On monitoring of multiple non-linear profiles

Abstract

Most state-of-the-art profile monitoring methods involve studies of one profile. However, a process may contain several sensors or probes that generate multiple profiles over time. Quality characteristics presented in multiple profiles may be related multiple aspects of product or process quality. Existing charting methods for simultaneous monitoring of each multiple profile may result in high false alarm rates. Or worse, they cannot correctly detect potential relationship changes among profiles. In this study, we propose two approaches to detect process shifts in multiple non-linear profiles. A simulation study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed approaches in terms of average run length under different process shift scenarios. Pros and cons of the proposed methods are discussed. A guideline for choosing the proposed methods is introduced. In addition, a hybrid method combining the salient points of both approaches is explored. Finally, a real-world data-set from a vulcanisation process is used to demonstrate the implementation of the proposed methods.