What is Robust Design?

Decisions made during the design process are critical in terms of both cost and customer requirements. Meeting specification requirements is not enough. It is necessary to create products that function despite improper installation or use, inadequate transportation or storage – products that can handle variability.

Robust Design is a combination of continuous customer focus and design that takes into account variability. Creating products in this way allows you to gain a competitive advantage. Robust Design also helps to build the company’s image – as a stable and reliable brand.

The creator of the Robust Design method was Genichi Taguchi. This method has significantly improved the productivity of engineering, thanks to the realization of the existence of disruptive factors in the manufacturing processes.

Elements of Taguchi’s concept

1. Parameter design
2. Concept design
3. Tolerance design

In the Six Sigma Tools course, you will learn practical examples of Robust Design and more about the various elements of the Taguchi concept.

Reducing variability in the product manufacturing proces

Variability is present at all stages of manufacturing (from components to assembly to installation) and customer use of the product. Therefore, at the product design stage, we should plan and test solutions that take into account the full range of possibilities for using the product and the conditions under which it will operate.

The goal of Robust Design is to minimize variability and its impact on the product. Variability can be divided into 3 basic types:

• Internal variability – resulting from deterioration in quality, due to machine wear or material aging.
• External variability – resulting from factors related to weather and environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, dust.
• Unit variability – the difference between parts due to differences in processes, materials or equipment.

The application of Robust Design

The Taguchi method can be successfully used to optimize new products or processes, as well as to improve existing ones. The use of Robust Design in the early stages of product development allows to increase its efficiency and gives better results.