Functional process adjustments to reduce No-Fault-Found product failures in service caused by in-tolerance faults

This paper presents a methodology to determine optimal process adjustments, which prevents manufacturing products from failing into in-tolerance fault regions (a subset of No-Fault-Found events) taking into consideration product and process adjustments constraints. The proposed methodology utilizes the design relationship between KPCs and KCCs to determine process functional adjustments. The methodology is illustrated through three product and process design configurations, uncoupled, decoupled and coupled. (C) 2009 CIRP