Process Capability and Capability Index

Prepared by,
Chandrakant K. Karale
Process Capability| Index

INDEX
Sr. No. Components
1 Background
2 Common Terminologies
3 Relationship between process variability and specification limit
width
4 Calculation of Cpk
5 Interpretation
6 Cpk Value Ranges
7 What if your process not capable
8 Application or Advantages of Cpk
Cpk| 1.0 Background

Traditional Statistical tools:

Descriptive Statistical Tool
a.) Mean: measure of central tendency
b.) Range: difference between smallest and largest observation in set of data
c.) Standard Deviation: Measures the amount of data dispersion around mean
d.) Data Distribution shape: Normal, Bell shaped or skewed

Normal distribution Skewed distribution

Cpk| 1.0 Background

Control Charts show sample data plotted on a graph with CL, UCL, and LCL
Cpk| 2.0 Terminologies

• Definition: “ Process Capability is the measured, inherent variation of the product turned out
by a process”

• What is Process: To some unique combination of machines, tools, methods, materials &
people engaged in production.
• Capability: An ability, based on tested performance, to achieve measurable results
• Process Capability = +3σ or -3σ ( a total of 6σ) Where, σ shows the standard deviation of
Process under a state of statistical control.

• Cp: process capability index

• Cpk: minimum process capability index
• Pp: process performance index
• Ppk: minimum process performance index

Cont..
 Cpk| 2.0 Terminologies
Cpk is:
• Process Capability measure
• Simple statistical measure estimate level  process output which will within
specified limit
• Provides comparison between output of process Vs Process Specification
• Process Improvement:

Statistical Process Control tool

monitors process

tells whether capable or not meeting desired level of performance

action to be taken

To investigate concerns

Helps in process improvement and to achieve desired capability levels Cont..

Cpk| 2.0 Terminologies

Cp, Cpk Vs Pp, Ppk

Cp Cpk Pp Ppk
Process Capability Process Performance

Aims
Process Verification

Cp- Potential Capability -For Process Performance

What process can do under certain
condition
i.e. variation in short run for process
in state of statistical control
Cpk- Actual Capability
Estimate of capability what process is
doing over extended period of time
-Usage process Sigma for calculation
-K stands for centralizing factor
-Process in too new (At development
stage)
- No historical Data
- Sample size is larger from process
- Usage sample sigma for calculation
- Cpk > Ppk
- Anomalies in case of: sample size is
small or data represents short
amount of time only in that cases
Cpk>Ppk is not true Cont..
Cpk 3.0 Relationship between Process
variability and Specification width
• Three possible ranges for Cp

– Cp = 1, as in Fig. (a), process

variability just meets
specifications

– Cp ≤ 1, as in Fig. (b), process not

capable of producing within
specifications

– Cp ≥ 1, as in Fig. (c), process

exceeds minimal specifications

• One shortcoming, Cp assumes that

the process is centered on the
specification range

• Cp=Cpk when process is centered

Cpk| 4.0 Calculations

𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
USL: upper specification limit; 𝑪𝒑𝒌 =
𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅
LSL: lower specification limit;
Mean: grand average of all the data
Sigma hat: estimated inherent variability (noise) of a stable process
SD: overall variability
Cpk| 4.0 Calculation

Process Capability analysis Process:

- Take representative sample of process output
- Statistical analysis of samples (Mathematical tools, Scattered Plot, Pareto Chart,
Histogram, (Minitab/Excel/QI Macros for exel)
- Calculate mean and Standard Deviation form the sample size
- Calculate Cp Value as well as Cpkl and Cpku
- Minimum value from Cpkl and Cpku is the value of Cpk
- By observing results of statistical analysis one can be explain or determine future
expected process capabilities (ex. In response to Productivity or Quality Attribute)
- Process Capability provides a single number which has ability to provide details of
process consistency output.
Requirement:
- Stable Process
Cpk| 5.0 Interpretation of Values

Sigm Defect Rate Yield Cpk Sigma Defect Rate Yield Cpk
a (DPMO) %Goods Level (DPMO) %Goods
Level
1σ 691462 30.9 0.33 4σ 6210 99.40% 1.33
2σ 308770 69.10% 0.67 5σ 233 99.98% 1.67
3σ 66811 93.33% 1 6σ 3.44 99.99967% 2.0
Cpk| 6.0 Cpk Value Ranges

Cp Cpk Pp Ppk Sigma

Red (Bad) < 1.00 < 1.00 < 1.33 < 1.33 < 4.5
Yellow (OK) 1.00 - 1.33 1.00 - 1.33 1.33 - 1.67 1.33 - 1.67 4.5 - 5.5

Green (Good) > 1.33 > 1.33 > 1.67 > 1.67 > 5.5
Cpk| 7.0 What if process not capable

-Initial action - increase the inspection level and ensure that confidence with respect to

the quality of output product is increased.

-Clearly, quality cannot be inspected into a product or process, therefore, the net steps will

be to look at how to improve the capability of the process.

-Reviewing the product specifications, as by widening the specifications, the capability

can be increased. (This can only be performed, if any proposed specification changes are

acceptable per customer needs.)

-Then looking at the process/Actual Operations itself, there will be a need to identify the

sources of variation (Ex. Fish Bone i.e. 6M_Man, Material, Machine, Method, Measurement, Mother Nature)
Cpk| 7.0 What if process not capable
Cpk| 7.0 What if process not capable
Cpk| 8.0 Advantages and application

1.) Product/Process Design and Understanding Stage:

-According to experimental design change input material attributes and process
parameter
-Allows to Identify special causes and develop control strategy to eliminate or reduce
variability

2. Process Scale up and Qualification Stage:

-To establish scientific evidence that the process is reproducible at commercial scale and
the process will consistently deliver a product that meets the quality standard established
in development stage.

Challenges:
-Limited commercial scale batches
-Higher level of sampling and testing to demonstrate product quality
Once sufficient data points are collected,
– Evaluate if the process reaches a stable state
– Establish control limits for control chart
Cpk| 8.0 Advantages and application

3. Routine Commercial Manufacturing Stage –

-Continual assurance that the process remains in a state of control (the validated state)
during commercial manufacture
-Traditional sampling and testing to confirm product quality
-Statistical process control tools to monitor the process
-Cpk/Ppk monitoring and trending data of process batches