3.

Robust Design

What is robust deisgn/ process/ products?

Arobust product(process) is one that performs as intended even under non-ideal conditions auch
as process varations or range of operating situations.

For agiven performance target there may be many combinations that yield desired results.but,
some combinations may be more sensitive to variation than others.

Which combinations work the best? Which combinations have the most ’robust’ design to meet
customer needs?

The robust design processes have 7 primary steps:

1. Identify signal factor(s), response variable or ideal function, control factors, noise factors,
and error states (or the failure modes).
2. Formulate an objective function
3. Develop the experimental plan
4. Run the experiment
5. Conduct the analysis
6. Select and confirm factor set points.
7. Reflect and repeat
P-Diagram

The P-Diagram is based on the concept of converting 100% of input energy (input signal) into
100% of the ideal function. Any engineered system reaches its” ideal function” when all of its
applied energy (input) is transformed efficiently into creating desired output energy. In reality,
nothing functions like this. Energy is less than 100% efficient in its energy transformation. This
loss goes to creating unintended functions, or error states.
 Signal/noise=ideal function/error
Control Factor
states

Signal Factor
System Response
(Intent)
Variable

Noise Factor
Error States

Identify signal factor(s), response variable or ideal function, control factors, noise factors
and error states (or the failure modes)

1. Signal factor (inputs) pass through the design of the product and is output into measured
response variable or ideal function.
 The signal factor is transformed via the control factors to convert the input to the
desired output.
2. Control factors are typically elements such as design, materials and processes that the
engineer has ‘control’ over.
3. Error states are the failure modes or effects of failure as defined by an end user when using
the product.
4. Noise factors are things that can influence the design but are under the control of the
engineer, such as environmental factors, customer usage, interfaces with other systems,
degradation over time, piece-to piece variation, among others.
 These noise factors, if not protected for, can make the design useless and it can be
said that the design is not robust against the expected noise factors.