Introduction of On-line Quality Engineering into a Mature Polishing Process

Abstract

This study sought further improvement through on-line quality engineering on a production line that had utilized total quality management (TQM) for over ten years and had already been frequently improved. On-line quality engineering as practiced by Epson is a tool-based methodology known as LPI (Logical Production lmprovement). Anobher objective of this study was to ascertain the usefulness of this methodology not only for researchers and design engineers but also for production staff. This paper will describe how, given these objectives,the new guideline of "loss" was brought to bear on Feeling, Experience Courage, Bluff problems due to repetitive improvement actions by the same members, how methodologies for improvement by using work process flowcharts were discussed, and how a switch from traditional passive TQM improvement strategies to more aggressive improvement strategies relying on on-line quality engineering was studied and implemented.