2k Factorials - Center Points and Blocking

Cube Plot - Means for Yield

40

40.9

41.5
40
46

Time
39.3

40.0

30
150

160

Temp

Adding Center Points

There is always a risk in 2-level designs of missing a curvilinear
relationship by only including two levels of the Input Variable
The addition of Center points is an efficient way to test for curvature
without adding a large number of experimental runs and to check the
process at nominal
Example:
A chemical engineer wants to improve yield
There are two inputs of interest: Reaction Time and Reaction
Temperature
The engineer decides to conduct the experiment using a 2x2 design
(Reaction Time x Reaction Temp), but will add 5 center points to
estimate experimental error and curvature
Inputs:
Reaction Temp: 150 and 160; Center point = 155
Reaction Time: 30 and 40; Center point = 35

Design Matrix
Lets design the matrix in Minitab utilizing 5 center points

Design Matrix
StdOrder RunOrder Blocks Temp
1

150

30

160

30

150

40

160

40

155

35

155

35

155

35

155

35

155

35

Center Points
4

Time

Center Points
The experiment is carried out and the following data result:
RunOrder Blocks

Temp Time

Yield

150

30

39.3

160

30

40.0

150

40

40.9

160

40

41.5

155

35

40.3

155

35

40.5

155

35

40.7

155

35

40.2

155

35

40.6

Analysis
Estimated Effects and Coefficients for Yield

Term

Effect

Coef

Constant

Std Coef t-value

40.4444

0.06231

649.07

0.000

Temp

0.6500

0.3250

0.09347

3.48

0.018

Time

1.5500

0.7750

0.09347

8.29

0.000

-0.0500

-0.0250

0.09347

-0.27

0.800

Temp*Time

Analysis of Variance for Yield

Source

DF

Seq SS

Adj SS

Adj MS

Main Effects

2.82500

2.82500

1.41250

40.42

0.001

2-Way Interactions

0.00250

0.00250

0.00250

0.07

0.800

Residual Error

0.17472

0.17472

0.03494

Curvature

0.00272

0.00272

0.00272

0.06

0.814

Pure Error

0.17200

0.17200

0.04300

3.00223

Total

SS Curvature =
6

nf

n (y
c

y )

n f + nc

Not Important

Blocked Factorial Experiments

Suppose you are going to run a 2 4

experiment. It requires 16 runs, but there is
only enough volume of business to run 8 trials
in any particular region in one month.
What would you do?
What if you only have enough business to run 4
trials in any particular region?

Blocking
Any time you cannot perform all trials at
approximately the same time, using the same raw
materials, staff, etc., you have introduced a new
source of variability into the experiment.
You need a way to separate this unavoidableand
uninterestingsource of variability from the more
interesting effects of the experimental factors.
The solution is to treat the unavoidable source of
variation as another factor in the experimental
design, and perform the experiment in blocks.

Definition
A block is a carefully chosen subset of the total runs in the
experiment that are tested close together in time or under
similar conditions.
Similar conditions means that factors not being tested in the
experiment are the same or very nearly so (includes factors such as
staffing, physical environment, source materials, etc.).
In the situation discussed on the previous page, you would have to
conduct the experiment in (a) 2 blocks of 8 trials or (b) 4 blocks of 4 trials,
depending on how many trials you can do at the same time.
The experimental runs within a block are performed under the same
conditions; but different blocks encounter different conditions.
If a design is replicated, the replicates can be run in blocks instead of
totally randomized.
If a design is not replicated, the trials can still be run in blocks; the cost is
increased confounding (the Minitab menu will select a blocked design for
9 you with the least confounding possible).

Situations Where Experiments May Need to Be

Blocked

Cant do all
runs at one
time
Days
Shifts
Location
10

Cant make all

parts from similar
raw material
Lots
Batches
Regions

Cant make tests

under similar
conditions

Machines
Workers
Customers
Environment

Using Minitab to Design Blocked Experiment

Example:

2in4 2 blocks of Size 8

Stat > DOE > Create Factorial Design > Factors 4 > Design

11

Interpreting Block Effects

If any of the block effects are judged to be important, we know the blocks differ
from each other.
This is not a surprise since the design was blocked to control known sources of
variation.
To find how the blocks differ from each other, you must find the averages of all
blocks and compare them. This is best done on a plot. Heres an example with 4
blocks.
8
Response
Average

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
1

Block

If none of the block effects are judged to be important, you can drop the blocking
factor from the analysis without biasing the conclusions about other factors. (We
assume that
the interactions confounded with the block effects are also negligible.)
12

Things to Know About Blocked Designs

Block effects are confounded with factor effects,

usually higher-order interactions.
Confounding blocks with factors does not occur if you
have a factorial that is replicated in blocks.

An assumption made with blocked designs is that

interactions between blocking and other factors are
negligible.
This means that main factor effects and interactions are the
same for all blocks.
Example: If there are two shifts, treat each shift as a block;
the assumption is that the main effect for Factor A is the same
in Shift 1 and Shift 2.
13

Exercise

Objective:

To perform the analysis of a Four-Factor Experiment with two

blocks

Problem:

A chemical engineer is interested in maximizing Filtration Rate

of a chemical product produced in a pressure vessel. The experiment will
take 16 runs but only 8 runs can be completed in a day. Two days are
necessary for the completion of the entire experiment.

Output:
Inputs:

Filtration Rate (gal/h)

Temperature (T)
Pressure (P)
Formaldehyde Concentration (F)
Stirring Rate (S)

Procedure:
Use Minitab to design the experiment with 4 Factors in 16 runs with 2
Blocks
Analyze the data using the provided data
14

Exercise Data from Minitab

Worksheet Block DOE

Tempareture
Pressure Concentration
Stirring Rate
Day
40
4
5% 10 RPM
60
3
5% 10 RPM
60
4
8% 10 RPM
40
3
8% 10 RPM
60
4
5% 15 RPM
40
3
5% 15 RPM
40
4
8% 15 RPM
60
3
8% 15 RPM
60
4
5% 10 RPM
40
3
5% 10 RPM
40
4
8% 10 RPM
60
3
8% 10 RPM
40
4
5% 15 RPM
60
3
5% 15 RPM
60
4
8% 15 RPM
40
3
8% 15 RPM

Filtrate
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

71
48
68
65
43
104
86
70
45
65
60
80
100
45
75
96

Data are in Blockfactorial.MTW. Complete the analysis

15

Nested Hierarchical Design

Nested or Hierarchical Design

When the levels of one factor(Say B) are similar but not identical for
different levels of another factor (say A).
Example : A company purchase raw material from 3 different
supplier. We need to determine the level of purity of each supplier. 4
batches of material available for each supplier and three samples
are taken from each batch. The situation is given below.

Supplier

Batches

Observations

This is a two stage nested design and the batches nested with
supplier, because the batch 1 of supplier 1 is not same of any other
supplier.
17

Analysis of 2-stage Nested Design

Open the file Nested.Mpj
The Purity data is given below
Supplier
1
2
3
Batch
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
93.45 92.7 92.7 93.45 93.45 93.2 92.95 93.2 93.7 92.7 93.45 93.95
Purity 92.95 92.45 93.2 94.2 92.7 94.2 93.2 93.95 94.2 93.2 92.95 93.7
93.2 92.2 93.45 93.2 92.45 93.7 92.7 93.7 93.2 93.7 93.7 93.45
MINITAB Command
1. GO TO STAT > ANOVA> Fully Nested ANOVA and get the Window
and give the commands

18

Analysis of 2-stage Nested Design

MINITAB Command
2. Enter the Model as follows and Okay

Purity depends on Supplier

and Batch within Supplier.
The model entered in this
way.

The ANOVA table

Source
DF SS
MS
F
P
Supplier
2 0.941 0.4705 0.969 0.416
Batches(Supplier)
9 4.3698 0.4855 2.944 0.017
Error
24 3.9583 0.1649
Total
35 9.2691

Conclusion :Batches (Supplier) differs significantly.

19

Design & Analysis of Nested & Crossed Factors

In some cases some factors will be crossed and other factors will
be nested.
An engineer want to study the effect of Layout, Fixture and
Operators on assembly time. Due to different location it is difficult
to use same operator in each layout.
Here Operators are nested within the levels of layouts, while fixture
and layouts are crossed.
Open the worksheet Assembly time on Nested.mpj

20

Layout-1
1 2 3 4
22 23 28 25
Fixture 1
24 24 29 23

Layout - 2
1 2 3 4
26 27 28 24
28 25 25 23

Fixture 2

30 29 30 27
27 28 32 25

29 30 24 28
28 27 23 30

Fixture 3

25 24 27 26
21 22 25 23

27 26 24 28
25 24 27 27

Design & Analysis of Nested & Crossed Factors

MINITAB Command
1.

GO TO STAT > ANOVA> GLM and get the Window and give the commands

2.

Enter the Model as follows

and Okay
Time depends on the model
which have nested and
crossed factors

21

Design & Analysis of Nested & Crossed Factors

The ANOVA table as follows;
Source
DF Seq SS
Layout
1
4.083
Fixture
2 82.792
Operator(Layout)
6 71.917
Layout*Fixture
2 19.042
Fixture*Operator(Layout) 12 65.833
Error
24
56
Total
47 299.667

Adj SS Adj MS
4.083
4.083
82.792 41.396
71.917 11.986
19.042
9.521
65.833
5.486
56
2.333

F
0.34
7.55
2.18
1.74
2.35

P
0.581
0.008
0.117
0.218
0.036

Exercise:
Consider the following three stage nested design shown below.
Open the Worksheet Hardness.MTW.
Analyse the data and conclude.

Heats
Ingots
Observations
22

1
1

Alloy formulation

3
2

1
2

3
2