Tackling Quality Control Problems In Manufacturing Engineering

Most manufacturers treat symptoms, not causes. They fix the machine. Retrain the operator. Blame the supplier. Then wonder why problems keep coming back. Root cause analysis isn't about finding someone to blame. It's about finding the system failure that allowed the problem. Here's your toolkit for different scenarios: WHEN EQUIPMENT FAILS UNEXPECTEDLY: → 5 Whys Analysis - Simple questioning technique → Fishbone Diagram - Visual mapping of contributing factors   → Fault Tree Analysis - Logical breakdown of failure sequences → Timeline Analysis - Chronological review of events WHEN QUALITY ISSUES ARISE: → Statistical Analysis - Data-driven investigation → Process Mapping - Visual workflow analysis → Design of Experiments - Systematic testing of variables → Mistake Proofing Review - Error prevention assessment → Supplier Analysis - Investigation of incoming materials WHEN SAFETY INCIDENTS OCCUR: → Incident Reconstruction - Detailed event recreation → Policy Review - Analysis of existing protocols → Human Factors Analysis - Training and procedural review → Witness Interviews - Structured personnel discussions → Equipment Inspection - Thorough machinery examination → Corrective Action Planning - Systematic prevention measures The method matters less than the mindset. Are you asking "Who made the mistake?" Or "What system allowed this mistake to happen?" One question leads to blame. The other leads to solutions. Your choice determines whether problems disappear permanently. Or just hide until next time. Which root cause analysis method does your team use most often?

The Problems You Don't See When You Receive Your Final Product – 7% Reject rate down to 0% with at the end was a simple fix. As manufacturers, we face unseen challenges every day to make sure the final product you receive is correct. Recently, I discussed one of these challenges on our podcast called The D-Code Podcast, where I shared the story of running a surface mount assembly job with a 0201 component body but a 01005 footprint that hit a snag with components flipping in the feeder. Following Daniel Stanphill's advice using vision settings helped reduce the immediate issue, but we knew a deeper dive was needed to solve the root cause. Here’s how we tackled it: Here’s how we approached it: - Explained the issue to Europlacer to understand why components were flipping. - Introduced a new magnetic feeder, reducing the reject rate significantly. - Isolated the component on a separate cart, bringing the reject rate to zero. Before our adjustments, the reject rate was 7%, but after implementing these solutions, we achieved a 0% reject rate crucial for production runs. The customer doesn't see these problems and to be honest they probably don't (shouldn't) care. But for the manufacturer the ovens on, paste has been opened you got to act and you got to act fast. The goal is the requested product is built how we get there sometimes requires out of the box thinking. Have you encountered hidden problems that required a deep dive for resolution? How do you balance short-term containment actions with long-term solutions in your processes? Watch the full episode on our -YouTube channel https://lnkd.in/dJC6NRXr Listen on: - Podbean: https://lnkd.in/gsMWkGkW - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g7QCsRGm - Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/gkcYcd2s - iHeartMedia: https://lnkd.in/gNVCkmtN