All the projects were carried out by final year students
working in Irish companies.
Process Capability Study of Medical Device
Trials were carried out on the manufacturing process for
a medical device. The statistical analysis of the results
showed that the process was only capable of meeting the specified
dimensions 80% of the time. The project also studied the resulting
defects and the conditions under which they were manufactured
in order to help identify possible quality improvements.
Aesthetic Properties of Mobile Phone Covers
This project established the effect of moulding temperature
on the visual appearance of moulded products. It also identified
other quality problems that should be investigated in order
to maximise the company’s productivity in the future.
Coated Lenses for Optical Equipment
This project investigated the factors that cause or prevent
inconsistencies and blemishes in optical lenses. It involved
an experiment to evaluate the effect of running the processing
equipment at different settings as well as the effect of using
different quality raw materials.
Service Industry Training Development Plan
This project was carried out in a banking service industry.
An employee survey questionnaire was drawn up and given to
each employee to fill up. The results were entered into a
computer spreadsheet and used to develop a cohesive cross-training
matrix.
Supplier Quality
A Visual Basic program was written for a company that plotted
the quality of purchased materials on a graph. This allowed
the company personnel to view results for materials coming
from different suppliers on separate graphs with a greatly
improved standard of presentation.
Induction Training
The process of training new employees was studied and presented
on a process flow diagram. This helped to identify gaps in
training and lead to recommendations for improvement.
Supermarket waste
This project quantified the waste in one department of a
major supermarket due to products going beyond their ‘best
before’ dates at over €20,000 per year. By analysing
the figures on a daily and weekly basis, the project pointed
to methods of achieving substantial cost savings.
Food Process Validation
An investigation into the cooking process for readymade
meals established the accuracy needed in the cooking temperatures
and cooling times needed to produce a quality product.
Process Capability Study of Machine Component
Trials were carried out on the manufacturing process for
an important component used in the manufacture of an industrial
machine. The statistical analysis of the results showed that
the process was only capable of consistently meeting six of
the eight specified dimensions. This clearly identified what
improvements were needed in the components for the machines
to operate reliably over their lifetime.
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