Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani

Distance Learning Programmes Division

First Semester 2007-2008
Comprehensive Examination (EC-2 Regular)
Course No.
Course Title
Nature of Exam
Weightage
Duration
Date of Exam
Note:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Q.1
Q.2
Q.3
Q.4
Q.5

Q.6

: ET ZC432
: QUALITY CONTROL ASSURANCE & RELIABILITY
: Open Book
: 60%
No. of Pages
=2
: 3 Hours
No. of Questions = 8
: 29/09/2007 (FN)

Please follow all the Instructions to Candidates given on the cover page of the answer book.
All parts of a question should be answered consecutively. Each answer should start from a fresh page.
Mobile phones and computers of any kind should not be brought inside the examination hall.
Use of any unfair means will result in severe disciplinary action.

Explain the fundamental philosophy in the total quality management concept.

What is process capability analysis and when should it be conducted? What are some of
its benefits?
Explain the similarities and dissimilarities between the standardized plans ANSI/ASQC
Z1.9 used for variable inspection and ANSI/ASQC Z1.4 used for attribute inspection.
Distinguish between failure, time-terminated and sequential tests for reliability and life
testing.
Discuss the assumption that must be satisfied to justify using a P- Chart. How are they
different from the assumption required for C-Chart.
[4 x 5 = 20]
The number of non-conforming cables is found for 20 samples of size of 100 and is shown
in the following table. Construct a control chart for the proportion of nonconforming
cables. Revise the control limits, assuming special causes for points outside the control
limits. Construct an OC curve for the P-Chart. If the process proportion of nonconforming cables were to raise to 7% what is the probability of not detecting this shift on
the first sample drawn after the change has taken place? What is the probability of
detecting the shift by the third sample?
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Sample

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Date for Non-conforming cables

Number of
Sample
Number of
nonconforming
nonconforming cables
cables
2
11
5
5
12
4
4
13
2
3
14
5
4
15
3
2
16
12
3
17
3
2
18
2
4
19
5
11
20
2
Table Q.6
Page 1 of 2

ET ZC432 (EC-2 REGULAR)

Q.7

FIRST SEMESTER 2007-2008

PAGE 2

A major automobile company is interested in reducing the time that customers have to
wait while having their car serviced with one of the dealers. They select four customers
randomly each day and find the total time that each of those customer have to wait while
having their car serviced. Next from these four observations, the sample average and the
range are found. This process is repeated for 25 days. The summary data for these
observations are
25

25

X i = 1000

Ri = 250

i =1

i =1

(a) Find the X and R-chart control limit.

(b) Assuming that the process is in control and that a desirable value on the upper bound
of the waiting time is 50 min. calculate the process capability index.
(c) Assuming the normal distribution of waiting times, find the proportion of customer,
that will have to wait more than 50 min.
(d) To reduce the waiting time of customers, the service manager hires some additional
mechanics, which reduce the average waiting time to 35 min. What proportion of the
customer will still have to wait more than 50 min if the variability in service times is
the same as before?
[10]
Q.8

A doctor is contemplating four types of diet to reduce the blood sugar levels of patients.
Because of differences in metabolism of patients, the doctor categories the patients into
five age groups. From each age group four patients are selected and randomly assigned to
the diets. After two months on the diet, the reduction in patients blood sugar level is
found. The results are shown in the following table.
Reduction in patients Blood sugar level
Diet Type
Patient
Age group 1
2
3
4
20-30
40
70
35
40
30-40
60
80
65
60
40-50
65
60
60
50
50-60
30
50
40
20
60-70
45
55
50
30
(a) Is there a difference in diet types as evidenced by the mean reduction in blood sugar
level? Test at 5% level of significance.
(b) Find 90% confidence interval for the mean reduction in blood sugar level for diet
type 1.
(c) Find 95% confidence interval for the difference in the mean reduction is blood sugar
level between diet types 2 and 4. Is there a difference between the two diet types?
(d) Which diet type would you prefer why?

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