Introduction to Robust Design

and Use of the Taguchi Method

2
What is Robust Design
Robust design: a design whose performance is insensitive to variations.
Simply doing a trade study to optimize the value of F
would lead the designer to pick this point
Example: We want to pick x to maximize F
F
x
This means that
values of F as
low as this can
be expected!
What if I pick this
point instead?
3
What is Robust Design
The robust design process is frequently formalized through
six-sigma approaches (or lean/kaizen approaches)

Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology
developed at Motorola in 1986 aimed at defect reduction in
manufacturing.

Numerous aerospace organizations that have implemented
these systems, including:
Department of Defense
NASA
Boeing
Northrop Grumman
Example of Lean Activities at NASA
4
QPMR_hq20070801ecm
Progress on Ares Lean Activities (contd)
Some example results that are being incorporated into mainline efforts:
Streamlining boards/panels approval process: reduced from 5 to 2 the
number of board approval steps within Ares
Design reviews process: 39% reduction in time to conduct design reviews
Time for risk approval: 66% reduction in the time to evaluate and approve
a candidate risk through the risk management system
Trade studies: 50% reduction in the number of steps to conduct formal
trade studies - from idea to decision
Task description sheet (TDS) development for ADAC cycles: from 3% to
80% automation
Back to Project Summary Quad Chart
Less Time on WasteMore Time for
Value Added Work
Taguchi Method for Robust Design
Systemized statistical approach to product and process
improvement developed by Dr. G. Taguchi

Approach emphasizes moving quality upstream to the
design phase

Based on the notion that minimizing variation is the primary
means of improving quality

Special attention is given to designing systems such that
their performance is insensitive to environmental changes
5
The Basic Idea Behind Robust Design
6
Reduce
Variability
Reduce
Cost
Increase
Quality
ROBUSTNESS QUALITY
Any Deviation is Bad: Loss Functions
7
x x
T
x
USL
x
LSL
No
Loss
Loss Loss
x x
T
x
USL
x
LSL
Loss = k(x-x
T
)
2
The traditional view states that there is no
loss in quality (and therefore value) as
long as the product performance is within
some tolerance of the target value.
x
LSL
= Lower Specification Limit x
USL
= Upper Specification Limit x
T
= Target Value
In Robust Design, any deviation from the
target performance is considered a loss in
quality the goal is to minimize this loss.
Overview of Taguchi Parameter Design Method
8
1. Brainstorming
2. Identify Design Parameters
and Noise Factors
3. Construct Design of
Experiments (DOEs)
4. Perform Experiments
5. Analyze Results
Design Parameters: Variables under your control

Noise Factors: Variables you cannot control or
variables that are too expensive
to control
Ideally, you would like to investigate all
possible combinations of design parameters
and noise factors and then pick the best
design parameters. Unfortunately, cost and
schedule constraints frequently prevent us
from performing this many test cases this is
where DOEs come in!

Design of Experiments (DOE)
Exp.
Num
Variables
X
1
X
2
X
3
X
4
1 1 1 1 1
2 1 2 2 2
3 1 3 3 3
4 2 1 2 3
5 2 2 3 1
6 2 3 1 2
7 3 1 3 2
8 3 2 1 3
9 3 3 2 1
9
Exp.
Num
Variables
X
1
X
2
X
3
1 1 1 1
2 1 2 2
3 2 1 2
4 2 2 1
Design of Experiments: An information gathering exercise. DOE is a
structured method for determining the relationship between process inputs
and process outputs.
L
9
(3
4
) Orthogonal Array
L
4
(2
3
) Orthogonal Array
L
4
(2
3
)
Number of
Experiments
Number of
Variable Levels
Number of
Variables
Here, our objective is to intelligently choose the
information we gather so that we can determine the
relationship between the inputs and outputs with the
least amount of effort
Num of Experiments must be system degrees-of-freedom:
DOF = 1 + (# variables)*(# of levels 1)
N
3
1 2 2 1
N
2
1 2 1 2
N
1
1 1 2 2
1 2 3 4
Inner & Outer Arrays
10
E
x
p
e
r
i
m
e
n
t

N
u
m
b
e
r

Design Parameters Noise
E
x
p
e
r
i
m
e
n
t

N
u
m

Performance
Characteristic
evaluated at the
specified design
parameter and
noise factor values
Inner Array design parameter matrix
Outer Array noise factor matrix
X
1
X
2
X
3
X
4
1 1 1 1 1
2 1 2 2 2
3 1 3 3 3
4 2 1 2 3
5 2 2 3 1
6 2 3 1 2
7 3 1 3 2
8 3 2 1 3
9 3 3 2 1
y
11
= f {X
1
(1), X
2
(1),
X
3
(1), X
4
(1),
N
1
(1), N
2
(1), N
3
(1)}
y
52
= f {X
1
(2), X
2
(2),
X
3
(3), X
4
(1),
N
1
(1), N
2
(2), N
3
(2)}
Processing the Results (1 of 2)
11
E
x
p
e
r
i
m
e
n
t

N
u
m
b
e
r

Design Parameters
N
o
i
s
e

Experiment Num
Performance
Characteristic
evaluated at the
specified design
parameter and
noise factor values
Compute signal-to-noise (S/N) for each row
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

=
n
j
ij i
y
n
N S
1
2
1
log 10 /
Maximizing performance
characteristic |
|
.
|

\
|
=

=
n
j
ij
i
y n
N S
1
2
1 1
log 10 /
Inner Array design parameter matrix
Outer Array noise factor matrix
Minimizing performance
characteristic
Processing the Results (2 of 2)
12
E
x
p
e
r
i
m
e
n
t

N
u
m
b
e
r

Design Parameters
S
i
g
n
a
l
-
t
o
-
N
o
i
s
e

(
S
/
N
)

Isolate the instances of each design parameter at each
level and average the corresponding S/N values.
X
1
X
2
X
3
X
4
1 1 1 1 1 S/N
1
2 1 2 2 2 S/N
2
3 1 3 3 3 S/N
3

4 2 1 2 3 S/N
4

5 2 2 3 1 S/N
5

6 2 3 1 2 S/N
6

7 3 1 3 2 S/N
7

8 3 2 1 3 S/N
8

9 3 3 2 1 S/N
9

X
2
is at level 1 in
experiments 1, 4, & 7
3
/ / /
/
7 4 1
) 1 (
1
N S N S N S
N S Avg
T
+ +
=
Visualizing the Results
13
Plot average S/N for each design parameter

ALWAYS aim to maximize S/N
In this example, these are the best cases.
Robust Design Example
14
Compressed-air cooling system example

Example 12.6 from Engineering Design, 3
rd
Ed., by G.E. Dieter
(Robust-design_Dieter-chapter.pdf)
Pareto Plots and the 80/20 Rule
15
20% of the variables in any given system control 80% of the variability in
the dependent variable (in this case, the performance characteristic).
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
X1
X2
X3
X4
X5
X6
X7
X8
X9
X10
Cumulative effect
Individual design parameter effects
20% of the variables
80% of the variability in
the dependent variable
Limitations of Taguchi Method
Inner and outer array structure assumes no interaction
between design parameters and noise factors

Only working towards one attribute

Assumes continuous functions


16
More sophisticated DOEs and analysis methods
may be used to deal with many of these issues.
You can easily spend a whole
class on each of these topics
ORI 390R-6: Regression and Analysis of Variance
ORI 390R-10: Statistical Design of Experiments
ORI 390R-12: Multivariate Statistical Analysis
Conclusions
Decisions made early in the design process cost very little in
terms of the overall product cost but have a major effect on
the cost of the product

Quality cannot be built into a product unless it is designed
into it in the beginning

Robust design methodologies provide a way for the designer
to develop a system that is (relatively) insensitive variations
17