.37
0.34
0.31
0.29
0.27
0.25
0.24
0.22

D3
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.08
0.14
0.18
0.22
0.26
0.28
0.31
0.33
0.35

D4
3.27
2.57
2.28
2.11
2.00
1.92
1.86
1.82
1.78
1.74
1.72
1.69
1.67
1.6529

R-Bar Control Chart

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Second Method for the X-bar Chart

Using
R-bar and the A2 Factor

Use this method when sigma for the

process distribution is not know
Control limits solution:

0.2 0.3 0.2

R
.233
3
UCL x x A 2 R 15.92 0.73 .233 16.09
LCL x x A 2 R 15.92 0.73 .233 15.75
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ACTIVITY

Control Charts for

Attributes P-Charts & CCharts
Attributes are discrete events: yes/no or
pass/fail

Use P-Charts for quality characteristics that are

discrete and involve yes/no or good/bad decisions

Number of leaking caulking tubes in a box of 48

Number of broken eggs in a carton

Use C-Charts for discrete defects when there can

be more than one defect per unit

Number of flaws or stains in a carpet sample cut from a

production run
Number of complaints per customer at a hotel

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P-Chart Example: A production manager for a tire

company has inspected the number of defective tires in
five random samples with 20 tires in each sample. The
table below shows the number of defective tires in each
sample of 20 tires. Calculate the control limits.
Sampl
e

Number Number of
of
Tires in
Defectiv
each
e Tires
Sample

Proportio
n
Defectiv
e

20

.15

20

.10

20

.05

20

.10

20

.05

Total

100

.09

Solution:

CL p
p

# Defectives
9

.09
Total Inspected 100

p(1 p )
(.09)(.91)

0.64
n
20

UCLp p z .09 3(.064) .282

LCLp p z .09 3(.064) .102 0

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P- Control Chart

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C-Chart Example: The number of weekly

customer complaints are monitored in a large
hotel using a
c-chart. Develop three sigma control limits
using the data table below.
Week Number of
Solution:
Complaints

10

Total

22

# complaints 22
CL

2.2
# of samples 10
UCLc c z c 2.2 3 2.2 6.65
LCLc c z c 2.2 3 2.2 2.25 0

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C- Control Chart

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Process Capability
Product Specifications

Preset product or service dimensions, tolerances: bottle fill might be

16 oz. .2 oz. (15.8oz.-16.2oz.)

Based on how product is to be used or what the customer expects

Process Capability Cp and Cpk

Assessing capability involves evaluating process variability relative to

preset product or service specifications

Cp assumes that the process is centered in the specification range

specification width USL LSL

Cp

process width
6
Cpk helps to address a possible lack of centering of the process
USL LSL
Cpk min
,

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