c and u charts

u charts
It is sometimes necessary to monitor the number of defects in a unit of product rather the fraction
defective, as in the following cases:
-

Number of car accidents per week

Number of car accidents in two weeks
Number of manufacturing errors per operator
Number of manufacturing errors per crew ( a crew has 10 units or operators)
Number of defective welds in 100 m of oil pipeline
Number of defective welds in 1000 m of oil pipeline (there are 10 units of 100 m)
Number of broken rivets in an aircraft wing
Number of broken rivets in 10 aircraft wings

In these situations we may use the control chart for defects per unit, or the u chart.
In a u chart, the number of defects per unit follows a Poisson distribution. Therefore, we must assume
that the following holds:
1. Number of opportunities or potential locations for defects is infinitely large
2. The probability of occurrence of a nonconformity at any location should be small and constant
These assumptions are sometimes difficult to justify. It is important to observe the process and check
whether the chart can be used or not. Little deviations from the assumptions are permissible.
If each sample consists of n units and there are C total defects in the sample,

U=

C
n

Is the average number of defects per unit. A u chart may be constructed for such data.
If the number of defects in a unit is a Poisson random variable with parameter , the mean and
variance of this distribution are both . Each point on the chart is U , the average number of defects
per unit from a sample of n units. Therefore, the mean of U is and the variance of U is

The centerline control limits for the u chart with known are:

UCL = + 3

ni

CL =

LCL = 3

ni

To derive a u control chart when is unknown, it is necessary to build an estimate of the average
number of nonconformities per unit u
k

u=

i =1
k

i =1

Where

xi = Number of nonconformities in an inspection unit

ni = sample size (units in the sample)

k = Number of samples

The parameters of the u chart are as follows

UCL = u + 3

u
ni

CL = u

LCL = u 3

u
ni

Example 1

A personal computer manufacturer wishes to establish a control chart for the number of
nonconformities on the final assembly line. The sample size is selected as five computers. Data on the
number of nonconformities in 20 samples of 5 computers each are shown below:

Sample
number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Sample
size
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Total number of
noncomformities
10
12
8
14
10
16
11
7
10
15

Sample
number
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Sample
size
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Total number of
noncomformities
9
5
7
11
12
6
8
10
7
5

Construct the u control chart for the data on nonconformities in inspection units of five computers
(example 1)

u=

i =1
k
i =1

10 + 12 + ... + 7 + 5
= 1.93
20 * 5

Therefore,

UCL = u + 3

1.93
u
= 1.93 + 3
= 3.794
5
ni

CL = u = 1.93
LCL = u 3

1.93
u
= 1.93 3
= 0.066
5
ni

The u chart is plotted in MINITAB as follows

U Chart of Total number of noncomformities

4

UCL=3.794

Sample Count Per Unit

_
U=1.93

LCL=0.066

0
1

11
Sample

13

15

17

19

ii) In class exercise: How would you get this graph from MINITAB?

c charts
The c chart is just a control chart of C , the total of defects in as sample.
To build the centerline and the control limits of the c chart, we must have an estimate of c

c=

Total number of nonconformities in all the samples

Total number of samples
k

c=

x
i =1

Where

xi = Number of nonconforming items in a sample

k = Number of samples

c control chart parameters

Upper Control Limit = UCL = c + 3 c

Center Line

CL = c

Lower Control Limit = LCL = c 3 c

Calculation of the 1 and 2 boundaries

1 boundaries = p 1 c
2 boundaries = p 2 c
Note: When developing the initial Center Line and Control Limits, if a point is out of control and a cause
can be identified, then the point should be removed and the Center Line and limits should be
recalculated

Example 2

A personal computer manufacturer wishes to establish a control chart for the number of
nonconformities on the final assembly line. The sample size is selected as five computers. Data on the
number of nonconformities in 20 samples of 5 computers each are shown below:
Sample
number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Sample
size
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Total number of
noncomformities
10
12
8
14
10
16
11
7
10
15

Sample
number
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Sample
size
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Total number of
noncomformities
9
5
7
11
12
6
8
10
7
5

a) Construct a preliminary control chart to check whether the process was in control or not
k

CL = c =

x
i =1

10 + 12 + ... + 7 + 5
= 9.65
20

UCL = c + 3 c = 9.65 + 3 9.65 = 9.65 + 9.3193 = 18.9693

LCL = c 3 c = 9.65 3 9.65 = 9.65 9.3193 = 0.3306

The preliminary c-chart is plotted on MINITAB as follows

C Chart of Total number of noncomformities

20

UCL=18.97

Sample Count

15

_
C=9.65

10

LCL=0.33

0
1

i)

11
Sample

13

15

17

In class exercise: How would you get this graph from MINITAB?

19

The following p-chart includes the 1 and 2 limits

C Chart of Total number of noncomformities

20

+3SL=18.97
+2SL=15.86

Sample Count

15

+1SL=12.76
_
C=9.65

10

-1SL=6.54
5
-2SL=3.44
-3SL=0.33

0
1

11
Sample

13

15

17

19

Once the preliminary control chart is constructed, the chart is examined for out-of-control signals or
patterns. In this chart, the number of nonconformities per sample is in statistical control.
Since the Poisson distribution is nonsymmetrical or skewed, the risk of false alarms is not equally
allocated above the UCL and below the LCL
This asymmetry is not usually a problem when the number of nonconformities per sample c is equal or
greater than 20, because in that case the Poisson distribution can be well approximated by the normal
distribution. In cases where c is less than 20, we should interpret chart cautiously (e.g. too many point
above one of the control limits might not necessarily means that something abnormal is happening)

Procedures with variable sample size

Control charts for nonconformities are occasionally formed using 100% inspection of the product. When
this method of sampling is used, the number of sub-units in an inspection unit (sample) will usually not
be constant. For example, the inspection of rolls of cloth or paper often leads to a situation in which the
size of the sample varies, because not all rolls are exactly the same length or width.

The correct procedure is to use a control chart for the average number of nonconformities per
inspection unit ( u chart).
This chart will have a constant center line; however, the control limits will vary inversely with the square
root of the sample size n

Example 3. In a textile finishing plant, dyed cloth is inspected for the occurrence of defects per 50
square meters. The data on ten rolls of cloth is as follows

Roll number

Number of
square meters

Total number of
nonconformities

Number of
units in roll

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

500
400
650
500
475
500
600
525
600
625

14
12
20
11
7
10
21
16
19
23

10
8
13
10
9.5
10
12
10.5
12
12.5

a) Construct a preliminary u chart

10

CL = u =

i =1
10
i =1

153
153
=
= 1.42
10 + 8 + ... + 12 + 12.5 107.5

UCLi = u + 3 u = 1.42 + 3

1.42
ni

LCLi = u 3 u = 1.42 3

1.42
ni

As an example, the upper and lower control limits for the sample 5 are as follows

UCL5 = u + 3 u = 1.42 + 3

1.42
= 2.58
9.5

LCL5 = u 3 u = 1.42 3

1.42
= 0.26
9.5

The following is the complete chart obtained with MINITAB

U Chart of Total number of nonconformities

3.0

Sample Count Per Unit

2.5

UCL=2.436

2.0
_
U=1.423

1.5
1.0
0.5

LCL=0.411

0.0
1

5
6
Sample

Tests performed with unequal sample sizes

iv) In class exercise: How would you get this graph from MINITAB?

10