Examples of robust design

• Robustness to Environment:

e.g.: formulation of a cake mix

     A robust formulation (amounts of sugar, flour, eggs, milk, etc.) provides target taste and texture no matter which oven is used, at which altitude.

• Robustness to Component Variation

        e.g.: design of a pendulum

Click here to try different pendulum lengths.

     Fact: Actual pendulum length varies around the nominal value set by the designer due to manufacturing errors.

• Minimizing Variation Around A Target Value

      e.g.: design of a mixing operation (Some steam is blown and some water is sprayed into a closed system to provide a certain amount of moisture.)

     Fact: Actual amount of water and steam provided to the environment varies around the set values.

Suggested further reading:

     Phadke, M.S., Quality Engineering Using Robust Design

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