I spoke with a customer the other day who wanted multiple labels along the x-axis of his control chart. His data set and original chart looked like this:
Did you notice how the x-axis labels contain only the date column? He also wanted the batch number as part of the x-axis label. In the chart definition form, you can select only a single identifier as the label as shown below:
The solution lies on the data definition tab.
I often get asked SPC application questions such as: Can Ppk be larger than Cpk? Can Cpk be larger than Cp? Do you recommend CPM, Cpk, Ppk or something else? I prefer to answer these process capability questions with simple one-word answers, but that doesn’t usually satisfy the quality zealot’s curiosity. So here’s the long and the short of one of the questions.
In short, Yes, Ppk can be larger than Cpk. If you are doubtful, or consider yourself a quality zealot, grab a cup of joe, and read on.
This winter has been one of the coldest on record for many people in the US and Canada.
For everyone looking for a place to warm-up, this CHARTrunner chart shows the average number of above-90-degree days in 10 of the warmest cities in the US.
Source: USA Today Weather
You can enjoy these entertaining charts every month when you subscribe to our free electronic monthly newsletter, Quality eLine. But Quality eLine offers more than just winter warm-up destinations. Each issue features Six Sigma information, quality training tips, statistical process control help, gage R&R information, and more. Subscribe today!
Many people are surprised when they see GAGEpack’s Search and Replace function in action. This is a powerful feature that I think most every GAGEpack user could use. But, use this feature with caution, as ALL gages can be modified.
First, let’s suppose you name all of your gages with a 3-digit code for department. In this example, we will say your gage numbers in the plating department start out with the letters ‘PLT’. Next, we assume you are interested in using the group field to record the department the gage is assigned to.
Here is PQ Systems’ very own Dr. Barbara Cleary with Marsha Bonhart, anchor for NBC Channel 2 news in Dayton, OH, after her interview on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 where she promoted her new book Claire Anne and the Talking Hat.
This new children’s book explores the use of quality tools to promote learning.
Visit ASQ’s website for more information and to purchase your copy.
I recently received an e-mail from SPC Press about a new book Donald Wheeler wrote, Twenty Things You Need to Know. Don has written many books on SPC, measurement systems analysis, Six Sigma, and other quality topics.
Although I have not yet read Twenty Things You Need to Know, I can tell you that his other books (such as Understanding Statistical Process Control and Understanding Variation) are worth reading. Okay, they don’t exactly read like a good novel that you can’t put down, but they serve as outstanding quality statistics reference sources.
If you are interested in his new book, you might want to look at an excerpt which is available through this link: http://www.spcpress.com/pdf/three_questions.pdf
In this excerpt, Wheeler states
“…these three questions define the essence of how to get things done.”
Hello Everyone!
These are the training dates for the first quarter of 2009. I hope you can join us for some of these sessions!
SQCpack EZ 101 (75-minute webinar)
January 22, 2009 – 11:00 am to 12:15 pm ET
GAGEpack calibration management (One-day seminar)
January 29, 2009 – 8:00 am to 4:30 pm ET
SpringHill Suites, Dayton, OH
SQCpack EZ unwrapped (75-minute webinar)
February 5, 2009 – 11:00 am to 12:15 pm ET
Understanding capability & control charts – Part I (75-minute webinar)
February 12, 2009 – 11:00 am to 12:15 pm ET
Understanding capability & control charts – Part II (75-minute webinar)
February 13, 2009 – 11:00 am to 12:15 pm ET
Understanding your processes using SQCpack (75-minute webinar)
February 19, 2009 – 11:00 am to 12:15 pm ET
Easy gage tracking (90-minute webinar)
March 11, 2009 – 11:00 am to 12:30 pm ET
Beyond Excel: Easy SPC charting (90-minute webinar)
March 18, 2009 – 10:00 am to 11:30 am ET
Process improvement using CHARTrunner (One-day seminar)
March 24, 2009 – 8:00 am to 4:30 pm ET
Homewood Suites, Dayton, OH
SPC charting with SQCpack (One-day seminar)
March 25, 2009 – 8:00 am to 4:30 pm ET
Homewood Suites, Dayton, OH
Recently I was given an Excel file that contained some data for the time it took to complete a task. The data had a column that listed the “time” and the data was in time-of-day format. I wanted to make a control chart showing how long, in minutes & seconds, a task took. Unfortunately, Excel categorized this as a Date/Time field, which can not be easily charted. Since the column listed the time the task took in hours:minutes:seconds, I needed a way to convert this to a number that I could chart on a control chart.
Hello from Professor Cleary and welcome to our new PQ Systems blog!
Here we are going to blog about quality-related topics, PQ Systems software, and improvement news. You can learn from our quality experts here at PQ, as well as from your fellow blog readers.
I encourage you to comment and post your own contributions to share with other readers. Post your questions, comments, anecdotes, criticisms, and other input and it will get our attention and that of other readers interested in the topic. Let’s talk!
