Optimizing an Injection Molding Process

Summary

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ABC Inc, a fictional supplier of high value wafer and device handling systems for the multibillion-dollar semiconductor industry, engaged a Six Sigma project team to improve the production process for a wafer carrier. ABC management sought to improve the manufacturing process yield of the carrier from its baseline level of approximately 85% to about 98%. The team determined that the traditional methods of process optimization -- adjusting one parameter at a time -- would never provide enough information to achieve this result. A simple model of a process was the basis of the team's statistical experimental design techniques. The work of the project team shows that DoE mixture design and multivariate data analysis could precisely and economically determine the ideal settings of several processing parameters that were critical to quality and performance of a molded wafer carrier.

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Optimizing an Injection Molding Process

ABC Inc., a fictional supplier of high value wafer and device handling systems for the multibillion-dollar semiconductor industry, engaged a Six Sigma project team to improve the production process for a wafer carrier.

A sophisticated and well-defined injection molding process for wafer carriers was necessary to make products profitably. As the size of critical components decreased dramatically, the demand for handling systems with accurate dimensions increased significantly.

ABC management sought to improve the manufacturing process yield of the carrier from its baseline level of approximately 85% to about 98%. Before this project, there was little ...

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