Coordinate Measurement Control Limits Using Synthetic Sample Values

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for determining control limits in quality control processes using coordinate measuring machines often result in inaccurate interventions due to insufficient statistical basis, especially with small sample sizes, leading to either unnecessary interventions or missed process changes.

Innovation Solution

The method involves generating synthetic values based on a first adjusted continuous statistical distribution to increase the statistical basis, forming subgroups, and determining control limits using a second adjusted distribution to ensure accurate intervention based on a predetermined statistical probability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If control limits are determined using only measured values from small sample sizes, then the evaluation process is simple and quick, but the statistical basis is insufficient leading to inaccurate interventions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of control limit determinationVSAvoidsample size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The method performs preliminary actions by generating synthetic measured values based on the fitted distribution before final control limit determination. This preliminary generation of additional data points (synthetic values) enriches the statistical basis without requiring additional physical measurements, thereby resolving the contradiction between small sample size and accurate control limit determination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates copies of measured values by generating synthetic data points that follow the same statistical distribution as the original measurements. These synthetic copies augment the limited sample data, providing a more robust statistical foundation for control limit calculation without requiring more physical workpieces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If more measured values are collected to improve statistical basis, then control limit accuracy improves, but measurement time and resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestatistical basis for control limitsVSAvoidmeasurement time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The method replaces the mechanical measurement process (physically measuring more workpieces) with a computational process (generating synthetic values through computer algorithms). This substitution allows the system to obtain additional statistical data without the time and resource costs of actual measurements, resolving the contradiction between statistical basis and measurement time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the parameter state by transforming limited measured values into a larger dataset through synthetic value generation. By altering the quantity parameter of available data through computational means rather than physical measurement, the method achieves better statistical basis without proportional increase in measurement time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If control limits are set to be highly sensitive to detect process changes, then detection accuracy improves, but unnecessary interventions increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracy of process changesVSAvoidunnecessary interventions
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The method implements feedback by using the fitted distribution and synthetic values to establish more reliable control limits that accurately reflect the true process variation. This feedback mechanism prevents both Type I errors (false positives causing unnecessary interventions) and Type II errors (false negatives missing real changes), thereby resolving the contradiction between detection sensitivity and intervention accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4130656B1Preparation of the evaluation of samples of measured values from a measurement of a plurality of workpieces by one or more coordinate measuring devices
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 CARL ZEISS INDUSTRIELLE MESSTECHNIKE GMBH
  • EP4130656B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4130656B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4130656B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In particular, a computer-implemented procedure is carried out by an evaluation device (21) for preparing an evaluation of samples of measured values ​​of a measurand from a measurement of a plurality of workpieces by one or more coordinate measuring machines (1), comprising the following steps: a) fitting (23) a distribution type of a continuous statistical distribution to measured values ​​of a sample of measured values ​​and obtaining a first fitted continuous statistical distribution, b) generating (24) a plurality of synthetic values ​​of the measurand which obey the first fitted continuous statistical distribution with respect to the probability of their occurrence, c) forming (25) a plurality of subgroups from the totality of measured values ​​and the synthetic values ​​of the measurand, wherein each of the plurality of subgroups comprises a plurality of the measured values ​​and/or the synthetic values ​​of the measurand.d) for each of the subgroups, calculation (26) of a calculated value of a derived quantity, namely a location quantity that describes a location of the measured values ​​and/or the synthetic values ​​of the measured quantity of the subgroup, or a dispersion quantity that describes the dispersion of the measured values ​​and/or the synthetic values ​​of the measured quantity of the subgroup; e) fitting (27) a distribution type of a continuous statistical distribution to the calculated values ​​of the derived quantity and obtaining a second fitted continuous statistical distribution; f) determining (28) an upper limit and a lower limit of a range of values ​​of the derived quantity such that, according to the second fitted continuous statistical distribution, values ​​of the derived quantity lie within the range of values ​​bounded by the upper and lower limits with a proportion equal to a given statistical probability.