In order to achieve top-quality, you should be ready to gather and effectively organize sufficient manufacturing data. That is where an SPC (statistical process control) software excels. Visual SPC is a type of SPC software, and it is a suite of data collection tools.

What is Statistical Process Control Software?

The SPC software is a tool that collects real-time performance and quality data for the purpose of statistical analysis. Manufacturers use this tool to identify the quality of the products so they can know where to make adjustments.

They also use it to check process variations to make corrections before bigger problems occur. The essence of this tool is to improve the process performance. But the tool does not only monitor data for quality control. It also checks the performance of machines and various manufacturing tools in the industry.

Furthermore, when the performance of a machine falls or there is a drop in the quality of products, the staff on duty will receive a notification. This allows industry workers and manufacturers to increase the bottom line, reduce rework, and improve efficiency.

Also, the software transforms the data into graphs that are user-friendly. This easy-to-read form allows everyone to observe when there are variations in data and how far they’ve moved away from the expected values.

The Visual SPC software contains a lot of tools that you can use to achieve different manufacturing goals. The tools in the suite are:

  1. Shop floor
  2. Measurement system analysis
  3. Attributes
  4. Importer
  5. Monitor
  6. Analyst
  7. Wizard
  8. Designer

Advantages of Using Statistical Process Control Software

The advantages of using a statistical process control tool are discussed below.

1. Reduction in Warranty Claims, Scrap, and Rework

One key benefit of using this tool is uniformity. Do you sometimes wonder how companies that manufacture drinks achieve uniformity in the taste of their products? This is despite the thousands or millions of bottles they manufacture every day.

An SPC tool ensures that the products are uniform, whether one or thousands of units are produced per day. As a result, the design specifications are precise, there is an assurance of product quality, and the number of times you will rework the product reduces.

2. Increased Efficiency in Operation

The tool provides control charts that display the statistics you can use to monitor the quality of manufactured products in a graph format. This graph detects as well as displays any unusual variation in the manufacturing process, which helps manufacturers to test for various causes. You may want to watch this video to learn how to interpret SPC graphs.

The statistics are real-time analytical information that manufacturers can use to set benchmarks for production and establish strong control over the benchmarks. They can also use it to improve the production process and spot imperfections or flaws and correct them. They do not need to rely on assumptions, guesswork, or opinions.

3. Increase in Productivity

Without an SPC tool, it may be difficult to identify problems or defects in the manufacturing process. You will only discover the problem after the process is complete, like parts with defects. As a result, you will shut down the entire production cycle to trace the source of the fault.

Also, pinpointing and fixing the fault may take more hours which you would have used to produce more items. But with SPC, any fault along the production line will be captured immediately. And you only need to shut down a small section of the line.

Consequently, you can divert the workflow from the problem area to a backup assembly line. This way, you will never shut down completely or experience downtime. Hence, a constant production flow is maintained.

Even when an aspect of the manufacturing line is being repaired or maintained, you can achieve the same number of units per hour or per day. And as soon as the repair is complete, you can take out the backup line and resume normal operations.

4. Reduction in Manual Inspections

When errors are detected after a production cycle, it results in waste. But with SPC tools, you can detect and correct errors while the production is ongoing. You can also adjust the settings of your equipment and produce goods faster, without requesting manual inspections.

The food and beverage/ FMCG industries benefit from this more because they usually have a supply chain that is tightly woven. They must also prove that their goods meet the recommended quality standards.

When businesses in the industry move from manual inspections to the use of SPC, they will collect as well as analyze the necessary data in real-time. This will improve their overall operational efficiency. You may want to check out https://www.qualitymag.com/articles/95568-the-top-advantages-of-statistical-process-control to see more advantages.

Final Thoughts

Manufacturing products are becoming easier by the day and with SPC tools, you can achieve precision. This will not only keep your customers satisfied but will also increase sales