International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

Dolores Moreno Luzon, M.

doi: 10.1108/02656719310037947pmid: N/A

The importance of training in the implementation of a quality programme is well known. Training is needed to improve ability, to learn new techniques, and to stimulate involvement in the goals and objectives of the firm. Presents some of the results of a study made of a sample of 44 small firms in Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. The research has shown what specific characteristics and obstacles training for quality has encountered in these firms. The narrow focus of the majority of these quality programmes was an obstacle to overcoming resistance to change and lack of interest, problems which were frequently encountered. The research also detected a relationship between participative management and the training of managers for quality.

Soundararajan, V.; Devaraj Arumainayagam, S.

doi: 10.1108/02656719310037974pmid: N/A

Presents a compact table yielding the parameters of a single sampling scheme. The table is compatible with the structure of MILSTD105D and the switching procedure incorporated in this scheme is relatively simpler than that of MILSTD105D. The basis for the construction of the table is given. Methods are given for the selection of a scheme having either acceptable quality level, limiting quality level, indifference quality level or average outgoing quality limit as a function of lot size.

Chung, KunJen

doi: 10.1108/02656719310038018pmid: N/A

Suppose that a machine is subject to failures at random with constant probability of p per unit time, and that the only way of telling whether the machine has failed is to test it. Given the above assumptions, presents a simplified equation to determine how often a machine should be inspected.

Raouf, Abdul

doi: 10.1108/02656719310037965pmid: N/A

Maintenance costs are increasing as industry is trying to use automation and take advantage of advances in technology. Management needs to plan and control maintenance costs. Adequate techniques for developing standards for maintenance costs are not available. This article outlines such a technique and suggests means of comparing the maintenance performance efficiency of different plantscompanies.

Wang, ReayChen; Chen, ChungHo

doi: 10.1108/02656719310037992pmid: N/A

Continuous Sampling Plans CSP are used where processes are continuous and products are not grouped into lots. The principal design criterion for these plans is the Average Outgoing Quality Limit AOQL, which is the worst outgoing quality over all possible values of the incoming quality level. These are generally applicable to inprocess and final inspections and have been found to be most effective when administered in such a way as to provide an incentive to clear up the faults promptly. In applying the traditional continuous sampling plans, it is necessary to revert to 100 per cent inspection when the quality deteriorates. Therefore, the inspection rate must be larger than production rate and the unit inspection cost must be low. The plan presented in this article relaxes the 100 per cent inspection restriction while reaching the same AOQL quality assurance as traditional CSP1. The Markov chain process and numerical analysis will be used to formulate the plan. Its results are then evaluated against CSP2.

Mohanty, R.P.; Singh, R.

doi: 10.1108/02656719310038009pmid: N/A

Presents a simulation model for studying the availability of an ironore production plant interconnected logistically with a large Integrated Steel Manufacturing System ISMS. The objective of the simulation experiment is to validate whether there exists adequate capability of the existing ironore production plant to meet the demands of the hot metal production plant of ISMS. Availability estimation has been made for the total unit of the iron ore production plant and sensitivity tests have been carried out with respect to buffer storages in between workstations. The model has been applied to a reallife large ISMS in India and the results have been implemented also by the management of the company.

AbdulRahman, Hamzah

doi: 10.1108/02656719310037956pmid: N/A

A description of failure events during construction illustrates the urgent need to emphasize the management of quality in civil engineering projects. During the construction of a civil engineering project, cost control techniques are used to monitor cost trends and to detect cost deviations in order to control project cost. However, this technique does not reveal the cause of any failure. The nature and collection of failure costs have been part of quality costing. Hypothetical illustrations show how failure costs can be extracted during construction using a matrix. Quality cost information can be used to supplement cost control techniques for cost control purposes and in identifying weaknesses within a system.