Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the efficiency and performance of Quality control with focus on the inspections performed within production processes and how Lean Six Sigma can affect them. This can be done through mapping a current state to identify inefficiencies and wastes. The research will be used to answer following questions: How can Lean improve efficiency for in-process quality control? How can integration of Lean Six Sigma be applied to optimize processes? Can Six Sigma techniques increase the performance of quality control? Method A production process approach to quality control was investigated through a case study. Data was gathered through Interviews, Observations, Measurements and a Survey. The case study was complimented with Theory through a literature study which provided data from books and scientific articles. The literature study also created more room for generalization within the study as connection and conclusions could be made with results found in other works. Results Through the case study it was discovered that the production process under examination was working with Lean practices to a certain degree. Regarding Six Sigma, not much trace was found of using the concept and its methods in practice. It was exposed through Lean that there was waste generated within the process defined as motion, transport and inventory which could be eliminated to improve efficiency. Through Six Sigma there was noticed that implementation could be made to increase the performance of operators to detect deviations and generate more data for quality management within their quality inspections. Conclusion The conclusion drawn within the research based upon the case study and literature study is that an integration of Lean Six Sigma can be made to improve efficiency as well as performance of quality control within a production process. Lean tools can be used to improve speed of the process and utilization of resources. Meanwhile Six Sigma can be used to increase the ability to detect deviations and perform quality work. / Syfte Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka effektiviteten och prestanda för kvalitetsstyrning med fokus på de inspektionerna som utförs inom produktionsprocesser och hur Lean Six Sigma kan påverka dem. Detta kan göras genom att kartlägga ett aktuellt tillstånd för att identifiera ineffektivitet och slöserier. Forskningen kommer att användas för att besvara följande frågor: Hur kan Lean förbättra effektiviteten för kvalitetsstyrning under processen? Hur kan integration av Lean Six Sigma tillämpas för att optimera processer? Kan Six Sigma tekniker öka prestanda för kvalitetsstyrning? Metod En produktionsprocess arbetssätt med kvalitetsstyrning undersöktes genom ett upplägg likt en fallstudie. Data samlades in genom intervjuer, observationer, mätningar och en undersökning. Fallstudien kompletterades med teorin genom en litteraturstudie som tillhandahöll data från böcker och vetenskapliga artiklar. Litteraturstudien skapade också mer utrymme för generalisering inom studien då kopplingar samt slutsatser kunde göras med resultat från andra arbeten inom samma område. Resultat Genom fallstudien upptäcktes det att produktionsprocessen som undersöktes arbetade med Lean praktiskt till en viss grad. Gällande Six Sigma hittades det inte mycket spår utav användning av konceptet samt dess metoder inom praktiken. Det visades genom Lean att det fanns slöserier genererat inom processen definierad som rörelse, transport och lager som kunde elimineras för att förbättra effektiviteten. Genom Six Sigma märktes det att implementering kunde göras för att öka operatörernas prestanda för att upptäcka avvikelser och generera mer data för kvalitetsstyrning inom deras kvalitetsinspektioner. Slutsats Slutsatsen som dras inom studien som är baserad på fallstudien och litteraturstudien är att en integration av Lean Six Sigma kan göras för att förbättra effektiviteten såväl som prestandan av kvalitetsstyrning i en produktionsprocess. Lean verktyg kan användas för att förbättra processens hastighet och resursanvändning. Samtidigt kan Six Sigma användas för att öka förmågan att upptäcka avvikelser och utföra kvalitetsarbete.

Globalization has increased the complexity of the business world, as it adds new dimensions to companies’ operations, such as global suppliers and customers, and competition from global actors. To handle the complexity, companies are pressured to become more data-driven to be able to measure and align their operations, and create possibilities for efficiency and competitiveness [Skjott-Larsen etal., 2007; Long, 2018]. In order to enable the change towards becoming more data-driven, companies need to rethink the structure of their organization. Matrix structures have gained popularity, since it allows companies to focus on more than one dimension by creating functional teams focused on specific tasks [Sy et al., 2005]. However, it is not uncommon that the functional groups becomes functional silos, with an inward focus on the own groups’ performance, leading to decreased understanding of other groups and poor communication between groups. A lack of understanding of other groups can lead to a reactive, rather than proactive, way of handling problems [Motiwalla and Pearson, 2009]. The purpose of this project is to create a process that can be used to facilitate proactive work in adata-driven matrix organization struggling with a reactive way of handling problems. The process can be used as a way to decide between possible solutions in decision-making processes, while making sure that any affected department is involved at an early stage in the decision-making process. At Alfa Laval’s distribution center (DC) in Tumba, they are facing the challenges of functional silos and reactive work. The organization is data-driven, why a lot of decisions are based on data. However, the best decision according to the data is not always feasible, which has lead to decisions being made that affects other departments negatively. Based on data from and observations made at the DC, a processwas created. The process was iterated and improved through application to real-life problems and point of improvements identified at DC Tumba. While it is based on the operations at Alfa Laval, it canbe applied to any organization facing similar challenges. The final version of the process proved to deliver good solutions to problems by involving stakeholders early on in the process, making it possible for them to influence how the solutions should be adjusted in order to avoid the changes affecting their daily work negatively. The most important conclusion is that important stakeholder departments should be involved earlyin decision-making processes. That way, their valuable competence and knowledge can be utilized when identifying possible solution, and any negative effects of a solution on another departments can be discovered before implementation. In addition, by taking the time to thoroughly analyze the root cause and effects to a problem, the understanding of the chain can increase. / Globalisering har ökat komplexiteten av affärsvärlden, då ytterligare dimensioner måste tas hänsyn till i företags verksamheter, så som globala leverantörer och kunder, och ökad konkurrens från globala aktörer. För att hantera komplexiteten blir företag mer datadrivna, för att kunna mäta och samordna sin verksamhet och skapa möjligheter för effektivitet och konkurrenskraftighet [Skjott-Larsen et al.,2007; Long, 2018]. För att möljiggöra ett skifte mot att bli mer datadriven, måste företag se över sin organisationsstruktur. Matrisstrukturer har ökat i popularitet då de möjliggör att företag kan fokusera på fler än en dimensioner samtidigt genom att skapa funktionella grupper fokuserade på specifikauppgifter [Sy et al., 2005]. Dock är det inte ovanligt att funktionella grupper förvandlas till funktionella silos, med ett inåtriktat fokus på den egna gruppens prestationer, vilket leder till minskad förtåelse och bristfällig kommunikation grupper emellan. Bristande förståelse för andra grupper kan leda till ett klimat där problem hanteras reaktivt snarare än proaktivt [Motiwalla and Pearson, 2009]. Syftet med detta projekt är att skapa en process som kan användas för att underlätta proaktivt arbetet i en datadriven organisation där problem hanteras reaktivt. Processen kan användas som ett hjälpmedel för att välja den bästa av flera möjliga lösningar, samtidigt som påverkade avdelningar involveras i ett tidigt stadium av beslutsprocessen. På Alfa Lavals distributionscenter (DC) i Tumba, finns utmaningar med funktionella silos och reaktivt arbete. Organisationen är datadriven, och beslut fattas baserat på data. Dock är inte alltid beslut som baserats på data rimliga, vilket har lett till att beslut tas som påverkar andra avdelningar negativt. Baserat på data från och observationer på DCt, skapades en preliminär process. Processen itererades och förbättrades sedan genom att appliceras på verkliga problem och förbättringsområden som identifierades på DC Tumba. Även om processen togs fram och baserades på Alfa Lavals verksamhet, kan den appliceras på andra organisationer som står inför samma utmaningar. Den slutgiltiga versionen av processen visade sig generera bra lösningar till problemen genom att involvera intressenter tidigt i processen, vilket gav dem möjligheten att påverka hur den rekommenderade lösningen skulle justeras för att undvika att dereas dagliga arbete skulle påverkas negativt. Den viktigaste slutsatsen är att det är viktigt att involvera intressentavdelningar i ett tidigt skede i beslutsfattandeprocesser. På så sätt kan deras värdefulla kompetens och kunskaper nyttjas när potentiella lösningar till ett problem genereras, och negativa effekter från lösningen på andra avdelningar kan upptäckas innan implementering. Att dessutom noggrant analysera roten till problemet och dess effekter kan leda till att förståelsen för hela kedjan ökar.

Operations improvement methodologies have been adopted by manufacturing companies since the early 20th century. Japanese manufacturers were able to offer products of high quality and efficient production costs through systems such as Lean. Manufacturers in the West soon adopted systems of their own thereafter. Operations Excellence is a generic term used to describe such systems, and can be described as a management system delivering competitiveness through the continuous improvement of operational performance. This study provides a critical review of the implementation of an Operations Excellence program by examining the system adopted by a petrochemical company in South Africa. The review allowed the implementation shortcomings to be identified so that resolutions could be suggested, thus facilitating successful utilisation of the system. An evaluation of Operations Excellence programs utilised globally and at the case study organisation was carried out as part of a literature study. This research included the critical success factors and lessons learnt from the systems employed by others. Experimental field work was carried out to allow the critical evaluation of the implementation in the case study. The experimental method utilised a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. The primary research instrument was a questionnaire designed to examine the degree in which critical success factors and Operations Excellence requirements were present in the organisation. The implementation shortcomings were successfully identified through the experimental work undertaken. These shortcomings, together with the review of the available literature on Operations Excellence, allowed for the proposition of recommendations with the objective of successful utilisation of Operations Excellence programs for large enterprises. / MIng (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Operations improvement methodologies have been adopted by manufacturing companies since the early 20th century. Japanese manufacturers were able to offer products of high quality and efficient production costs through systems such as Lean. Manufacturers in the West soon adopted systems of their own thereafter. Operations Excellence is a generic term used to describe such systems, and can be described as a management system delivering competitiveness through the continuous improvement of operational performance. This study provides a critical review of the implementation of an Operations Excellence program by examining the system adopted by a petrochemical company in South Africa. The review allowed the implementation shortcomings to be identified so that resolutions could be suggested, thus facilitating successful utilisation of the system. An evaluation of Operations Excellence programs utilised globally and at the case study organisation was carried out as part of a literature study. This research included the critical success factors and lessons learnt from the systems employed by others. Experimental field work was carried out to allow the critical evaluation of the implementation in the case study. The experimental method utilised a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. The primary research instrument was a questionnaire designed to examine the degree in which critical success factors and Operations Excellence requirements were present in the organisation. The implementation shortcomings were successfully identified through the experimental work undertaken. These shortcomings, together with the review of the available literature on Operations Excellence, allowed for the proposition of recommendations with the objective of successful utilisation of Operations Excellence programs for large enterprises. / MIng (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In 1959 French composer Francis Poulenc composed the opera La Voix humaine based on Jean Cocteau’s original play (1928). La Voix humaine is a one-act opera for soprano. The main character, Elle, spends the opera on the phone with her ex-lover who is marrying another the next day. Many musicians believe this opera is difficult or impossible to update, due to the use of the telephone and its dated operator system, which is a large aspect of the action and drama. This document provides the reader with a new interpretation of the opera with modern technology. Chapter One begins with a brief history of the creators of the play and opera, Jean Cocteau and Francis Poulenc. It delves into their early years, leading up to their time involved with Les Six. Chapter Two discusses Cocteau’s vision and creation of the play and continues to his collaboration with Poulenc on the opera. Chapter Three offers a view of how the phone plays a large part in the play, continues to the telephone’s function during the time period the play was written, and concludes with a look at how current technology may be applied to an updated interpretation of the opera. Chapter Four provides a look at the sections of the libretto that is linked to the telephone, thus making its use unavoidable in certain portions of the opera while providing musical examples. It also discusses how the libretto poses a problem with a modern-day telephone system and how to address these issues. Chapter Five presents ways to incorporate the use of an iPad into the second section of the opera, through analysis and interpretation of the text. Chapter Six gives a look into modern research on technology and its effects on mental health, following with how this research can be applied to a modern interpretation of the work and Elle’s untimely suicide due to effects of technology addiction. This chapter also discusses how the text and music support these ideas. Finally, the conclusion summarizes main ideas and their application into the opera.

No description available.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are several ports around the world currently experiencing problems with moored vessel motions. Extreme vessel motions are mainly caused by long waves, which can become trapped inside a harbour basin. The extreme motions can cause downtime in port operations and in some instances cause mooring lines to break. Methods and procedures currently available to measure motions of moored vessels require vessel specific information as input. The implementation of these methods is seen as impractical to implement on every vessel visiting the port and require the physical measurement of some points on the vessel and/or the placement of some kind of measurement device on the vessel. A new Six Degree of Freedom (6DOF) motion measurement system for a moored vessel is presented in this document. The system analyses a video image sequence from one camera. The method estimates the 3D rigid motion for an object of known size by using a Pose from Orthography and Scaling with ITerations (POSIT) algorithm. The object for which the motion is estimated is located on the deck of the vessel and within the camera field of view. Geometric rigid body calculations allow for the calculation of camera perspective rotations and translation of an object on the vessel. Further geometric calculations allow for converting camera perspective motions to the 6DOF object motions. The primary objective of this study was to validate and verify the motions obtained from two proof-of-concept tracking systems. For evaluation purposes, the validation was done by using a small scale physical model set-up in a hydraulics laboratory and using a known method as reference. The Keoship system from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is currently one of the most accurate small scale vessel motion measurement systems and was used as reference. The first method tested was the tracking of a 2D LED rectangle mounted on the vessel. This method tracked a 2D object and was primarily used as a stepping stone to measure movement of a 3D object. The second method tracked a 3D object on the vessel. Each tracking method was tested for four different wave conditions with each condition additionally repeated twice as repeatability tests, resulting in a total of 12 tests for each tracking method. When comparing the 2D LED tracking and 3D Object tracking data to data measured with the Keoship system, results show that in general, the 3D Object tracking data compared better to the Keoship data. Tests under controlled conditions enabled a direct estimation of the absolute accuracy of the two developed methods. The verification and accuracy test results, indicated that the 2D LED tracking system should not be pursued further. The results also indicated that for prototype motions exceeding 0.6 m (i.e. storm events) the 3D Object tracking system would have an accuracy close to the maximum allowable accuracy criterion of 0.1 m. This makes the system viable at its current proof-of-concept stage for further development which would enable rapid deployment during a storm event in a prototype situation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is verskeie hawens regoor die wêreld wat tans bewegings probleme op gemeerde skepe ervaar. Hierdie buitensporige bewegings word veroorsaak deur lang periode golwe wat binne die hawe bekkens vasgekeer word. Dit kan daartoe lei dat hawe bedrywighede tot stilstand kom en in ernstige gevalle ook veroorsaak dat meringslyne breek. Huidige metodes vir die meet van skeepsbewegings op vasgemeerde skepe, vereis skeep spesifieke inligting as inset. Die toepassing van hierdie metodes op elke skip wat die hawe besoek, word as onprakties beskou, aangesien dit die fisiese meting van sekere punte op die skip behels. In sekere gevalle is dit selfs nodig om meet toestelle op die skip te plaas. In hierdie dokument word ‘n nuwe metode aangebied om die ses grade van vryheid bewegings vir ‘n vasgemeerde skip te meet. Hierdie stelsel analiseer ‘n video beeld reeks van een kamera. Die metode bereken die 3D rigiede beweging van ‘n voorwerp, waarvan die grootte bekend is. ’n ‘Pose from Orthography and scaling with Iterations’ (POSIT) algoritme word hiervoor gebruik. Die voorwerp waarvoor beweging gemeet word is op die dek van die skip en in kamera sig. Rigiede geometriese voorwerp berekeninge word gebruik om die rotasie en translasie vanuit ‘n kamera perspektief te bereken. Verdere geometriese berekeninge maak dit moontlik om die bewegings vanuit die kamera perspektief te omskep in die ses grade van vryheid bewegings van die voorwerp. Die hoof doelwit van hierdie ondersoek was om die gemete bewegings van twee beweging stelsels te valideer en te verifieer. Die validasie en verifiëring was in ‘n hidrolise laboratorium met ‘n klein skaal model opstelling getoets. ‘n Meet metode van skeepsbeweging op klein skaal wat reeds bekend is, is gebruik as ‘n verwysingsraamwerk waarteen die metings vergelyk kan word. Die Keoship stelsel van die Wetenskaplike Nywerheids Navorsings Raad (WNNR) is tans een van die mees akkurate klein skaal skeepsbeweging meet stelsels, en was as verwysing gebruik. Die eerste bewegings metode is getoets op ‘n 2D reghoek vervaaridig uit ligstralede diodes. Hierdie metode het die 2D voorwerp gevolg en is hoofsaaklik gebruik as ‘n boublok om die beweging van ‘n 3D voorwerp te volg. Die tweede metode het die beweging van ‘n 3D voorwerp op ‘n skip gevolg. Vir elke meet metode was daar vier verskillende golf toestande. Elke golf toestand was ook ‘n verdere twee keer herhaal vir herhaalbaarheids doeleindes. Saam met die herhaalbaarheids toetse was daar in totaal, 12 toetse vir elkeen van die twee metodes gedoen. Met die Keoship metode as verwysing, bewys hierdie toetse dat die 3D metode beter resultate lewer as die 2D metode. Toetse onder beheerde toestande, het dit moontlik gemaak om die absolute akkuraatheid van albei sisteme wat ontwikkel was, te evalueer. Verifikasie en akuraatheids toetse het aangedui dat verdere ontwikkeling van die 2D metode gestuit moet word. Die resultate het ook aangedui dat die 3D metode ‘n akuraatheid baie na aan die maatstaf van 0.1 m sal hê wanneer prototipe bewegings 0.6 m oorskrei (b.v. gedurende ‘n storm). Dit sal die oplossing lewensvatbaar maak by die huidige bewys van konsep fase vir die verdere ontwikkeling wat vinnige ontplooiing gedurende ‘n storm sal moontlik maak.

<p>Syftet med mitt arbete var att undersöka sexåringars miljömedvetenhet, samt hur de har tillförskaffat sig denna kunskap. Jag har genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med samtliga 13 elever i en förskoleklass. Genom att diskutera kring 7 saker glasburk, läskedrycksburk, löv, papptallrik, plastmugg, tidning och äppelskrutt som vi lade ut i skogen under en månad fick jag kunskap om vad barnen trodde skulle ske med sakerna under tiden i skogen, var barnen skulle ha slängt sakerna samt hur de hade erhållit denna kunskap.</p><p>Barnen trodde att det var vädret som påverkade processen med sakerna i skogen. De utgår från vad de har sett och sätter in det i ett sammanhang. Det har lärt mig att utgå från barnens vardag när det gäller naturvetenskapliga fenomen.</p><p>När det gäller återvinning var kunskapen större om glasåtervinning än om plaståtervinning hos sexåringarna. Kunskapen om kompostering var obefintlig. Genom detta arbete tror jag att kompostering kan vara ett bra sätt att väcka miljöintresse hos barn.</p><p>Jag fann att mamman var en viktig kunskapsförmedlare inom detta område. 10 av 13 barn svarade att någon anhörig hade lärt dem det som de svarade i denna studie. Av dessa 10 barn nämnde 8 mamma eller mamma och pappa som anhörig. Två av barnen svarade att de hade erhållit kunskapen genom TV. Ingen av barnen nämnde förskolan eller förskoleklassen som kunskapsförmedlare.</p> / <p>The purpose of my study was to examine the environmental awareness of six-year-olds and how they have acquired this knowledge. I have carried out qualitative interviews with all the thirteen pupils in one pre-school class.</p><p>By discussing seven things, a glass jar, a soda can, a leaf, a paper plate, a plastic mug, a newspaper, and an apple core, which we put away in the forest for a month, I gained the knowledge of what the children thought would happen to the seven different things and where they had acquired their knowledge.</p><p>The children thought it was the weather that affected the process of the seven things. Their assumptions were based on what they see and put into a context. I have learnt to start from children’s everyday life when explaining scientific phenomena, to children.</p><p>When it comes to recycling, the fact was that the knowledge of recycling glass was more widely spread than the knowledge of recycling plastics among the six-year-olds. The knowledge of composting was nonexistent. As a result of this study, I think that composting might be a good idea in order to raise an environmental interest among children.</p><p>I found that mothers were important contributors to knowledge in this field. When questioned who had taught them what they knew in this field, ten of thirteen children answered that a close relative had taught them what they knew, i.e. what they had answered in the study. Eight out of these ten pupils mentioned their mothers or their mothers and fathers as this/these close relative/s. Two of the children said that they had acquired this knowledge through TV. None of the children mentioned day care centre, nursery school or pre-school class as contributors to any environmental awareness.</p>

Disertacijoje aprašyti šešiafazių asinchroninių variklių dinaminiai modeliai ir ištirti pereinamieji vyksmai. Disertaciją sudaro įvadas, trys pagrindiniai skyriai, išvados, naudotos literatūros ir autoriaus publikacijų disertacijos tema sąrašas. Įvadiniame skyriuje suformuluota tiriamoji problema, darbo aktualumas, tyrimų objektas, darbo tikslas ir uždaviniai, tyrimų metodika, darbo mokslinis naujumas, rezultatų praktinė reikšmė, ginamieji teiginiai. Įvado pabaigoje pristatytos autoriaus paskelbtos publikacijos disertacijos tema ir pateikiamas perskaitytų pranešimų konferencijose sąrašas bei aprašoma disertacijos sandara. Pirmame skyriuje aprašyti daugiafazių variklių privalumai lyginant juos su trifaziais ir nurodyti jų taikymo atvejai. Aprašyti šešiafazių asinchroninių variklių tipai. Pateiktas šešiafazio asinchroninio variklio matematinis modelis. Pristatyti šešiafazių asinchroninių elektros pavarų valdymo metodai. Suformuluotos skyriaus išvados ir disertacijos uždaviniai. Antrajame skyriuje pateikti šešiafazio asinchroninio variklio kompiuteriniai modeliai sukurti pagal variklio statoriaus, rotoriaus srovių ir srautų išraiškas. Aprašyti imitacinių modelių naudojimo atvejai greitojo prototipo sistemose. Skyriaus pabaigoje suformuluotos išvados. Trečiajame skyriuje pristatyti šešiafazių asinchroninių pavarų imitaciniai ir eksperimentiniai tyrimai. Sudarytos sutelktosios dvisluoksnės sutrumpinto žingsnio ir poliaus žingsnio šešiafazių apvijų schemos. Pateikti šešiafazio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Dynamic models for investigation transient processes of six phase induction motors are presented in this dissertation. The thesis layout consists of introduction, three main chapters, conclusions, bibliography and list of publications. The introduction reveals the investigation problem, importance of the work and the object of research as well as describes the purpose and tasks of the paper, research methodology, scientific novelty, the practical significance of obtained results and defended statements. The author’s publications on the subject of the defended dissertation, offering the material of made presentations in conferences and the structure of the dissertation are presented at the end of introduction. The advantages of multiphase motors over conventional three phase are presented in the first chapter. The applications with multiphase motors are reviewed. The types of six phase induction motors are presented. The mathematical model of six phase induction motor are composed. The control methods of six phase induction motors are reviewed. At the end of the chapter, conclusions and tasks for the dissertation are formulated. The second chapter is dedicated for methodology to develop two types mathematical models of six phase induction motor. First of them is composed according to stator and rotor current expressions and second one according to stator and rotor flux expressions. Fast prototype systems with simulation models are reviewed. At the end of the chapter... [to full text]

The usage of statistical methods in the production industry has resulted in quality improvements for several organisations during the last decade. However, advanced statistical methods are still underutilised and underappreciated in quality improvement programs and projects in many companies. Therefore it is of interest to investigate how these methods can be used for quality improvements in the production industry. A case study was conducted at Teufelberger’s wire rope production plant in Wels, Austria. Wire rope type BS 909 was studied by utilising the arsenal of tools and methods that Six Sigma provides, with an emphasis on statistical methods -- especially Design of Experiments. Teufelberger is currently (2016) experiencing diameter issues along the rope and it has been found through customer reclamations and quality controls in the production that the variation in a production lot can be substantial. Furthermore, there is no master setting of process parameters and each operator has their own way of setting and adjusting them, as there are different ways to achieve a product which is within given tolerances. The purpose of this study is to investigate how statistical tools can be applied to minimise variance in a Teufelberger rope manufacturing process, by conducting a case study utilising the quality improvement methodology DMAIC. Experiments were conducted in the following four sub processes which produce input components used during the manufacturing of BS909: KL-A, KL-B, IL and Al. In KL-A the following main effects were identified as significant: Postformers Spin and Postformers Diameter. In KL-B the main effect Postformers Spin was significant. In IL the following main effects were identified as significant: Compacting device, Postformers Spin and Postformers Diameter. In AL the main effect Compacting device was significant. Based on the conclusion derived from analysing these experiments theoretical master setups were created in order to address the variance issue and standardise process parameters. Further verification testing must be conducted in order to verify and tune the proposed master setups before they can be utilised. / Det senaste årtiondet har användningen av statistiska metoder inom tillverkningsindustrin resulterat i kvalitetsförbättringar för flera organisationer men dessa metoder är fortfarande undervärderade och utnyttjas ej till fullo inom program och projekt för kvalitetsförbättringar. Därför är det av intresse att undersöka hur dessa metoder kan användas för kvalitetsförbättringar inom tillverkningsindustrin. Vid en av Teufelbergers produktionsanläggningar av stålvajrar i Wels, Österrike, har en fallstudie med kvalitetsförbättringsmetodiken DMAIC genomförts. Stålvajer typ BS 909 har studerats genom att använda den arsenal av verktyg och metoder som Six Sigma innefattar, med betoning på statistiska metoder och särskilt försöksplanering. Teufelberger hade för tillfället problem med främst diametern av stålvajern. Det har visat sig genom kundreklamationer och kvalitetskontroller i produktionen att variationen i en produktionsserie kan vara betydande. Dessutom finns det ej några dokumenterade optimala inställningar av processparametrar så varje maskinoperatör har sitt eget sätt att ställa in och justera processparametrarna. Detta är möjligt då det finns olika kombinationer av  parameterinställningar som kan ge en produkt som är inom givna toleranser. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur statistikverktyg kan användas för att minimera variansen i en tillverkningsprocess av stålvajer hos företaget Teufelberger, detta genom att utföra en fallstudie med kvalitetsförbättringsmetodiken DMAIC Experiment utfördes i följande fyra processer som producerar ingående komponenter som används vid tillverkningen av BS909: KL-A, KL-B, IL och Al. I processen för KL-A identifierades följande huvudeffekter som aktiva;  Postformers-Spin och Postformers-Diameter. Den enda huvudeffekt som identifierades vara aktiv för KL-B var Postformers-Spin. För IL var följande huvudeffekter aktiva: Compacting device, Postformers-Spin och Postformers-Diameter. I processen AL var endast huvudeffekten Compacting device aktiv. Baserat på det resultat som framkom vid analysen av dessa experiment har nya teoretiskt optimala inställningar beräknats, som förväntas minska variationen i responsvariabeln diameter. De nya rekommenderade inställningarna bör tills vidare kunna fungera som ny standard för produktionen, men verifieringsförsök bör ändå utföras för att bekräfta och finjustera  inställningarna.