Quality-Control Practices in Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturing to Improve Quality, Cost, Reliability

This is a case study on the diagnosis of quality problems in a lead-acid battery plant. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating statistical quality assurance programs with process and production control methods in improving the overall performance of the plant. It asserts that quality control is an integral part of process and production control methods. Process and production control methods had to be characterized in order to discover the correction needed for improving quality. The salient features of the study include: * adoption of operating schedules which maintain steady production * application of statistical quality control tools to monitor and direct trends in quality parameters * use of quality circles for diagnosing quality problems * the efficacy of simple devices for dissemination of quality standards to all production staff by posting specification control charts. Several quality improvements were achieved by paying attention to manufacturing process details rather than by sophisticated research methods. The outcome of the study led to reducing scrap and rework as well as improving battery performance and reliability in the field.