Your Reliability Engineering Professional Development Site
A listing in reverse chronological order of articles by:
Many problem solving processes include separate steps for determining root cause and generating potential solutions. In cases where a clear and single cause is identified, maybe there is some sense to this. However, for complex situations the causes tend to be tangled together through interactions, which cannot be determined with simple comparative tests. A well constructed Design of Experiments can uncover the causes and expose the solution at the same time. [Read more…]
No discussion of root cause analysis is complete without a review of 5 Why Analysis. This brainstorming technique was developed by Japanese industrialist and founder of the Toyota Motor Corporation, Sakichi Toyoda, and used throughout Toyota since the 1930’s. As the wave of continuous improvement moved through the aviation industry in the 1970’s, the auto industry in the 1980’s, and the healthcare industry in the 1990’s, 5 Why Analysis moved along with it. The tool’s simplicity is what makes it so adaptable in the safety, quality, engineering and production disciplines. [Read more…]
On the surface, it is easy to run a test. What is less easy is gathering the required and desired information. Set up and analysis do not matter if the data is of low quality. Consider these points to improve your effectiveness. [Read more…]
More than one operational mode may need to be considered to ensure that all important failure modes are identified and analyzed in the FMEA. This article focuses on what you need to know about modes of operation when performing FMEAs.
“My favorite mode of transport is hot-air ballooning. It’s so graceful to be blown by the wind, to go where the wind takes you.” Richard Branson
Collecting information about a problem is easy at first. Ideas just flow. At a certain point the question is, did we cover enough ground? Are we missing anything? The Cause and Effect Diagram is a tool to visually help ensure we are broad in our approach. [Read more…]
One excellent starting point of the investigation phase of a root cause analysis is the comparison of the product measurements to the available process data. With an effective traceability system, you can define a relatively short time range in which the defective parts were manufactured. Once these “fence posts” are identified, use them to examine the available process data such as the recorded pressures, temperatures, times, and speeds. [Read more…]
The flow chart is a method to scope a process and gain agreement on conversation context. There are different approaches to creating them. Get an overview here and determine if it can help with your next situation. [Read more…]
Vilfredo Pareto is credited with the Pareto Principle, and thus the Pareto chart. He is NOT my uncle, but many assume he could be! He was an Italian economist, and I do have Italian heritage. The chart allows prioritization to happen, considering the 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle. We cannot do everything, so where do we start? This is one way to make that choice. [Read more…]
Anyone who has worked around the fields of reliability or quality has certainly bumped into “standard deviation” – a statistic that measures the dispersion within a group of data. [Read more…]
Concept development and selection is critical for New Product Development. Approaches vary, so what should you do? The video helps you consider your situation and how to blend an approach for increased chances for project success. [Read more…]
Many companies miss out on the value of System FMEA and begin with lower level sub-assemblies or components. This article explains why it is usually best to begin with a properly done System FMEA.
“Big whirls have little whirls,
That feed on their velocity;
And little whirls have lesser whirls,
And so on to viscosity.”
Lewis Fry Richardson
Design of Experiments (DOE) sounds far more complex than it is. The point is to create an empirical equation to make decisions. This video defines DOE in an extremely simple manner. [Read more…]
Anyone who knows me knows I love hearing from the students who take my online classes. One reason is that they ask the most challenging questions. Here’s a recent question from a student taking my “Process Capability Analysis” class: [Read more…]
Our view of success impacts our ability to improve our opportunity for success. How do we consider our own outcomes? What about results of competition? Perspective from Behavioral Science can help us perform at a higher level and find ways to always improve. [Read more…]
Our optimism or pessimism can impact performance and decision making. How do our natural biases impact emotions? We explore this topic to help gain a competitive advantage. [Read more…]
