Statistical Quality Control is a 3 credit course cross taught as an undergraduate technical elective and a graduate requirement for an Engineering Management master's degree. The course usually includes various engineering majors. The course originally included lectures, case studies, and tests but seemed to lack something that engaged students more actively in making connections and having to use their creativity.

After teaching the course for a number of semesters and attending the Making with EM Workshop, I felt that the course needed something to connect the various pieces of quality control, from the statistical aspect to the management aspect, together. This project now allows me to do that.

Introduction:

This is used as a semester long project with a mid-semester deliverable to keep students on track. The product is built after the quality plan is "approved". The parameters for the design are minimal with the caveat that it cannot have existed, to provide for greater creativity.

The course I use it in presents formulation of various continuous and discrete data control charts to students throughout the semester.

This project can also be used in discussing production scalability, material costing, and prototyping.

Teams are made up of 3-4 students and formed at the beginning of the semester.

Project Description:

Toyz, Inc. (a fictional company) wants to launch a brand new toy that will appeal to children from 3 to 5 years old. The company has asked their new product development team to design the new toy based on the following constraints:

No larger than 12" on any side.

Must include a curve.

Toy must be colorful.

Toy must include at least two moveable parts.

Cannot be an existing toy.

Students are required to submit a design and quality control plan midway through the semester, for approval of their design and feedback on the quality plan. Students are expected to produce 7 examples of their design and used to produce that control charts for their chosen quality characteristic.

The Quality Plan, along with the control charts and description of changes or issues encountered during their project is due at the end of the semester. Students also present their toys and control charts to the class during the last week of classes.

Process:

Students are given a tour of the Student Design center (Maker Space) in the first few weeks of the course. Many graduate students are not familiar with the maker space so this is a good introduction to it for them.

The first few weeks of the course focuses on the need for quality control in both service and manufacturing as well as the DMAIC process and Six Sigma. The project is introduced during this time. The scenario and requirements are explained and teams are self chosen.

The draft quality plan is due around week 7, after the Shewhart control charts for variables and attributes is introduced in class. Comments are made on the Quality Plan and discussed with the teams, they are given the go ahead for fabrication.

In the last week of classes student present their designs, toys, and quality control outcomes to the class. The class also votes by ballot on the most original toy.