Discrete part manufacturing process control with quality considerations

Research in production control which recognizes the strong synergism between product quality and process control is an oft-neglected element of quality engineering. This paper focuses on the optimal control of a sequential production process when product quality is the objective. An algorithm is developed for resolving this problem. The algorithm both identifies the optimal solution and has strong intuitive appeal. To illustrate the procedure, an example is presented for a two-stage discrete part manufacturing system.