Contents - Index

What Does Simulator Do?

The program Simulator is a training aid that allows you to try your hand at optimizing products and processes using designed experiments and robust design methods.  It provides simulations for a pump, several sealers, an extruder and more.  The simulations are very realistic, as they account for numerous sources of variation including setup and between unit variation for each input variable as well as other sources of variation of the output, including measurement error.  Some will appear unstable when plotted.  Others will be stable but not capable.

The object is to find the targets/levels of the input variables that optimize the product or process performance.  Depending on the simulation, the targets/levels of the inputs may affect both the average and standard deviation of the outputs.  By selecting targets/levels for the inputs that minimize the variation as well as achieve the desired average, one can obtain a robust design.

Some of the simulations also provide the ability to tighten tolerances on the inputs.  The goal in this case is to selectively tighten tolerances to achieve the desire goal.  Tightening of tolerances should only be used if the goal cannot be achieved by optimizing the targets/levels of the inputs first.

They results can be compare different approaches to DOE and Robust Tolerance Analysis in terms of the number of key variables missed, the number of non-key variables included, the Ppk or defect rate achieved, and the number of trials and capability studies used to get the answer. 

The process of Optimizing the Average is covered in:

Five simulations come with the package: