Design of Experiments

using Taguchi Approach

SAURABH VERMA
Sinhgad Institues of Technology, lonavala
Guided by
Prof. M. A. Mohite

The word "design" in "design of experiments"

implies a formal layout of the experiments that
contains information about how many tests are
to be carried out and the combination of factors
included in the study.

For improvement, our goal is to move the

performance of a population of parts to the
target and minimize the variability around it

DOE can be highly effective when you wish to:

Optimize product and process designs, study the effects of

multiple factors on the performance.

Study influence of individual factors on the performance
and determine which factor has more influence, which ones
have less.
PHILOSOPHY OF THE TAGUCHI METHOD
1. Quality should be designed into a product, not inspected

into it.
2. Quality is best achieved by minimizing the deviation
from a target

The experimental design proposed by Taguchi involves using

orthogonal arrays to organize the parameters affecting the

process and the levels at which they should be varies.
The arrays are selected by the number of
parameters (variables) and the number of
levels (states).
The Taguchi method is best used when there is an
intermediate number of variables (3 to 50), few interactions
between variables, and when only a few variables contribute
significantly.
Taguchis parameter design is an important tool
for robust design. Two major tools used in robust
design are:
signal to noise ratio
orthogonal arrays

Order Of Running Experiments

There are two common ways of running experiments.

Suppose an experiment uses an L-8 array and each trial is

repeated 3 times. How are the 3x8=24 experiments carried
out?
Randomization:
1) Replication
2) Repetition

Quality / Performance Characteristics

Quality Characteristic (QC) generally refers to the measured

results of the experiment

QC also refers to the nature of the performance objectives
such as "larger is better"(LB), "smaller is better"(SB) or
"nominal is the best"(NB)

ORTHOGONAL ARRAYS

Knowing the number of parameters and the number of levels, the

proper orthogonal array can be selected.

L9 orthogonal array
For N replications

Data Analysis

In the Taguchi method the results of the experiments are analyzed to achieve
the following objectives:
(1) to establish the best or optimal condition for the product or process,
(2) to establish the contribution of individual factors, and
(3) to estimate the response under optimal conditions
Methodologies in carrying out the complete orthogonal array
analysis:
1. ANOVA
2. S/N ratio

S/N ratio
Nominal is best

Smaller is
better
Larger is
better

The average S/N value is calculated for each factor and level

Range and rank of parameters

The range R (R = high SN - low SN)of the SN for each parameter is

calculated and entered into the table. The larger the R value for a parameter,
the larger the effect the variable has on the process

Advantages
Taguchi method is that, it emphasizes a mean performance

characteristic value close to the target value rather than a value

within certain specification limits, thus improving the product
quality.
Taguchi's method for experimental design is straightforward and easy

to apply to many engineering situations, making it a powerful yet

simple tool.
Taguchi method allows for the analysis of many different parameters

without a prohibitively high amount of experimentation.

Disadvantages
orthogonal arrays do not test all variable combinations,

this method should not be used where all relationships

between all variables are needed.
The Taguchi method have difficulty in accounting for
interactions between parameters.
Taguchi methods deal with designing quality in rather
than correcting for poor quality, they are applied most
effectively at early stages of process development.
After design variables are specified, use of experimental
design may be less cost effective.

OPTIMIZATION OF FLANK WEAR USING

ZIRCONIA TOUGHENED ALUMINA (ZTA)
CUTTING TOOL
Objective
Performance characteristics- lower flank wear

smaller is better

Design parameters

Experimental results

Main effects plot for

S/N ratios

ANOVA
analysis

Prediction for optimized value of flank wear

N eff = 3.8571

CI = 0.00595

0.165 m < Sopt < 0.177 m

CONCLUSION
An advantage of the Taguchi method is that it emphasizes a mean performance

characteristic value close to the target value rather than a value within certain
specification limits, thus improving the product quality.
Taguchi's method for experimental design is straight forward and easy to apply to

many engineering situations, making it a powerful yet simple tool.

The Taguchi method allows for the analysis of many different parameters without

a prohibitively high amount of experimentation. For example, a process with 8

variables, each with 3 states, would require 6561 (3 8) experiments to test all
variables. However using Taguchi's orthogonal arrays, only 18 experiments are
necessary, or less than 0.3% of the original number of experiments.
By applying this technique one can significantly reduce the time required for

experimental investigation, as it is effective in investigating the effects of multiple

factors on performance as well as to study the influence of individual factors to
determine which factor has more influence, which less.

REFERENCES
[1] Stephanie Fraley, Mike Oom, Ben Terrien, John Zalewski, Design of

experiments via taguchi methods: orthogonal arrays, May 2006

[2] Ranjit K. Roy, Design of Experiments using Taguchi Approach, Nutek PP-133
[3] Khurrum S Bhutta, Taguchi Approach To Design Of Experiments,
Department of Information Systems, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, PP- 4751.
[4] Nilrudra Mandal , B. Doloi , B. Mondal , Reeta Das , Optimization of flank
wear using Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) cutting tool: Taguchi method and
Regression analysis, Measurement, March 2011, PP- 2149-2155.
[5] Ko-Ta Chiang, Optimization of the design parameters of Parallel-Plain Fin
heat sink module cooling phenomenon based on the Taguchi method, International
communications in Heat and mass transfer, June 2005, PP- 1193-1201.
[6] J.A. Ghani, I.A. Choudhury, H.H. Hassan, Application of Taguchi method in
the optimization of end milling parameters, Journal of Materials Processing
Technology, 2004, PP-84-92