Ed,

Absolutely correct.  SPC has a bad habit of showing that the problem is not in the
operation of the equipment or materials but limitations of these things.  That means
management cannot blame a person and must invest money to improve the situation.
When the manager or management has stated that they are 100% behind the SPC program but
are not reactive to the data they look bad.

Funny thing, in my experience it is the better operators who catch on and figure out
how to use the SPC charts.  The areas that really need the data never get those charts
to the point you can calculate the cPk.

Just my opinion.

Chuck Brummer

Ed Cosper wrote:

> Lou has a made a very good point.  In one article I wrote for PC Fab some
> years ago on SPC, I made a similar comment.  Oh the subsequent wailing and
> gnashing of teeth!!
>
> I stated in this article that one of the first things and effective SPC
> program will highlight is incompetence. The problem is simple. Once you
> highlight a concern, someone now is expected to fix it. In many instances,
> those responsible may not be able to fix it. This presents a significant
> problem to many in our industry that may have been promoted into positions
> that they are simply not qualified for.
>
> I know many may challenge my position on this but I suspect when were alone
> and no one is around, we all can relate to individuals to which my scenario
> applies.
>
> Just my opinion and that's all it is.
>
> Ed Cosper
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lou Hart <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, December 02, 1999 5:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [TN] SPC Information
>
> Thanks, Bob, for your comments on SPC.  Your last point is critical - gage
> error.  If you don't have a good gage, give up right away.  By good, I mean
> not that it is able to determine that something does or does not meet spec,
> rather, that it can discriminate between parts or coupons or any test sample
> that actually comes off the production line.  There's a book by Don Wheeler,
> Evaluating the Measurement Process, that deals with this point.
>
> SPC is not a cookie cutter approach.  You need some engineering sense.  I
> dare say no one who has used SPC found a recipe for it in his or her
> industry in a book.  It's a tool.  I can go out and buy a box of wrenches,
> but that doesn't make me a car mechanic.
>
> I'm interested to hear from others on the new IPC document on SPC in
> assembly, am still eagerly awaiting my copy.
>
> Why is SPC not used more widely?  It's been around 70 years, easy to use,
> and it helps.  Hate to sound cynical, but maybe it's because with SPC any
> operator can see and prove when engineering and management has given him an
> incapable process.
>
> Lou Hart
>
> ##############################################################
> 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
> ##############################################################
>
> ##############################################################
> 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
> ##############################################################

##############################################################
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
##############################################################