- A process has been defined as a sequence of interdependent procedures, operations or steps that consume resources and convert the inputs into outputs. Each operation or step adds to the next to achieve a goal or desired result. In every process, there exists a certain amount of variation. Variation in a process cannot be eliminated, but it can be measured, monitored, reduced and controlled. If we look at a simple example of making a cup of coffee, we can identify the inputs, steps, equipment and output of the process. Some of the inputs are coffee and water. The steps include turning on the coffee maker, measuring and adding the coffee and water and the output is a pot or cup of coffee.
What is Process Capability
Process Capability (Cp) is a statistical measurement of a process’s ability to produce parts within specified limits on a consistent basis. To determine how our process is operating, we can calculate Cp (Process Capability), Cpk (Process Capability Index), or Pp (Preliminary Process Capability) and Ppk (Preliminary Process Capability Index), depending on the state of the process and the method of determining the standard deviation or sigma value. The Cp and Cpk calculations use sample deviation or deviation mean within rational subgroups. The Pp and Ppk calculations use standard deviation based on studied data (whole population). The Cp and Cpk indices are used to evaluate existing, established processes in statistical control. The Pp and Ppk indices are used to evaluate a new process or one that is not in statistical control.
Process capability indices Cp and Cpk evaluate the output of a process in comparison to the specification limits determined by the target value and the tolerance range. Cp tells you if your process is capable of making parts within specifications and Cpk tells you if your process is centered between the specification limits. When engineers are designing parts, they must consider the capability of the machine or process selected to produce the part.
To illustrate, let us use a real world example. Imagine that you are driving your vehicle over a bridge. The width of your vehicle is equivalent to the spread or range of the data. The guardrails on each side of the bridge are your specification limits. You must keep your vehicle on the bridge to reach the other side. The Cp value is equivalent to the distance your vehicle stays away from the guardrails and Cpk represents how well you are driving down the middle of the bridge. Obviously if the spread of your data is narrower (your car width is smaller), the more distance there is between the vehicle and the guardrails and the more likely you are to stay on the bridge.
The Cp index is a fundamental indication of process capability. The Cp value is calculated using the specification limits and the standard deviation of the process. Most companies require that the process Cp = 1.33 or greater.
The Cp and Cpk indices are only as good as the data used. Accurate process capability studies are dependent upon three basic assumptions regarding the data:
- There are no special causes of variation in the process and it is in a state of statistical control. Any special causes must be discovered and resolved.
- The data fits a Normal distribution, exhibiting a bell shaped curve and can be calculated to plus or minus three sigma. There are cases when the data does not fit a normal distribution.
- The sample data is representative of the population. The data should be randomly collected from a large production run. Many companies require at least 25 to preferably 50 sample measurements be collected.
