Product Design, Manufacturing & Innovation Resources
Home » Shewhart Control Chart

Shewhart Control Chart

1924
  • Walter A. Shewhart
Shewhart Control Chart for process monitoring in quality control.

(generated image for illustration only)

A graphical tool used in SPC to monitor a process variable over time. It plots data points between a central line (CL), representing the process average, and upper (UCL) and lower (LCL) control limits. These limits are typically set at three standard deviations from the mean (\(\mu \pm 3\sigma\)), defining the range of expected common cause variation.

The control chart is the primary instrument of Statistical Process Control. Invented by Walter A. Shewhart, it serves as a visual method to distinguish between common and special cause variation in a process. A typical chart has a time-based x-axis and a measurement-based y-axis. Three horizontal lines are crucial: the Center Line (CL), which is the statistical average of the process data; the Upper Control Limit (UCL); and the Lower Control Limit (LCL). These control limits are not arbitrary goals or specification limits set by customers. Instead, they are calculated directly from the process data itself, representing the “voice of the process.”

The standard calculation for these limits is based on the process mean (\(\mu\)) and standard deviation (\(\sigma\)), with the UCL at \(\mu + 3\sigma\) and the LCL at \(\mu – 3\sigma\). The use of three standard deviations is a statistical and economic choice; it balances the risk of failing to detect a process shift (a Type II error) with the risk of a false alarm (a Type I error). When data points fall within these limits and exhibit a random pattern, the process is considered “in statistical control.” However, if a point falls outside the limits, or if the points within the limits show a non-random pattern (as defined by rules like the Western Electric Rules), it signals the presence of a special cause of variation that requires investigation.

UNESCO Nomenclature: 1209
– Statistics

Type

Software/Algorithm

Disruption

Substantial

Usage

Widespread Use

Precursors

  • run charts (time series plots)
  • concept of standard deviation (karl pearson)
  • theory of statistical sampling
  • distinction between common and special cause variation (walter a. shewhart)

Applications

  • manufacturing process monitoring (e.g., part dimensions, weights)
  • service industry performance tracking (e.g., call wait times, error rates)
  • healthcare patient monitoring (e.g., blood pressure, infection rates)
  • software performance monitoring (e.g., server response time, bug reports)
  • financial auditing (e.g., expense report variations)

Patents:

NA

Potential Innovations Ideas

Due to scrapping bot traffic, currently more than 40k per day, this content is reserved to community members.
> Login < or > Register < (100% free) to access this, so as all other restricted content and tools.

Related to: control chart, Shewhart chart, upper control limit, lower control limit, center line, three-sigma limits, process monitoring, SPC, quality control, statistical analysis.

Historical Context

Shewhart Control Chart

1900
1903
1914
1924
1925
1930
1931
1899
1900
1911
1922
1925
1928
1930
1936

(if date is unknown or not relevant, e.g. "fluid mechanics", a rounded estimation of its notable emergence is provided)

Related Invention, Innovation & Technical Principles

Full size images and downloads are only available, 100% free, for registered members.

> Login <