Quality Engineering and Management

Abstract

All production processes employ materials, men and machines. Each of these elements has some inherent variability in addition to attributable variability, which can be controlled to an irreducible economic minimum. The subject of quality engineering and management is about reducing the variablity in products and processes, quality costs and to provide maximum satisfaction to the customers through improved product performance. The subject has grown considerably since 1930, when Shewhart first developed his statistical approach to quality. Several developments that have taken place since then are presented in this chapter along with quality planning, control, assurance and improvement, which form the backbone of any quality program.