Date of Award

6-2012

Degree Name

MS in Biomedical Engineering

Department/Program

Biomedical and General Engineering

Advisor

Lanny Griffin

Abstract

Sig sigma is a methodology where companies strive to reproduce results ending up having a 99.9996% chance their product will be void of defects. In order for companies to reach six sigma, statistical process control (SPC) needs to be introduced. SPC has many different tools associated with it, control charts being one of them. Control charts play a vital role in managing how a process is behaving. Control charts allow users to identify special causes, or shifts, and can therefore change the process to keep producing good products, free of defects.

There are many factories and manufacturing facilities having implemented some sort of statistical process control. St. Jude Medical implemented control charts to monitor different tools on the manufacturing line. How the data is entered and stored poses a difficult situation for the person monitoring the processes. The program used to keep the control charts is not user friendly and difficult to use. Another program can be produced to provide a greater level of efficiency.

The goals of this project are to stress how important control charts are in the manufacturing world, what problems are currently seen for operators and supervisors, and how a new and improved program can help fix the current situation. This paper goes into the reasons for the change as well has what has been improved.

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