ABSTRACT
Good quality is achieved by ensuring that both the mean quality characteristic is close to a target value and that the scatter around that target is as small as possible. When this has been achieved the process is said to have been optimised. This chapter describes a two step procedure for process optimisation when a manufacturing process is inherently linear. Implementation of this procedure using a constrained optimisation technique and a constant contour plot is then discussed. Then, the ausforming, copper compact, disk forging and injection moulding processes are used to illustrate process optimisation. The pore size in the centre region of a copper compact is a very important quality characteristic.
