Hey Steve and All,

> Hi All,
>
> I'd like to ask any input or opinions on how to implement a SPC program
> that
> will really be meaningful. I don't want to waste time and effort on
> something
> if all it's going to produce is "window dressing"...
>
        It could be an opportunity to generate some numbers on where you
know things can improve in the shop.
        The goal of any company should be 'to make money'.  If something
doesn't contribute to making money - directly or indirectly, why do it?

        <Snip>

> So what I'm wondering in a situation like this, what good is SPC going to
> do?
>
        If it's worth doing it will save you time, money and grey hairs.

> I think the time spent trying to correctly identify all the variables and
> gather meaningful data would be better spent in training and working with
> our
> operators to learn all the little nuances with the product we build so we
> can
> deal with them.
>
        Tracking the process and improving the process instead of individual
products would work, right?
        I did an analysis on one project and counted how long each process
took.  Found our bottlenecks real quick and eliminated guessing where we
'thought' the problems were.

> What was proposed to me for example in screen printing, was
> to create a simple attribute chart for example;
>
> 1. Is the paste coverage complete? Yes/No
> 2. Is it registered on the pads? Yes/No
> 3. Is the paste smeared? Yes/No
>
> or such simple attributes such as that, and then plot them on a chart. To
> me
> it'll be a waste of time.
>
        Sounds like a Go/No Go Inspect step.  Catch stuff before it's too
late you have to kill a panel.

> We don't have anything to quantify any
> measurements...no paste height measuring equipment, or X/Y measuring
> equipment, everything will be done by the ol' Mark-I / MOD-I eyeball with
> all
> it's subjectivity...
>
        Oh, you get to play the rock game!  You definitely have a point, I
don't see how those attributes fit into a meaningful chart.  If the answer
was 'No' you'd start over pasting the board right?

        What's the goal here?  Do they want to say 'We have a process
controlled SMT operation' or do they want to say 'We saved $100k this
quarter by eliminating unnecessary touch-up and rework'?  Ideally your SPC
program would save more money than you would spend implementing it.  SPC
data should be used down at the operator and process engineer level.  The
numbers the operator collects should tell them how they are doing.

> but I am still being asked to establish an SPC program in SMT.
>
        This is not, necessarily, a bad thing.  Show everybody how much more
'doing it the way we have always done it' costs instead of what is needed.
It's not up to you to make people turn their brains on again but the right
chart makes it obscenely apparent.  Pareto Analysis, Fishbone and Cause &
Effect charts would be a start.

        Do you have a University nearby to get a workstudy or co-op for a
semester to help?

> Am I fighting this too much? Or is there some means that will be
> worthwhile
> to make this happen? Oh yeah, it's gotta be cheap (next to nothing) too...
>
        Check out some of the articles on the Quality webpage regarding SPC.
        Might give you the research to make it a good thing.
        http://qualitymag.com/articles.html

        Also, you might try for a Kaizen event, when done right, it avoids
the inertia wall (resistance to change) you can hit sometimes.

        Hans


~~~~~~~~
Hans M. Hinners                                 WR-ALC/LYPME Bldg. 640
Materials Engineer                                      380 Second Street,
Suite 104
Manufacturing Eng. Sec.                         Robins AFB GA 31098-1638
912-926-1970 (Voice) 468 - 1970 (DSN)   912-926-7974 (Fax)
[log in to unmask]

##############################################################
TechNet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c
##############################################################
To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the body:
To subscribe:   SUBSCRIBE TECHNET <your full name>
To unsubscribe:   SIGNOFF TECHNET
##############################################################
Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional
information.
If you need assistance - contact Gayatri Sardeshpande at [log in to unmask] or
847-509-9700 ext.5365
##############################################################