Production processes are monitored by control charts since their inception by Shewhart (1924). This surveillance is useful in improving the production process due to increased stabilization of the process, and consequently standardization of the output. Control charts keep track of a few key quality characteristics of the outcome of the production process. This is done by means of univariate or multivariate charts. Small improvements in control chart methodology can have significant economic impact in the production process. In this investigation, we propose the monitoring of a single variable by means of a variable parameter non-central chi-square control chart. The design of the chart is accomplished by means of optimizing a cost function. We use here a simulated annealing optimization tool, due to the difficulty of classical gradient based optimization techniques to handle the optimization of the cost function. The results show some of the drawbacks of using this model.
Statistical process control; Economic design; Chi-square control chart; Variable parameters; Simulated annealing
