A neural network approach to characterize pattern parameters in process control charts

Abnormal patterns on manufacturing process control charts can reveal potential quality problems due to assignable causes at an early stage, helping to prevent defects and improve quality performance. In recent years, neural networks have been applied to the pattern recognition task for control charts. The emphasis has been on pattern detection and identification rather than more detailed pattern parameter information, such as shift magnitude, trend slope, etc., which is vital for effective assignable cause analysis. Moreover, the identification of concurrent patterns (where two or more patterns exist together) which are commonly encountered in practical manufacturing processes has not been reported. This paper proposes a neural network-based approach to recognize typical abnormal patterns and in addition to accurately identify key parameters of the specific patterns involved. Both single and concurrent patterns can be characterized using this approach. A sequential pattern analysis (SPA) design was adopted to tackle complexity and prevent interference between pattern categories. The performance of the model has been evaluated using a simulation approach, and numerical and graphical results are presented which demonstrate that the approach performs effectively in control chart pattern recognition and accurately identifies the key parameters of the recognized pattern(s) in both single and concurrent pattern circumstances.