Process Capability

What it is
Process Capability looks at short term capability and long term
performance of a process with regard to customer specifications.

Standard indexes are used: Cp, Cpk, Pp and Ppk. These can be
converted into ppm.

A simple view of Process Control and Process Capability

process control - refers only to the voice of the process - looking at

the process using an agreed performance measure to see whether
the process forms a stable distribution over time.

process capability - measures the goodness of a process -

comparing the voice of the process with the voice of the customer.
The voice of the customer here is the specification range (tolerance)
and/or the nearest customer specification limit.

The objective is to get as close to the theoretical best that your process
can achieve by eliminating special causes of variation, so that only
common (natural) causes are acting on the process, and then to reduce
these to a minimum, whenever possible.

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Process Capability
What it is

Process Control
Note - no reference to
specs !

In Control
(Special Causes Eliminated)

Out of Control
(Special Causes Present)

Process Capability

In Control and Capable

(Variation from Common
Lower Spec Limit Causes Reduced)
Upper Spec Limit

In Control but not Capable

(Variation from Common Causes
Excessive)

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Process Capability
What it is
1 2
CAPABILITY PERFORMANCE
Short Term Long Term
In Control Not in Control
Pooled std dev Total / overall std dev
compares
How spec range
a much (tolerance) Cp Pp
variability to process
width
how close
process
How
b
centred
centre is to Cpk Ppk
nearest
spec limit

Cp or ENTITLEMENT is the theoretical best

hat a process can achieve.

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 Process Capability
What it is
The 4 capability Capability Indexes: explaining the terms . . .

1 2
CAPABILITY PERFORMANCE
Short Term
In Control
Long Term
Not in Control
Not (necessarily) in Control: common
compares
Pooled std dev Total / overall std dev
causes and special causes acting
How spec range
a much (tolerance)
variability to process
Cp Pp (possible drifts or shifts in the process)
width
how close
process
How
b
centred
centre is to Cpk Ppk
nearest
spec limit long term

600

550

500

450

400

350

300
Time

short term
In Control: only common causes acting (no
sudden drifts or shifts in the process)

4 Process Capability
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 Process Capability
What it is
The 4 capability Capability Indexes: explaining the terms . . .

1 2
CAPABILITY PERFORMANCE
Short Term Long Term
In Control Not in Control
Pooled std dev Total / overall std dev
compares
How spec range
a much (tolerance) Cp Pp
variability to process
width
how close
process
How
b
centred
centre is to Cpk Ppk
nearest
spec limit

600

550

500

450

400

350

300
Time

Pooled or total standard deviation - used in manual calculations:

Pooled (or combined): sP = sqrt [ sum (d.f. *s2) / sum (d.f.) ]

Total (or overall): sT = sqrt [ sum (x - x) 2 / (n-1) ]

5 Process Capability
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 Process Capability
What it is
The 4 capability Capability Indexes: explaining the terms . . .
1 2
CAPABILITY PERFORMANCE
Short Term Long Term
In Control Not in Control
Pooled std dev Total / overall std dev
compares
How spec range
a much (tolerance) Cp Pp
variability to process
width
how close
process
How
b
centred
centre is to Cpk Ppk
nearest
spec limit

LSL USL

Cp, Pp compares specification range (tolerance)to process width

regardless of where the process is centred.

It is the ratio of the specification width to 6 x process standard

deviation.

Cp = USL-LSL Pp = USL-LSL
6sP 6sT

sP = pooled standard deviation sT = total standard deviation

6 Process Capability
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 Process Capability
What it is
The 4 capability Capability Indexes: explaining the terms . . .
1 2
CAPABILITY PERFORMANCE
Short Term Long Term
In Control Not in Control
Pooled std dev Total / overall std dev
compares
How spec range
a much (tolerance)
variability to process
Cp Pp X
width
how close
process
How
b
centred
centre is to Cpk Ppk
nearest
spec limit

LSL USL

Cpk, Ppk measure how close the process centre is to the nearest customer
spec.

It is (difference between the process average and the nearest specification)

(3 x the process standard deviation).

Cpkl = X-LSL Cpku = USL-X Cpk = min {Cpkl, Cpku}

3sP 3sP
Ppkl = X-LSL Ppku = USL-X Ppk = min {Ppkl, Ppku}
3sT 3sT

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Process Capability
How to use it
Use Minitab output whenever possible, since it combines the indexes
with a graphical representation of the process: actual sample, estimated
short term capability and estimated long term performance

Also use as a rule of thumb the following chart

Cp Cpk Pp Ppk Sigma

Red (Bad) < 1.00 < 1.00 < 1.33 < 1.33 < 4.5

Yellow (OK) 1.00 - 1.33 1.00 - 1.33 1.33 - 1.67 1.33 - 1.67 4.5 - 5.5

Green (Good) > 1.33 > 1.33 > 1.67 > 1.67 > 5.5

(Cpk x 3) +1.5 = sigma

Caution:
Cpk is an index much misused: It is only applicable to normally
distributed variable data that is measured in the short term.

Conversions from Cpk to ppm and sigma assume that all defectives are
occurring at one tail of the distribution with an average sigma shift of
1.5 sigma. (industry standard).

Cpk MUST be seen as part of a package of information.

Capability studies for non-normal data (Weibull) do not give Cpk

values

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Process Capability
Example

Using Minitab:

Process Capability Analysis for Data

LSL USL
Process Data
USL 520.000 ST
Target * LT
LSL 420.000
Mean 435.833
Sample N 30
StDev (ST) 10.7176
StDev (LT) 59.6888

Potential (ST) Capability

Cp 1.56
CPU 2.62
CPL 0.49
Cpk 0.49
Cpm *
250 350 450 550 650

Overall (LT) Capability Observed Performance Expected ST Performance Expected LT Performance

Pp 0.28 PPM < LSL 366666.67 PPM < LSL 69795.44 PPM < LSL 395402.81
PPU 0.47 PPM > USL 100000.00 PPM > USL 0.00 PPM > USL 79256.43
PPL 0.09 PPM Total 466666.67 PPM Total 69795.44 PPM Total 474659.24
Ppk 0.09

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Process Capability
Example

Using Minitab, with non-normal data

Process Data
USL 6.00000
Target * Process Capability Analysis for Weibull
LSL 2.00000 Calculations Based on Weibull Distribution Model
Mean 5.65406
Sample N 50 LSL USL
Shape 1.58256
Scale 6.29977

Overall (LT) Capability

Pp 0.19
PPU 0.09
PPL 0.35
Ppk 0.09

Observed LT Performance
PPM < LSL 120000.00
PPM > USL 400000.00
PPM Total 520000.00

Expected LT Performance
0 5 10 15 20 25
PPM < LSL 150164.01
PPM > USL 396235.71
PPM Total 546399.72

Note: For Weibull Capability Analysis, data must have positive values, and
LONG TERM metrics only are given.

NO values for Cpk are given, because the data is non-normal

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Process Capability
How it helps
A Process Capability study is the end result of the analysis done on
process output data.

A Process Capability study reflects what our customer sees.

It indicates what our short term and long term situation looks like.

Recognise however that our processes need to be stable (in statistical

control) as well as capable.

Before anything, we must have faith in our measurements, hence the

need for a measurement system analysis.

References
ASG aTQ training modules:
3.3, 3.4, 3.5 : (MSA) Measurement System Analysis
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.5 : Process Capability
8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7 : SPC (and non-SPC control)

ASG seniors aTQ training module 1.5 : Capability

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