Statistical process control: examination of use in a small printed circuit board manufacturer

The paper reports a study into the use of statistical process control (SPC) in a company employing some 100 people, in the production of complex and high technology printed circuit boards for aerospace and defence applications. The findings indicate considerable potential for the use of SPC. The continuing development of SPC should facilitate an increase by operating staff in their processes and improve awareness of process variation, and should also lead to an improvement of process conditions. It is pointed out that a variety of attitudes among operating staff were displayed to the perceived usefulness of SPC. In particular, there was confusion between specification limits and control limits, based on performance of the process, and concerns about the implications of narrow control limits