ABSTRACT
If perfect parts could be manufactured, most design and production problems would disappear. What the designer conceives, manufacturing creates. However, in a less-than-perfect world, variation occurs and must be confronted. This begins early in the product development cycle and extends to subsequent continuous improvement activities. The reality of manufacturing depends on the identification and removal of common sources of process variation. The quest for the perfect product requires both an effort and a discipline that must become part of the manufacturing culture.
