Quality Management Practice Questions

Question 1

If a sample of parts is measured and the mean of the sample measurements is outside the
control limits,

A. the process is out of control and the cause can be established.

B. the process is in control, but not capable of producing within the established control
limits.
C. the process variance must also be in control.
D. the process is within the established control limits with only natural causes of
variation.

Question 2

Process capability

A. exists when the process is perfectly centered.

B. means that the natural variation of the process must be small enough to produce
products that meet the standard.
C. cannot be measured.
D. exists when CPK is less than 1.0.

Question 3

The objective of a statistical process control system is to

A. provide a signal when natural variations are present.

B. eliminate natural variation.
C. assess the customer expectations.
D. provide a signal when assignable variations are present.

1/8
Question 4

The AutoMaker company manufactures engines for Car X. The following data on the
number of bearings needed for 40 engines were collected when the process was in control.

Observation
Sample 1 2 3 4
1 604 612 588 600
2 597 601 607 603
3 581 570 585 592
4 620 605 595 588
5 590 614 608 604

Calculate the control limits for a R-chart and a X -chart

Since these data were collected, some new employees were hired. A new sample obtained
the following readings: 570, 603, 623 and 583. Is the process still in control?

Question 5

Metals Inc. is a major supplier of socket head cap screws. It is concerned about the
production of a special metal screw supplied to its biggest customer as the diameter of the
screw is of imperative importance. Data from 5 samples appear in the accompanying
table. The sample size is 4. Is the process in statistical control?

Data for the X and R-charts: Observations of screw diameter (inches)

Observation
Sample
1 2 3 4
Number
1 0.5014 0.5022 0.5009 0.5027
2 0.5021 0.5041 0.5024 0.502
3 0.5018 0.5026 0.5035 0.5023
4 0.5008 0.5034 0.5024 0.5015
5 0.5041 0.5056 0.5034 0.5047

2/8
Question 6

Spokes Inc bought a new machine to produce spokes specifically for mountain bicycles.
The company’s process engineering department has conducted some experiments and
reported that the mean is 8.01cm with a standard deviation of 0.03. The specification
limits are: 8.00cm ±0.12cm.

What is the Cpk of the machine?

Question 7

A process is being charted on an X and R-chart combination. At 10:00 a.m. you take a
sample, compute the relevant statistics, and note on the charts that the process is currently
in a state of statistical control. There were some problems on the line yesterday, so your
manager drops by for an informal discussion and asks you if all of the output being
produced by the process at this time is fine. What should your response be?

Question 8

Determine the capability of the 3 processes below:

Process Mean Standard Lower Upper

Deviation Specifications Specifications
1 7.5 0.10 7 8.0
2 4.6 0.12 4.3 4.9
3 6.0 0.14 5.5 6.7

3/8
 Answer Key

Please do NOT refer to the answers until you finish the questions on your own.

Q1—3: A B D

Q4:

Observation
Sample 1 2 3 4 R X
1 604 612 588 600 24 601
2 597 601 607 603 10 602
3 581 570 585 592 22 582
4 620 605 595 588 32 602
5 590 614 608 604 24 604
Total 112 2991
Average 22.4 598.2
R-chart control limits are:

UCLR = D4 R = 2.282(22.4) = 51.12

LCLR = D3 R = 0(22.4) = 0
The X-chart control limits are:

UCL X = X + A2 R = 598.2 + 0.729(22.4) = 614.53

LCL X = X - A2 R = 598.2 – 0.729(22.4) =581.87

First check to see if the variability is still in control based on the new data. The range is
53(=623-570), which is outside the UCL for the R-chart. Since the Process variability is
out of control, it is meaningless to test for the process average using the current estimate
for R . A search for assignable causes inducing excessive variability must be conducted.

(Note that you can reconstruct the control charts with the addition of a new sample. It is
acceptable as well☺)

4/8
Q5

For simplicity, we only use 5 samples. In reality, more than 20 samples would be
desirable. The data are shown in the following Table B.

Observation
Sample
1 2 3 4 R X
Number
1 0.5014 0.5022 0.50090.5027 0.0018 0.5018
2 0.5021 0.5041 0.5024 0.502 0.0021 0.5027
3 0.5018 0.5026 0.50350.5023 0.0017 0.5026
4 0.5008 0.5034 0.50240.5015 0.0026 0.5020
5 0.5041 0.5056 0.50340.5047 0.0022 0.5045
Average 0.0021 0.5027
R is calculated by subtracting the lowest value from the highest value. X is just the
average of the values. To construct the R-chart, select the appropriate constants, for a
sample size of 4. The control limits are:

UCLR = D4 R = 2.282(0.0021) = 0.00479 inches

LCLR = D3 R = 0(0.0021) = 0 inches

Plot the ranges on the R-chart as shown in the figure below. None of the sample ranges
falls outside of the control limits. Hence the process variability is in statistical control. If
any of the sample ranges fall outside of the limits, or an unusual pattern appears, we
would search for the causes of the excessive variability, correct them and repeat the
above.
R-chart

UCLR=0.00479

R =0.0021

LCLR=0.00

Sample Number

5/8
Compute the mean for each sample as seen in Table B.

Construct the x-chart for the process average. The average screw diameter is 0.5027
inches and the average range is 0.0021. So use X =0.5027, R =0.0021, and A2 for a
sample of size 4 to construct the control limits.

UCL X = X + A2 R = 0.5027 + (0.279) (0.0021) = 0.5042 inches

LCL X = X - A2 R = 0.5027- 0.729(0.0021) = 0.5012 inches

Plot the sample means on the control chart as shown in the figure below. The mean of
sample 5 falls above the UCL, indicating that the process average is out of statistical
control and those assignable causes must be explored.

X -chart

0.5050
0.5045
0.5040 UCL X =0.5042

0.5035
0.5030
0.5025 X = 0.5027
0.5020
0.5015
0.5010 LCL X =0.5012
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sample Number

Q6

USL = 8.0 + 0.12 =8.12

LSL = 8.0 -0.12 = 7.88

USL − X X − LSL 
Cpk =min  ,
 3ˆ 3ˆ 

6/8
  8.12 − 8.01 8.01 − 7.88 
 3(0.03) , 3(0.03) 
=min  

=min [1.22, 1.44]=1.22

The Cpk of 1.22 is greater than 1, implying an error rate of less than 2,700 defects per
million.

Q7

The control charts indicate that only natural variation exists in the process at this point in
time, so strictly from a process control standpoint, your response would be that you are in
control. This response should come with the caveat that you have based this judgment on
a sample of the process output and it is entirely possible that some output that was not
included in the sample is defective.

You should also point out to your manager that control chart limits are established based
on the process, not on product specifications as determined by design engineers or
customers. A process that has poor capability may be in control but consistently
generating output that does not meet product specifications.

Q8

Since the means of Process 1 & 2 are precisely in the center of their upper and lower
specifications, the Cp index could be used. However, since the mean of Process 3 is not
centered, Cpk would be used instead.

Process 1:

 8.0 − 7.0 
 
Cp =  6(0.1)  = 1.67

Process 2:

 4.9 − 4.3 
 
Cp =  6(1.2)  = 0.83

7/8
Process 3:

 6.7 − 6.0 6.0 − 5.5 

 3(0.14) , 3(0.14) 
Cpk =min  

=min [1.67, 1.19]

=1.19

Note: for process 3, Cp does NOT measure its current capability as its process mean
shifts away from nominal specification. In this case, the Cp value means the maximum
attainable capability by aligning the process mean with the nominal specification without
reducing the process variability.

8/8