Use of Strip-Strip-Block Design for Multi-Stage Processes to Reduce Costs of Experimentation

ABSTRACT

A strip-strip-block design is proposed for use in investigating the effects of factors, and their interactions, in three-stage industrial processes. Consideration is given, more generally, to the question of how to generate such designs, what theoretical properties they should have, and how to analyze the results of such designs. A case study is used as an illustration.

KEYWORDS:

• fractional factorial designs
• randomization
• strip-block confounding
• strip-strip-block designs
• two-level designs

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was sponsored by CONACYT, México (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, 135617). We are grateful to Professor Harold Steudel at ISyE UW-Madison for his helpful support and Julie Wilhelm for her kind collaboration at Rayovac.