UTILIZATION OF THE RUBBER PROCESS ANALYZER IN SIX SIGMA PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE QUALITY AND REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS

摘要

The principal players in the automotive industry have embarked on a new campaign to reduce product quality variation and manufacturing costs of components, sub-systems, and systems. The goal of this new initiative is centered on the design and execution of a 150,000-mile vehicle. The rubber part manufacturers are more severely challenged than nearly any other group in the supply base to meet the new quality requirements that are being developed. Dramatic reduction in tolerance stacking effects, improved reliability and elimination of unplanned costs are central issues that elude many rubber fabricators. This is a pivotal problem because, in many cases, current performance does not support the 150,000-mile objective. There have been, for instance, historic difficulties in manufacturing rubber components to exact tolerances (compared to metal parts). Also rubber's faster degradation while in service, compared to other materials, is a serious concern. To meet these new market challenges, many rubber fabricators have begun to use the Rubber Process Analyzer (RPA) directly on the factory floor as a very sensitive "gauge" to predict downstream processability behavior and product performance. This test instrument is being deployed in a methodical way in new quality programs, such as Six Sigma, to enable rubber fabricators to get control of their "supply chain" and their fabrication process. This paper will present illustrations on ways the RPA can be utilized in the factory to improve product quality and unlock significant cost reductions. These illustrations will show how the RPA can provide valuable new information to allow the process to stay in a state of statistical control. Also, the viscoelastic data that the RPA provides can be used to determine assignable causes of variation so the appropriate corrective actions can be taken.