APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning)

New products and services typically require the engagement with a supply chain group that provides products and innovation that becomes crucial for successful launch. The difficult challenges facing organizations today make it virtually impossible to retain in-house capability for all aspects of product realization.


APQP utilizes the Plan, Study, Do, Act modelAdvanced Product Quality Planning is an approach where the supply chain is engaged with the Original Equipment Manufacturer or originator of the service being planned. APQP (or AQP when products are not the primary deliverable) ensures that Collaborative Product and Process Design (CPPD) takes place. CPPD is a way to ensure that the design not only meets with the future customers’ expectations, but also allows the intelligent inclusion and inputs of the supply chain and interfacing groups to discuss better ways to design out failures, increase productivity and keep an eye on quality.

Special Characteristics are developed early in APQP. Characteristics begin from new product requirements and past failures which then evolve into actionable items/features/dimensions during the Design FMEA activity and are carried forward to the Process FMEA. These characteristics are the basis for a great deal of the risk assessment and control plan strategy.

Planning for quality requires discipline and the use of various tools and techniques properly deployed at the correct time for the benefits of APQP to be achieved. QAI has successfully prepared and deployed APQP planning efforts for many products and services. The results of which can be seen in automobiles, golf cars, medical devices, banking services, motorcycles, farm and heavy machinery.

Advanced Product Quality Planning in New Products and Services


APQP is typically deployed in 5 concurrent and collaborative phases.

• Plan and Define
• Product Design and Develop
• Process Design and Develop
• Product and Process Validation
• Continuous Improvement and Feedback

APQP Characteristics SelectionThese five phases never end and are in fact sharing information and technical risks which require mitigation plans. The tools within APQP make up a road map to follow where the Design and Process teams engage with the supply chain to exchange inputs of the new product and process designs. Each tool is selected for its specific strength. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a typical example of a tool used in APQP. There are many more to choose from depending on the circumstances and conditions where APQP is being used. The outputs of these tools provide the basis for formal design reviews where the Failure Modes and action plans to eliminate potential failure can be eliminated by asking one or all of the three the following questions.

• Can the product/process be error proofed?
• Mistake Proofing is reserved for the last question in this series.
• Can the Product or Process achieve a higher level of capability through tolerance design and/or process variation reduction?
• Greater tolerance
• CP index calculation for future CP(k) achievement.
• What Controls must be developed to ensure that the defects cannot reach a customer?

When planned and deployed properly the benefits of APQP are enormous. Quality Associates International has the experience and knowledge to make the APQP process valuable to any organization.

APQP for Product or Process change


The same tools which make APQP valuable for new designs and processes also make it valuable when changes come. Change is inevitable. The tracking and evaluating in a technical sense reduces the possibility of mistakes and errors which can drive additional problems. Change can come from many common improvement techniques today.

Six Sigma, Toyota Production System and problem resolution processes all require some measure of change to advance their goals or improvement. Repeat failures and new failures driven from changes to solve older failures account for over half of the problems reported by customers. APQP provides the structure and discipline which assures that additional errors and new problems will not come of the change that is currently planned.

Standard Reverse Osmosis Systems Minimize Installed Capital Costs

Raw Water Pretreatment No matter where your make-up water comes from, it may contain contaminants that can foul or damage downstream equipment and affect the final process water quality. Also, surface water, well water or reclaimed water can contain suspended solids, colloidal matter, organics, hardness, silica, iron, manganese and other contaminants. Siemens can assist you in selecting the proper water pretreatment system for your process that is efficient, reliable and cost-effective design, regardless of how challenging your water treatment needs may be.

กระบวนการเป่าขึ้นรูป (Blow Molding)

กระบวนการเป่าขึ้นรูป (Blow Molding)กระบวนการเป่าที่ใช้ในอุตสาหกรรม มี 2 วิธี คือ


1. การเอกซ์ทรูดเป่าขึ้นรูป (Extrusion Blow Molding)

เป็นเทคนิค ที่ทำการเอกซ์ทรูดพลาสติกหลอมเป็น ท่อกลวง (parison) แล้วเป่าด้วยลมให้ท่อเกิดการพองตัวภายในเบ้า ซึ่งนับเป็นวิธีการแบบ การเป่าโดยตรง (direct metheod) วิธีนี้เป็นวิธีที่ใช้ผลิตภัณฑ์จากการเป่ามากที่สุด

เทคนิคการเอกซ์ทรูดเป่าเป็นการผลิตแบบ ขั้นตอนเดียว (one-station process) ซึ่งเป็นการใช้เครื่องเอกซ์ทรูด ที่เดินเครื่องและหยุดเป็น จังหวะการเป่า (intermittentrunning extruder) กล่าวคือ มีการหมุนและหยุดของสกรูเป็นช่วงๆ คล้ายกับกรณีกับเครื่องเอกซ์ทรูดที่ใช้เป็นชุดหลอมในเครื่องฉีดพลาสติก ลักษณของเครื่องเอกซ์ทรูดที่เดินเครื่องในลักษณะดังกล่าว

การเป่าโดยวิธีนี้ เริ่มต้นโดยการเอกซ์ทรูดพาริสันออกมา โดยให้ตำแหน่งวางอยู่ใจกลางของเบ้าทั้งสองซีก และต้องเอกซ์ทรูดพาริสันให้ยาวกว่าส่วนล่างของเบ้าเล็กน้อย หลังจากนั้นปิดเบ้า แล้วใช้ใบมีดตัดพาริสันในตำแหน่งเหนือส่วนบนของเบ้าเล็กน้อย แล้วเป่าลมเข้าไปในแกนกลางของพาริสัน โดยใช้ความดันลมประมาณ 8 บาร์ ( 180 ปอนด์ต่อตารางนิ้ว) ทำให้พลาสติกพองตัวกระทบเบ้าเย็น ซึ่งนิยมใช้น้ำเย็นที่มีช่วงอุณหภูมิระหว่าง 5 ถึง 15 องศา ไหลหมุนเวียนในเบ้าตัวหล่อเย็นทำให้ได้ผลิตภัณฑ์ตามรูปร่างของเบ้า หลังจากชิ้นงานแข็งตัวดีแล้ว ถอดชิ้นงานออกจากเบ้า และเริ่ม cycle ของการผลิตใหม่

2. การฉีดเป่าขึ้นรูป (Injection Blow Molding)


การฉีดเป่าเป็นวิธีแปรรูปพลาสติกที่ใช้พลาสติก ที่ใช้เทคนิคการฉีดและการเป่าร่วมกัน เป็นวิธีที่ใหม่ที่สุดของเทคโนโลยีการเป่าพลาสติก เครื่องฉีดเป่าประกอบด้วยชุดฉีดและหลอมพลาสติก และชุดขึ้นรูป ชุดหลอมพลาสติก เหมือนเทคนิคการฉีด (injection molding) ดังนั้นสามารถสรุปขั้นตอนการฉีดเป่าได้ 3 ขั้นตอนหลักดังต่อไปนี้

ขั้นตอนที่ 1 เตรียมชิ้นงานก่อนขึ้นรูป โดยใช้เครื่องฉีดพลาสติกขึ้นรูปพาริสันบนตัวรองรับหรือแกนที่เป็นโลหะ แล้วหมุนพลาสติกหลอมที่ติดอยู่บนแกนซึ่งเรียกว่าเป็น ฟรีฟอร์ม (perform) ไปทำการเป่าในขั้นตอนที่ 2

ขั้นตอนที่ 2 ปิดเบ้าหลังจากรับชิ้นงานจากขั้นตอนที่ 1 แล้วเป่าลมเข้าเพื่อให้พาริสันพองตัวและมีรูปร่างเต็มตามเบ้าต่อมาชิ้นงานจะเย็นลง เนื่องจากการหล่อเย็นด้วยระบบน้ำหมุนเวียน

ขั้นตอนที่ 3 เคลื่อนย้ายชิ้นงานไปยังชุดถอดชิ้นงาน เพื่อถอดชิ้นงานออกจากตัวรองรับ

TriStar unveils rPET sandwich display pack

Food service packaging specialist TriStar has launched a new range of sandwich packs made from 50% recycled PET.


The dome-shaped pack has a black base that acts as a tray and a clear, anti-fogging lid to present quarter cut sandwiches and maximise impulse purchases.

Managing director Kevin Curran said he expected the product to be a successful addition to the firm's portfolio. "The dome-shaped sandwich pack will help forward-thinking retailers stay one step ahead of their competitors."

Plastics market for healthcare packaging forecast to reach five billion lb by 2015

According to a new technical market research report, Plastics For Healthcare Packaging from BCC Research, the U.S. market for plastic healthcare packaging is expected to reach 3.8 billion lb of products in 2010, which is expected to increase to nearly 5 billion pounds in 2015, for a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%.


The largest segment of the market, polypropylene, is expected to reach 1.3 billion lb in 2015, after increasing at a CAGR of 6.3% from the estimated 2010 total of nearly 1 billion lb.

The second-largest segment, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is expected to increase from 845 million lb in 2010 to nearly 1.1 billion lb in 2015, for a CAGR of 5%.

Food packaging: Safety still an issue but consumer concern decreased, says survey

Manufacturers and government expected to communicate about recalls; strong interest in nutritional facts and country-of-origin labeling.

According to Deloitte’s 2010 Consumer Food Safety Survey, while nine out of ten (90 percent) consumers believe food-related recalls are on the rise, or on par, compared with findings from Deloitte’s 2008 Consumer Food Safety Survey, fewer people seem to be anxious about them. The results show 65 percent of consumers surveyed are concerned about the quality of the food they eat, a 17 percent decrease from 2008.


“The decline in consumers’ concern for quality from our 2008 survey is due, in part, by their need to become more aware and engaged in choosing the products they buy,” said Pat Conroy, Deloitte’s vice chairman and U.S. consumer products practice leader. “Consumers view food safety and quality as important issues, and are looking to manufacturers, food companies and government regulatory bodies to drive communication, as well as tackle food quality and safety issues.”

In fact, three out of four (75 percent) Americans surveyed feel that the manufacturers/food companies are responsible for communicating product recall information, followed closely by government organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (73 percent), with less expectations from retailers (53 percent) and the media (51 percent).

Country-of-Origin Label Helping Selection Process

When making food purchases, Americans are doing more hands-on research and reviewing labels carefully, another indication that they are becoming more engaged in the process behind the foods they buy. Half (51 percent) of Americans say the new country-of-origin labels help in determining which fresh meat, fish, fruit or vegetables to purchase, and 45 percent say they would like to find out the country-of-origin on a Web site for all ingredients in a packaged/bottled food product. This may become of increasing importance to consumers, since the survey found that more than half (53 percent) of consumers frequently or always read the list of ingredients on an unfamiliar packaged or bottled food item; up from 50 percent in 2008.

However, although more Americans are reading ingredients, only four out of 10 (45 percent) surveyed say they understand at least 75 percent of the ingredients on a packaged food item, up slightly from 2008 (33 percent). Furthermore, 55 percent surveyed understand half or less of the ingredients, which is in line with responses from Deloitte’s 2008 survey (59 percent).

Nutritional Facts Matter

A strong interest in nutrition has caused consumers to reference the “Nutritional Facts” box on packaged/bottled foods when making a purchase. More than half (54 percent) of Americans surveyed frequently or always read the “Nutritional Facts” box on an unfamiliar packaged or bottled food item and 26 percent occasionally, as compared to 15 percent rarely and five percent who never read it.

The top five nutritional facts that consumers report reading are: calories (71 percent), total fat (63 percent), sugars (50 percent), sodium (45 percent) and serving size (39 percent). Four out of 10 (42 percent) consumers surveyed frequently or always purchase packaged/bottled foods influenced by health-related claims, such as “low carb,” “low sodium” and “heart healthy.”

“Over the past two years, we have seen a significant shift in how consumers view the foods they purchase,” said Conroy. “Though our survey still shows health and safety as the top two concerns facing Americans, the percentages have dropped and consumers are using their increased knowledge of food products to raise concerns around over-processed foods. Food companies are now dealing with an engaged consumer who actively seeks to understand the products they are looking to buy. This survey should be yet another red flag for the industry, as it shows that consumers are determined to be smarter about the foods they put on their table.”

For a copy of Deloitte’s 2010 Food Safety Survey, please visit www.deloitte.com/us/foodsafety.


The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted online by an independent research company between March 22 and March 24, 2010. The survey polled a nationally representative sample of 1,102 consumers. The survey has a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.

SOURCE: Deloitte.

Injection moulding market shrinks 23% in Europe

The value of the European plastics injection moulding industry slumped to €42.6bn in 2009, losing 23% of its value from €55bn in 2008, according to a new report from AMI.


Up until 2008, the sector was growing by around 2% per year in terms of polymer volume but the last quarter of that year saw a sharp contraction in the market, which “wiped out nearly five years of growth in the space of a few months”, says the market analysts.

The European market has also shifted from west to east. Between 2005 and 2008, polymer demand among central and eastern European moulders grew on average by 7% per year while in western Europe, polymer consumption by moulders shrank at a rate of 1% per year. More than 12% of injection moulding sites in western Europe closed.

Germany was the only western European country to sustain positive growth, while the UK was the weakest market of the entire region.

AMI predicts the industry will return to growth this year, forecasting an expansion in polymer demand of 3-4%, driven mainly by developments in packaging applications and specialised areas sectors such as medical.

However, the number of companies within this sector will decline as the market will remain competitive because of rising raw material, energy and labour costs.

The 7 quality management tools (Basic Concept)

The Japanese began applying the thinking developed by Walter Shewhart and W Edward Deming during the 1930s and 1940s. Japan's progress in continuous improvement led to the expansion of the use of these tools.

oru Ishikawa, the then head of the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE), thus, decided to expand the use of these approaches in Japanese manufacturing in the 1960s with the introduction of the seven quality control (7QC) tools.

7QC tools are fundamental instruments to improve the quality of products. They are used to analyse the production process, identify major problems, control fluctuations of product quality and provide solutions to avoid future defects.

These tools use statistical techniques and knowledge to accumulate data and analyse them. They help organise the collected data in a way that is easy to understand. Moreover, by using 7QC tools, specific problems in a process can be identified.

The first is the check sheet, which shows the history and pattern of variations. This tool is used at the beginning of the change process to identify the problems and collect data easily.

The team using it can study observed data (a performance measure of a process) for patterns over a specified period of time. It is also used at the end of the change process to see whether the change has resulted in permanent improvement.

The Pareto chart is named after Wilfredo Pareto, the Italian economist who determined that wealth is not evenly distributed. The chart shows the distribution of items and arranges them from the most frequent to the least frequent, with the final bar being miscellaneous.

The Pareto chart is used to define problems, to set their priority, to illustrate the problems detected and determine their frequency in the process. It is a graphic picture of the most frequent causes of a particular problem. Most people use it to determine where to put their initial efforts to get maximum gain.

The cause and effect diagram is also called the "fishbone chart" because of its appearance and the Ishikawa chart after the man who popularised its use in Japan. It is used to list the cause of particular problems. Lines come off the core horizontal line to display the main causes; the lines coming off the main causes are the subcauses.

This tool is used to figure out any possible causes of a problem. It allows a team to identify, explore, and graphically display, in increasing detail, all of the possible causes related to a problem or condition to discover its root cause(s).

The histogram is a bar chart showing a distribution of variables. This tool helps identify the cause of problems in a process by the shape as well as the width of the distribution. It shows a bar chart of accumulated data and provides the easiest way to evaluate the distribution of data.

Then there's the scatter diagram, which shows the pattern of relationship between two variables that are thought to be related.

The closer the points are to the diagonal line, the more closely there is a one-to-one relationship. The scatter diagram is a graphical tool that plots many data points and shows a pattern of correlation between two variables.

Graphs are among the simplest and best techniques to analyse and display data for easy communication in a visual format. Data can be depicted graphically using bar graphs, line charts, pie charts and control charts. While the first three are commonly used, the last is a line chart with control limits.

By mathematically constructing control limits at three standard deviations above and below the average, one can determine what variation is due to normal ongoing causes (common causes) and what variation is produced by unique events (special causes).

By eliminating the special causes first and then reducing common causes, quality can be improved. Control chart provides control limits that are three standard deviations above and below average, whether or not our process is in control.

This tool enables the user to monitor, control and improve process performance over time by studying variation and its source.