Mr. Narang, who runs a Lulla Enterprises, manufacturer of toilet cries. One of the company's main products is tooth paste. The company manufactures both the tooth paste and also the flexible tubes in which the tooth paste contained. Highly mechanised filling lines are used in the filling of the tubes and the packaging of the product.
The Plastic Caps that fit on the tubs are made in a separate building in lots of 1,00,000 and placed in large cylindrical containers. Typical defects that occur in the caps result from inadequate material being fed into the moulding machinery or damage may occur in tumbling processes used for removing sharp edges for cleaning since the cost of one cap is Re. 1 and cost of inspecting a cap is Rs. 1.20.
When the caps are completed, they are stored in the cylindrical containers. At the filling line, the caps are dumped into a hopper which automatically feeds the caps in the production line.
A persistent problem that has been arising on the filling line is the failure of the plastic caps to fit on the tubes after the tubes are filled. Failure of the cap to fit on the tube properly results in the frequent shattering of the cap or tube and the jamming of the production line.
Because of the high speed of the line as many as 30 tubes may be damaged in the process. Since filled tubes cost Rs. 21.50, it has become essential to find a way to control the number of defective caps fed into the production line.
Questions:
1. What quality control plan would you recommend for overcoming this problem?
2. Discuss any inspection procedures that you propose to include in this plan.