Statistical Process Control in Ceramic Processing

Course description

This course will provide an introduction to statistical process control (SPC) and then its application to ceramic processing. SPC has been developed into a powerful set of tools to monitor each step in a manufacturing process to help keep it in control. The overall goal is to lower losses, improve productivity, lower production costs, improve product quality, and improve profits all at the same time. SPC tools allow one to observe when a process undergoes change, whether good or bad, and then to take steps to regain control or to analyze the causes of change, with the goal of preserving improvements. Rather than inspecting quality into production, the aim is to control each process step along the overall process and thus prevent problems from escalating downstream.

Applying SPC to ceramic processing requires not only a knowledge of SPC but also of the basics of each step in ceramic processing. While this course will not delve deeply into the details of ceramic processing, it will discuss them enough to illustrate how SPC can be utilized. A number of examples will be discussed. The topic of Continual Improvement will be discussed, using SPC and Design of Experiments to continually make incremental or large improvements.

Course Outline

Course Introduction

• Course Outline and Instructor Information
• History and Perspective on Process Control

Statistics and Statistical Process Control

• Statistical Basics and Statistical Distributions
• Run Charts
• Control Charts
• Regression and Correlation Analysis
• Process Improvement
• Design of Experiments
• Six Sigma

SPC Applied to Ceramic and Glass Processing

• Raw Materials
• Batching
• Material Preparation
  • Mixing
  • Spray drying
  • Slip preparation

Forming Operations

• Pressure fabrication (dry pressing)
• Plastic forming
• Slip casting

Drying

Firing

Glass processing

Machining

Finished ware inspection

Following ware through the production process

Continual Improvement