International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (October 5-7, 2012)

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, Kapurthala, Punjab-144601 (INDIA) 216

APPLYING SIX SIGMA TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY IN OPTICAL
MEDIA INDUSTRY BY INCREASING LIFE OF RAW MATERIAL AS
WELL AS TO REDUCE BOM COST

Apar Singh
1
, Sudhir Kumar
2

1,2
Noida Institute Of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, India
Corresponding Author Email id: (apar_mech2003@yahoo.co.in )


ABSTRACT

In recent years, an increasing number of companies have been using different type of programs in orders to improve
productivity by increasing life of raw material as well as to reduce BOM cost. Among of all these programs Six
Sigma is perhaps the most widely accepted initiative by all abroad range of organization. The DMAIC (Define-
Measure-Analysis-Improve- Control) has been followed here to solve an underline problem of reducing process
variation and the associated high defect rate. This paper explores how an Optical media company in India can use a
systematic and disciplined approach to move towards the goal of Six Sigma quality level. At the beginning of this
project, Stamper life was 254715 shots, and after the improvement actions were implemented during six- month
period its life increased up to 425443 shots. The critical successful factors for six sigma projects, especially those
in the OMG Company, are discussed at the conclusion of this paper.

Key words: - Six Sigma, Process Improvement, DMAIC, SIPOC Diagram, Qualitative Analysis, Measurement
System Analysis


I. Introduction

One of the most dynamic processes in the field of
quality control over the last thirty years has been Six
Sigma as pioneered by Motorola. Six Sigma is a
quality control standard in which the goal is to reduce
variability in every business practice within an
organization. Six Sigma is a business performance
improvement strategy that aims to reduce the number
of mistakes/defects to as low as 3.4 occasions per
million opportunities. Sigma is a measure of
variation about the average in a process which
could be in manufacturing or service industry. The
Six Sigma quality control standard was originated by
the Motorola Company in the 1980s


Fig. 1 DMAIC

and was designed to help eliminate the rate of defects
perceived to be caused by manufacturing variation. In
order to reduce process variation and the associate
high defect rate, six sigma focuses on improvement
methodology application, then DMAIC is mentioned
most frequently now and a lasting improvement
method. The representatives meaning of five English
letters are as drawn in Fig. 1.
This report contains a study on using Six Sigma
Statistical tool to improve Stamper life in Optical
media group, India. We have used the DMAIC
approach to achieve our objective of improving
Stamper life.

Stamper: Stamper is a nickel disc created by
electroforming process from the glass Master-Mother
and is used to mould Digital Versatile Discs or DVDs
as popularly known. Stamper is the main media and
reflects to the Polycarbonate substrate. Stamper has
the grooves in it with certain specifications. These
grooves replicates on the disc of polycarbonate from
moulding process, which is called active disc. The
dye is filled in these grooves and after further
processes of sputtering, bonding, UV curing and
scanning, the final disc is manufactured.

Stamper specifications:
Material used : Nickels
Stamper diameter: 138+/-0.2 mm
Stamper thickness: At R 23mm 290+/- 5 um
and R 58mm - 302+/- 4/6 um
International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (October 5-7, 2012)

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, Kapurthala, Punjab-144601 (INDIA) 217
Centre hole diameter: 22 mm+/-0.01mm
ECC: </=10 um
Stamper is loaded on the injection moulding machine
and is used to mould DVDs. The stamper is used to
produce as many shots as it can until good DVDR are
produced. The number of shots produced with one
Stamper gives us the life of the Stamper

II. DMAIC

STEP 1 - DEFINE

Define the requirements and expectations of the
customer. Define the project boundaries and the
process by mapping the business flow

Table 1:- Business Opportunity

Business Case Opportunity
Statement
Manufacturing cost of DVDR is
high because of less Stamper
life. There is an opportunity to
improve MCC Stamper life by
improving current processes,
which will help in reducing
manufacturing cost and
improving productivity.

In the last 3
months Jan12 to
March12 the
average Stamper
life is 254715
shots. We have to
improve average
Stamper life to
500000 shots.
Goal Statement Project Scope
Met-
ric
Curr-
ent
Level
Target Target
date
Process under
improvement:
Starts with
Stamper
incoming Ends
with Final disc
No of lines All
format DVDR
lines of Optical
media group

S
t
a
m
p
e
r

l
i
f
e

2
5
4
7
1
5

s
h
o
t
s

5
0
0
0
0
0

s
h
o
t
s

1
5
t
h

M
a
y

2
0
1
2


Table 2:- Goal of Business



STEP 2 MEASURE

Measure the process to satisfy customers needs.
Develop a data collection plan. Collect and compare
data to determine issues and shortfalls. Measure the
defect count of Stamper of last four months data and
take top 4 defects in the defect Pareto (Fig. 2) for
improvement purpose. During this 80% problem can
resolve by reducing only 20% defect.



Fig. 2 - Stamper defect Pareto chart (Dec11 -
March12)

We are going to take top 4 defects and find their
causes to work for improvement.

TE (Tracking Error): From Fig. 2 TE is the top
most defect in the Stamper. The Tracking Error is a
measurement of deviation of read spot from the track.



Fig. 3 Cause and Effect Diagram TE
Opportunity Customer
Impact
Business
Impact
Manufacturing cost of
DVDR is high because
of less Stamper life.
There is an opportunity
to improve Stamper life
by improving current
processes, which will
help to improve
productivity and
reducing manufacturing
cost of DVDR as per
Annual Business Plan.
Low disc
cost.


Improving
productivity
and reducing
manufacturin
g cost
resulting in
high
profitability.

International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (October 5-7, 2012)

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, Kapurthala, Punjab-144601 (INDIA) 218

Tracking servo keeps read spot on track. The drive
must be able to maintain read spot in the track
(compensate for radial defects on
disc).Characteristics of read spot and servo
determines the ability to compensate/adjust. There
are many reasons to generate TE in Stamper as
shown in Fig. 3.

ADERB: From Fig. 2 ADERB is the 2
nd
top most
defect. Address in pre groove errors. ADER indicates
errors in the ADIP signal carrier. It checks data
integrity by using the error correction code. It
measures maximum number of ADIP blocks with an
error over 8 ECC-blocks. As every ECC block
consists of 4 ADIP blocks, the maximum value is 32.
Fig. 4 shows reasons and causes to generate ADERB
in the Stamper.



Fig. 4 Cause and Effect Diagram ADERB

Dent: From Fig. 2 dent is the 3
rd
top most defect in
the Stamper. It is defined as Cut mark on the Stamper
due to sticking of outside material on Stamper
surface. Fig. 5 shows reasons and causes to generate
dent on Stamper

SCRATCH: From Fig. 2 Scratch is the 4
th
top most
defect in the Stamper. Scratch is mark on Stamper
generated due to mishandling, disc sticking and
double shot problem. Fig. 6 shows reasons and
causes to generate Scratch on Stamper

Fig. 5 Cause and Effect Diagram Dent



Fig. 6 Cause and Effect Diagram SCRATCH

Cause and Effect Matrix Summary:-

Table 3:- Summary of cause and effect matrix
Prioritized Xs

Sl. No. Input (X) Output (Y)
1 Shim height MCC Stamper life
2 PCR gas deposition MCC Stamper life
3 Handling of Stamper MCC Stamper life
4 Dent on Stamper MCC Stamper life
5 Scratch and double
side defect
MCC Stamper life
6 Bump and reverse
bump
MCC Stamper life


International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (October 5-7, 2012)

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, Kapurthala, Punjab-144601 (INDIA) 219
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS-INPUT
INDICATORS-(X)

Handling of Stamper: This is the procedure of
handling Stamper during loading and unloading of
Stamper from the moulding machine.
Shim height: Thickness of steel piece provided
behind the stopper plate to avoid contact between
cavity ring and stamper.
PCR gas: (Polycarbonate Residual Gas).Additives is
mixed with polycarbonate for better flow and
lubrication purpose. During melting of Polycarbonate
they are evaporated and formed as Polycarbonate
Residual Gases and this gets deposited on cavity ring.
Bump/Reverse bump: Bump is bulging of backside
of Stamper caused by dust on mirror and reverse
bump is caused by external particles on Stamper.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS-OUTPUT
RESPONSE-(Y)

Stamper Life: Stamper life can be defined as the
number of good shots produced without having any
Visual, Electrical and Mechanical problem. Stamper
life is calculated monthly and it is the number of
discs produced divided by number of Stamper used.

STEP 3 ANALYSIS

In this analyze the causes of defects and sources of
variation. Determine the variations in the process and
prioritize opportunities for future improvement.

Table 4:- Validation of Xs

Sl.
No.
Process/ Input
(X)
Validated
(Y/N)
Tools Used
1 Handling of
Stamper
Yes MSA
2 Shim height Yes Mann
Whitney Test
3 PCR gas
deposition
Yes Mann
Whitney Test
4 Bump/Reverse
bump
No Observation

MEASUREMENT SYSTEM ANALYSIS (MSA)

Table 5:- MSA Study done on Stamper Handling

Study conducted by Apar Singh
Number of operators 4
Sample size 20
Number of
observations/operator
3

Data Collection: To find out the variability in
stamper handling between different operators, we
audited 4 operators each 3 times for critical 20 points.
Interpretation of Results: Within Appraisers Amit
is better than other operators with 85% pass rate but
since Kappa values are <0.7 for all the operators
which is way below the standard. So every operator
needs further improvement.
Each Appraiser vs. Standard Kappa value of Adarsh
is >0.7 and other operators is <0.7 indicates that
Adarsh is following standard practices where as
others are not.
Between Appraisers & All Appraisers vs.
Standard
Kappa value is <0.7
Needs training of Stamper handling for all operators.

MANN WHITNEY TEST FOR SHIM HEIGHT

Practical statement: Stamper life improved after shim
provided in mould
HO: Stamper life with shim and without shim is same
Ha: Stamper life with shim is greater than Stamper
life without shim
Mann-Whitney Test and CI: After Shim, Before
Shim
N Median
After Shim 15 691875
Before Shim 15 209417

Point estimate for ETA1-ETA2 is 383208
95.4 Percent CI for ETA1-ETA2 is (161583, 491958)
W = 330.0
Test of ETA1 = ETA2 vs. ETA1 > ETA2 is
significant at 0.0000
Since P value is less than 0.05, Shim between Mould
and Stamper is significant factor and there is
significant improvement in Stamper life with shim.

MANN WHITNEY TEST FOR PCR GAS
DEPOSITION

Practical statement: Stamper life without PCR Gas
Deposition is more than stamper life with PCR gas
deposition
HO: Stamper life without PCR gas deposition is
equal to Stamper life with PCR gas deposition
Ha: Stamper life without PCR gas deposition is
greater than Stamper life with PCR gas deposition
Mann-Whitney Test and CI: After vacuum pipe
modification. Before vacuum pipe modification
N Median
After Vacuum 10 704287
Before Vacuum 10 288313
Point estimate for ETA1-ETA2 is 315183
95.5 Percent CI for ETA1-ETA2 is (191864, 507657)
W = 147.0
Test of ETA1 = ETA2 vs. ETA1 > ETA2 is
significant at 0.0009
International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (October 5-7, 2012)

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, Kapurthala, Punjab-144601 (INDIA) 220
Since P value is less than 0.05, there is significant
improvement in Stamper life without PCR gas
deposition.

STEP 4 IMPROVE

Improve the process to eliminate variations. Develop
creative alternatives and implement enhanced plan.

Table 6:- Recommended factors after validation of
Xs

FACTORS ACTIONS RECOMMENDED
Shim height Shim of 10 microns thickness
provided between mould and stopper
plate to prevent the occurrence of
dent and DSD.
Handling of
Stamper
Standard Operating Procedure was
made and On Job Training given to
all IMM process associates for better
handling of Stamper.
Polycarbonate
Residual Gas
deposition on
cavity ring
Vacuum pipe modification done to
suck PCR gas and prevent its
deposition on cavity ring.
Polycarbonate
Residual Gas
deposition on
cavity ring
Vacuum pipe modification done to
suck PCR gas and prevent its
deposition on cavity ring.

Table7:- Possible Solutions

Sl.
No.
Xs validated Possible solutions
1 Shim height
Shim of 10 micron thickness
to be provided between
mould and stopper plate to
prevent occurrence of dent
and Double side defect.
2
Handling of
Stamper
during loading
and unloading
To follow defined SOP
(Standard Operating
Procedure) and On Job
Training to be given.
3
Polycarbonate
gas deposition
Vacuum pipe modification
to be done to suck PCR gas
out of mould and prevent its
deposition.
4
Bump and
reverse bump
On Job Training to be given
to prevent occurrence of
bump/reverse bump during
handling.

PILOT IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

Cavity ring cleaning and its impact on Stamper
life:- Cavity ring (Fig. 7) is provided in moving side
mould surrounding the mirror. Its main purpose is to
give proper shape and thickness to disc.
Why Cavity ring cleaning schedule to be made and
followed?
Additives are mixed with Polycarbonate for better
flow and lubrication purpose. During melting of PC
they are evaporated and formed as Polycarbonate
Residual Gases usually known as PCR gases. It is
deposited on the surface of cavity ring and solidifies
as particles. During disc formation process these
particles cause dent at outer side of Stamper and
consequently problem of tracking error in discs.
Sometimes Stamper got rejected due to problem of
dent. With scheduled cleaning of cavity ring,
deposition of PCR gas can be minimized and we can
avoid problem of TE, rejection of Stamper due to
dent and consequently increase the Stamper life.



Fig. 7 Cavity Rings with shim

PCR gas suction vacuum pipe modification:- Poly
Carbonate Residual gas is formed during melting of
polycarbonate in injection moulding process. It is
deposited on the surface of cavity ring and solidifies
as particles. To suck PCR gas vacuum pipes are
provided in mould. But they were not very effective
in sucking PCR gas.



Fig. 8 - Suction Vacuum pipe modification

After providing modification in PCR gas suction
vacuum assembly vacuum is properly maintained and
International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (October 5-7, 2012)

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, Kapurthala, Punjab-144601 (INDIA) 221
PCR gas sucked up properly and chances of their
depositing on cavity ring decreases.

STEP 5 CONTROL

Control process variations to meet customer
requirements. Develop a strategy to monitor and
control the improved process. Implement the
improvements of systems and structures

Table 8:- Control Plan

Process Input
Process
Indi-
cator
Control
Limit
Checking
Item
Frequ-
ency
Stamper
hand-
ling
SOP
Instru-
ctions
Regular
Audit of
IMM
Process
Engineer
Check
sheet
30 days
Stamper
hand-
ling
SOP
Instru-
ctions
Training
of New
IMM
process
Engineers
Training
Record
30 days
Shim
height
adjustm
ent
Shim
height
10
microns
Shim 45 days
Mould
mainten
ance
Shim
height
During
mould
maintenan
ce check
shim
condition
Shim 45 days
Injec-
tion
mould-
ing
machine
PCR
gas
depo-
sition
No PCR
Gas Depo-
sition on
the back
side of
stamper
Stamper
and
mirror
Weekly





Fig. 9 After Action taken Stamper life Trend

III. CONCLUSION:

Given that Six Sigma methodology has been
around in industry for over a decade, it now
seems unimportant to determine whether Six
Sigma is better than other approaches. It is more
important to learn how to enhance the Six Sigma
methodology and improve implementation issues
for the growing number of firms that are
choosing to adopt it as a means of process
improvement. The primary focus should be on
improving overall management performance, not
just pinpointing and counting defects.
Researchers and practitioners are trying to
integrate Six Sigma with other existing
innovative management practices that have been
around to make Six Sigma method even more
attractive to different organizations that might
have not started or fully implemented the Six
Sigma method.

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151-169


224422
257076
294467
380195
425443
JAN'12 FEB'12 MAR'12 APR'12 MAY'12