Gage R&R Analysis Analysis of Repeatability and Reproducibility

This is a technique to measure the precision of gages and other measurement systems. The name of this technique originated from the operation of a gage by different operators for measuring a collection of parts. The precision of the measurements using this gage involves at least two major components: the systematic difference among operators and the differences among parts. The Gage R&R analysis is a technique to quantify each component of the variation so that we will be able to determine what proportion of variability is due to operators, and what is due to the parts. A typical gage R&R study is conducted as the following: A quality characteristic of an object of interest (could be parts, or any well defined experimental units for the study) is selected for the study. A gage or a certain instrument is chosen as the measuring device. J operators are randomly selected. I parts are randomly chosen and prepared for the study. Each of the J operators is asked to measure the characteristic of each of the I parts for r times (repeatedly measure the same part r times). The variation among the m replications of the given parts measured by the same operation is the Repeatability of the gage. The variability among operators is the Reproducibility.

Gage repeatability and reproducibility studies determine how much of your observed process variation is due to measurement system variation. The overall variation is broken down into three categories: part-to-part, repeatability, and reproducibility. The reproducibility component can be further broken down into its operator, and operator by part, components.
Pat-to-Part Variation Variation due to Gage Repeatability Operators

Overall Variation Measurement System Variation

Variation due to Operators Reproducibility Operator by Part

How to determine the capability of a gage?

For most gages (instruments), it usually comes with an engineer specification limit. The specification limits speficies the range of the measurement the instruct will produce. It is usually stated as the form of x standard U x . When the measurement is out of the limit, the instrucment is no longer function properly, and some adjusment or calibration will be needed. One of the final goal of a Gage R&R analysis is to evaluate how cacapble of the instrument be measuring the Gage Capability Ratio: 6 overall 6 overall GCR = 2U x Upper Spec - Lower Spec

The multiple, 6, is chosen based on normal distribution so that 99.5% of chance the measurements will covered. The estimate overall uncertainty is the most current condition of the instrument. Therefore, If GCR > 1, it indicates that the current condition is out of specs, and some adjustment or calibration of the instrument may be necessary. xbest overall The current condition can also be presented as

In many cases, one may be interested in repeatability and reproducibility components separately, and present each in terms of %GCR for Repeatability, %GCR for Reproducibility.
%GCR for Repeatability = 6 repeatability 2U x
2U x

100

6 repeatability

Upper Spec - Lower Spec

6 reproducibility Upper Spec - Lower Spec

100
100

%GCR for Reproducibility =

6 reporducibility

100

A simple guideline can then be determined to monitor the instrument (gage or system). One common guideline used in industry is:

If %GCR Repeatability > 5%, a yellow warning sign is flagged.

If %GCR Repeatability > 10%, a red sign is flagged, and an immediate attention is needed for instrument adjustment or calibration. Similarly, one can set up a flag system for reproducibility. If If %GCR Repeatability > 20%, a yellow warning sign is flagged. If %GCR Repeatability > 30%, a red sign is flagged, and an immediate action is needed for operator retraining or monitoring the process produces the parts.

Case Study (Data are from Vardeman & Jobe (1999): A study was conducted to investigate the precision of measuring the heights of 10 steel punches (in 10-3 inches) using a certain micrometer caliper. Three operators were randomly selected for the the study. Ten parts with steel punches are randomly selected. Each operator measured each punch three time. Here are the data.
Row 1 2 3 4 5 Punch 1 1 1 2 2 OperA 496 496 499 498 497 OperB 497 499 497 498 496 OperC 497 498 496 497 499 Row 16 17 18 19 20 Punch 6 6 6 7 7 OperA 499 498 499 503 499 OperB 500 499 497 498 499 OperC 498 498 498 500 499

6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

2
3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5

499
498 498 498 497 497 498 499 501

499
497 498 497 496 496 499 499 499

500
496 498 497 498 497 497 499 499

21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

7
8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10

502
500 499 499 499 500 499 497 496

499
501 498 499 500 500 498 500 494

502
500 501 499 500 499 500 496 498

15

500

499

500

30

10

496

496

496

Hands-on Project for Gage R&R Analysis

(Data Source: Vardeman & Jobe, 1999)

In a system of a sequence of operations, one process is to measure the angle at which fibers are glued to a sheet of base material. The correct angle is extremely important in the later processes. A Gage R&R project is determined to study the uncertainty of the degree of the angle. A team of four members are chosen for the study. Each team member measures five specimens for three times. The same five specimens are used through the the project. The tolerance specification is 40 The measurements are recorded in the following table.

Conduct a through analysis of Gage R&R study and prepare a summary report of the findings.

Row 1

Analist 1

Speci 1

Angle 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 16 20 23 20 20 22 41 42 43 44 45 46 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 1 18 15 20 16 17 18

2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1
1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4

20
20 17 20 20 23 20 22 16

27
28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

2
2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3

4
5 5 5 1 1 1 2 2

18
18 20 18 20 19 16 15 20

47
48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55

4
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

1
1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4

18
21 21 17 16 17 20 18 16

11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

1
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2

4
4 5 5 5 1 1 1 2

22
15 20 20 22 20 25 17 15

36
37 38 39 40

3
3 3 3 3

2
3 3 3 4

16
15 20 22 17

56
57 58 59 60

4
4 4 4 4

4
4 5 5 5

15
17 18 18 20

20

13