Control Charts Question

 

 

 

Grandfoods.xls Excel File

Grandfoods, Inc., makes energy supplement bars for use by athletes and others who need an energy boost. One of the critical quality characteristics is the weight of the bars. Too much weight implies that too many liquids have been added to the mix and the bar will be too chewy. If the bars are light, the implication is that the bars are too dry. To monitor the weights, the production manager wishes to use process control charts. Data for 30 subgroups of size 4 bars are contained in the Excel file Grandfoods under the Tab called “Main Data”. Note that a subgroup is selected every 15 minutes as bars come off the manufacturing line.

a. Use these data to construct the appropriate process control chart(s). Make sure you clearly label the important information on each chart.

b. Discuss what each chart is used for. Why do we need both charts?

c. Examine the control charts and indicate which, if any, of the out-of-control signals are present. Is the process currently in control?

d. Referring to the process control charts developed in part a., data for periods 31 to 40 are contained in the file Grandfoods under the Tab called “New Data”. Based on these data, what would you conclude about the energy bar process?