Decision-making in testing process performance with fuzzy data

Over the years, numerous process capability indices (PCIs) have been proposed to the manufacturing industry to provide numerical measures of process performance. Most research efforts have focused on developing and investigating PCIs that assess process capability by precise measurements of output quality. However, real observations of continuous quantities are not precise numbers; in practice, they are more or less imprecise. Since observations of continuous random variables are imprecise the values of related test statistics become imprecise. Therefore, decision rules for statistical tests have to be adapted to this situation. This article presents a set of confidence intervals that produces triangular fuzzy numbers for the estimation of C_pk index using Buckley’s approach with some modification. Additionally, a three-decision testing rule and step-by-step procedure are developed to assess process performance based on fuzzy critical values and fuzzy p-values. This concept is also illustrated with an example for testing process performance.     

Variables sampling plans with PPM fraction of defectives and process loss consideration

Acceptance sampling plans provide the vendor and the buyer decision rules for lot sentencing to meet their product quality needs. A problem the quality practitioners have to deal with is the determination of the critical acceptance values and inspection sample sizes that provide the desired levels of protection to both vendors and buyers. As today's modern quality improvement philosophy, reduction of variation from the target value is the guiding principle as well as reducing the fraction of defectives. The C_pm index adopts the concept of product loss, which distinguishes the product quality by setting increased penalty to products deviating from the target. In this paper, a variables sampling plan based on C_pm index is proposed to handle processes requiring very low parts per million (PPM) fraction of defectives with process loss consideration. We develop an effective method for obtaining the required sample sizes n and the critical acceptance value C₀ by solving simultaneously two nonlinear equations. Based on the designed sampling plan, the practitioners can determine the number of production items to be sampled for inspection and the corresponding critical acceptance value for lot sentencing.     

The practical research on flood risk analysis based on IIOSM and fuzzy α-cut technique

Flood disasters are one of the most common and destructive natural hazards all over the world. In this paper, improved interior-outer-set model (IIOSM) based on information diffusion theory is introduced in detail to assess flood risk in an effort to obtain accurate analytical results that represent the actual situation. Then fuzzy α-cut technique is applied to calculate the fuzzy expected values under the possibility–probability distribution (PPD) calculated by IIOSM. Taking the value of α throughout the interval (0, 1], we correspondingly get access to the conservative risk value (R_C) and venture risk value (R_V). Selection of α, R_C and R_V is dependent on present technical conditions and risk preference of different people. To illustrate the procedure of IIOSM and fuzzy α-cut technique, we employ them respectively to analyze the flood risk in Sanshui District, located in the center of Guangdong province in China. The results, such as risk value estimations, as well as fuzzy expected values, i.e. R_C and R_V under the given α-cut level, can reflect the flood risk quite accurately. The outcomes of this research based on IIOSM and fuzzy α-cut technique offer new insights to carry out an efficient way for various flood protection strategies.     

A Bayesian approach for assessing process precision based on multiple samples

Using process capability indices to quantify manufacturing process precision (consistency) and performance, is an essential part of implementing any quality improvement program. Most research works for testing the capability indices have focused on using the traditional distribution frequency approaches. Cheng and Spiring [IIE Trans. 21 (1) 97] proposed a Bayesian procedure for assessing process capability index C_p based on one single sample. In practice, manufacturing information regarding product quality characteristic is often derived from multiple samples, particularly, when a routine-based quality control plan is implemented for monitoring process stability. In this paper, we consider estimating and testing C_p with multiple samples using Bayesian approach, and propose accordingly a Bayesian procedure for capability testing. The posterior probability, p, for which the process under investigation is capable, is derived. The credible interval, a Bayesian analogue of the classical lower confidence interval, is obtained. The results obtained in this paper, are generalizations of those obtained in Cheng and Spiring [IIE Trans. 21 (1), 97]. Practitioners can use the proposed procedure to Cheng and Spiring determine whether their manufacturing processes are capable of reproducing products satisfying the preset precision requirement.     

Tool replacement policy for one-sided processes with low fraction defective

In most manufacturing industries, tool replacement policy is essential for minimizing the fraction defective and the manufacturing cost. Tool wear is caused by the action of sliding chips in the shear zone, and the friction generated between the tool flank and workpiece. This wear, apparently, is a dominant and irremovable component of variability in many machining processes, which is a systematic assignable cause. As the tool wear occurs in the machining processes, the fraction of defectives would gradually become significant. When the fraction defective reaches a certain level, the tool must be replaced. Therefore, detecting suitable time for tool replacement operation becomes essential. In this paper, we present an analytical approach for unilateral processes based on the one-sided process capability index C _PU (or C _PL ) to find the appropriate time for tool replacement. Accurate process capability must be calculated, particularly, when the data contains assignable cause variation. By calculating the index C _PU (or C _PL ) in a dynamical environment, we propose estimators of C _PU (or C _PL ) and obtain exact form of the sampling distribution in the presence of systematic assignable cause. The proposed procedure is then applied to a real manufacturing process involving tool wear problem, to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.     

Fuzzy control of original UPOs of unknown discrete chaotic systems

This paper presents a fuzzy algorithm for controlling original unstable periodic orbits of unknown discrete chaotic systems. In the modeling phase, only input–output data pairs provided from the true system are required. The fuzzy model is developed using Gaussian membership functions and consequent functions where the Levenberg–Marquardt computational algorithm is employed for the model parameters calculation. In the controller design phase, the L₂-stability criterion is used, which forms the basis of the main design principle. Simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness and control performance of the proposed method.     

Cpk index estimation using fuzzy numbers

Process capacity indices (PCIs) were developed and have been successfully used by companies to compete in and dominate the high-profit markets by improving the quality and the productivity since the past two decades. There is an essential assumption, in the conventional application, wherein the output process measurements are precise and distributed as normal random variables. Since the assumption of normal distribution is untenable, errors can occur if the C_pk index is computed using non-normal data. In the present study, we address the situation that the output of data from measurement of the quality of a product is insufficiently precise or scarce. This is possible when the quality measurement refers to the decision-maker’s subjective determination. In such a situation, the linguistic variable that is easier to capture the decision-maker’s subjective perception is applied to construct the PCI C_pk. The present approach can mitigate the effect when the normal assumption is inappropriate and extends the application of C_pk index.     

A variables sampling plan based on Cpmk for product acceptance determination

Process capability indices are useful management tools, particularly in the manufacturing industry, which provide common quantitative measures on manufacturing capability and production quality. Most supplier certification manuals include a discussion of process capability analysis and describe the recommended procedure for computing a process capability index. Acceptance sampling plans have been one of the most practical tools used in classical quality control applications. It provides both vendors and buyers to reserve their own rights by compromising on a rule to judge a batch of products. Both sides may set their own safeguard line to protect their benefits. Two kinds of risks are balanced using a well-designed sampling plan. In this paper, we introduce a new variables sampling plan based on process capability index C_pmk to deal with product sentencing (acceptance determination). The proposed new sampling plan is developed based on the exact sampling distribution hence the decisions made are more accurate and reliable. For practical purpose, tables for the required sample sizes and the corresponding critical acceptance values for various producer’s risk, the consumer’s risk and the capability requirements acceptance quality level (AQL), and the lot tolerance percent defective (LTPD) are provided. A case study is also presented to illustrate how the proposed procedure can be constructed and applied to the real applications.     

Assessing process capability based on the lower confidence bound of Cpk for asymmetric tolerances

It has been proved that process capability indices provide very efficient measures of the capability of processes from many different perspectives. At the present time, the C_pk index is used more than any other index for measuring process capability. However, most existing research works for capability testing have focused on processes with symmetric tolerances, but not for asymmetric tolerances. A lower confidence bound estimates the minimum process capability, conveying critical information regarding product quality, which is essential to quality assurance. The sample size determination, which provides the sample sizes necessary to achieve a desired lower confidence bound, is directly related to the cost of the data collection plan. This paper provides explicit formulas with efficient algorithms to obtain the lower confidence bounds and sample sizes required for specified precision of the estimation on C_pk for processes with asymmetric tolerances. A Matlab computer program using a binary search method is developed. For the practitioners to use in their in-plant applications, we tabulate lower confidence bounds for some commonly used capability requirement and the sampling accuracy of C_pk for sample sizes determination. A realistic example of forging process is presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed method.     

Toward extended fuzzy logic—A first step

Fuzzy logic adds to bivalent logic an important capability—a capability to reason precisely with imperfect information. Imperfect information is information which in one or more respects is imprecise, uncertain, incomplete, unreliable, vague or partially true. In fuzzy logic, results of reasoning are expected to be provably valid, or p-valid for short. Extended fuzzy logic adds an equally important capability—a capability to reason imprecisely with imperfect information. This capability comes into play when precise reasoning is infeasible, excessively costly or unneeded. In extended fuzzy logic, p-validity of results is desirable but not required. What is admissible is a mode of reasoning which is fuzzily valid, or f-valid for short. Actually, much of everyday human reasoning is f-valid reasoning.f-Valid reasoning falls within the province of what may be called unprecisiated fuzzy logic, FLu. FLu is the logic which underlies what is referred to as f-geometry. In f-geometry, geometric figures are drawn by hand with a spray pen—a miniaturized spray can. In Euclidean geometry, a crisp concept, C, corresponds to a fuzzy concept, f-C, in f-geometry. f-C is referred to as an f-transform of C, with C serving as the prototype of f-C. f-C may be interpreted as the result of execution of the instructions: Draw C by hand with a spray pen. Thus, in f-geometry we have f-points, f-lines, f-triangles, f-circles, etc. In addition, we have f-transforms of higher-level concepts: f-parallel, f-similar, f-axiom, f-definition, f-theorem, etc. In f-geometry, p-valid reasoning does not apply. Basically, f-geometry may be viewed as an f-transform of Euclidean geometry.What is important to note is that f-valid reasoning based on a realistic model may be more useful than p-valid reasoning based on an unrealistic model.     

Assessing the lifetime performance index of Rayleigh products based on the Bayesian estimation under progressive type II right censored samples

Lifetime performance assessment is important in service (or manufacturing) industries. Hence, lifetime performance index C_L is used to measure the potential and performance of a process, where L is the lower specification limit. In this paper, assuming the conjugate prior distribution and squared-error loss function, this study constructs a Bayes estimator under the Rayleigh distribution with the progressive type II right censored sample. The Bayes estimator of C_L is then utilized to develop a credible interval in the condition of known L. Moreover, we also propose a Bayesian test to assess the lifetime performance of products. Finally, we give two examples and the Monte Carlo simulation to assess the behavior of the lifetime performance index C_L. Moreover, the purchasers can then employ the credible interval and the Bayesian test to determine whether the product performance adheres to the required level.     

Solution of fuzzy equations with extended operations

Assuming that 1 is any operation defined on a product set X × Y and taking values on a set Z, it can be extended to fuzzy sets by means of Zadeh's extension principle. Given a fuzzy subset C of Z, it is here shown how to solve the equation $\text{A 1 B = C}$ (or $\text{A 1 B ? C}$) when a fuzzy subset A of X (or a fuzzy subset B of Y) is given. The methodology we provide includes, as a special case, the resolution of fuzzy arithmetical operations, i.e. when 1 stands for +, ?, × or ÷, extended to fuzzy numbers (fuzzy subsets of the real line). The paper is illustrated with several examples in fuzzy arithmetic.     

测试模糊码的一种算法

Abstract. How to verify that a given fuzzy set A∈F(X ) is a fuzzy code? In this paper, an al-gorithm of test has been introduced and studied with the example of test. The measure notionfor a fuzzy code and a precise formulation of fuzzy codes and words have been discussed.     

Applying fuzzy GERT with approximate fuzzy arithmetic based on the weakest t-norm operations to evaluate repairable reliability

In general, the fuzzy Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT) usually evaluates/analyzes variables with interval arithmetic (α-cut arithmetic) operations, especially those with complicated fuzzy systems. Thus the interval arithmetic operations may occur accumulating phenomenon of fuzziness in complicated systems, and the accumulating phenomenon of fuzziness may make decision-maker that cannot effectively evaluate problems/systems under vague environment. In order to overcome the accumulating phenomenon of fuzziness or credibly reduce fuzzy spreads, this study adopts approximate fuzzy arithmetic operations under the weakest t-norm arithmetic operations (T_ω) to evaluate fuzzy reliability models based on fuzzy GERT simulation technology. The approximate fuzzy arithmetic operations employ principle of interval arithmetic under the weakest t-norm arithmetic operations. Therefore, the novel fuzzy arithmetic operations may obtain fitter decision values, which have smaller fuzziness accumulating, under vague environment. In numerical examples the approximate fuzzy arithmetic operations has evidenced that it can successfully calculate results of fuzzy operations as interval arithmetic, and can more effectively reduce fuzzy spreads. In the real fuzzy repairable reliability model the performance also shows that the approximate fuzzy arithmetic operations successfully analyze the reliability problem and obtain more confident fuzzy results.     

Symmetric implicational method of fuzzy reasoning

Fuzzy reasoning should take into account the factors of both the logic system and the reasoning model, thus a new fuzzy reasoning method called the symmetric implicational method is proposed, which contains the full implication inference method as its particular case. The previous full implication inference principles are improved, and unified forms of the new method are respectively established for FMP (fuzzy modus ponens) and FMT (fuzzy modus tollens) to let different fuzzy implications be used under the same way. Furthermore, reversibility properties of the new method are analyzed from some conditions that many fuzzy implications satisfy, and it is found that its reversibility properties seem fine. Lastly, the more general α-symmetric implicational method is put forward, and its unified forms are achieved.     

Maximal element theorems in product FC-spaces and generalized games

Let I be a finite or infinite index set, X be a topological space and (Yi,{φNi})_i∈I be a family of finitely continuous topological spaces (in short, FC-space). For each i∈I, let be a set-valued mapping. Some existence theorems of maximal elements for the family {Ai}_i∈I are established under noncompact setting of FC-spaces. As applications, some equilibrium existence theorems for generalized games with fuzzy constraint correspondences are proved in noncompact FC-spaces. These theorems improve, unify and generalize many important results in recent literature.     

Weak barrelledness for C(X) spaces

Buchwalter and Schmets reconciled C_c(X) and C_p(X) spaces with most of the weak barrelledness conditions of 1973, but could not determine if -barrelled ⇔ ?^∞-barrelled for C_c(X). The areas grew apart. Full reconciliation with the fourteen conditions adopted by Saxon and Sánchez Ruiz needs their 1997 characterization of Ruess' property (L), which allows us to reduce the C_c(X) problem to its 1973 status and solve it by carefully translating the topology of Kunen (1980) and van Mill (1982) to find the example that eluded Buchwalter and Schmets. The more tractable C_p(X) readily partitions the conditions into just two equivalence classes, the same as for metrizable locally convex spaces, instead of the five required for C_c(X) spaces. Our paper elicits others, soon to appear, that analytically characterize when the Tychonov space X is pseudocompact, or Warner bounded, or when C_c(X) is a df-space (Jarchow's 1981 question).     

Mixed fuzzy inter-cluster separation clustering algorithm

Based on inter-cluster separation clustering (ICSC) fuzzy inter-cluster separation clustering (FICSC) deals with all the distances between the cluster centers, maximizes these distances and obtains the better performances of clustering. However, FICSC is sensitive to noises the same as fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering. Possibilistic type of FICSC is proposed to combine FICSC and possibilistic c-means (PCM) clustering. Mixed fuzzy inter-cluster separation clustering (MFICSC) is presented to extend possibilistic type of FICSC because possibilistic type of FICSC is sensitive to initial cluster centers and always generates coincident clusters. MFICSC can produce both fuzzy membership values and typicality values simultaneously. MFICSC shows good performances in dealing with noisy data and overcoming the problem of coincident clusters. The experimental results with data sets show that our proposed MFICSC holds better clustering accuracy, little clustering time and the exact cluster centers.     

Ranking alternatives using fuzzy numbers

We investigate the problem of employing expert opinion to rank alternatives across a set of criteria. The experts use fuzzy numbers to express their preferences and we employ fuzzy arithmetic to compute an issue's fuzzy ranking. This leads to a partition of the alternatives into sets H₁, H₂,… where H₁ contains the highest ranked issues, H₂ has all the second highest ranked alternatives, etc. The total ranking process is shown to possess a number of important properties. An example is presented to illustrate the method.     

Assessing process capability based on Bayesian approach with subsamples

Process capability indices (PCIs) have been widely used to measure the actual process information with respect to the manufacturing specifications, and become the common language for process quality between the customer and the supplier. Most of existing research works for capability testing are based on the traditional frequentist point of view and statistical properties of the estimated PCIs are derived based on the assumption of one single sample. In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating and testing process capability using Bayesian approach based on subsamples collected over time from an in-control process. The posterior probability and the credible interval for the most popular index _Cpk$C_{\mathit{pk}}$ under a non-informative prior are derived. The manufacturers can use the presented approach to perform capability testing and determine whether their processes are capable of reproducing product items satisfying customers’ stringent quality requirements when a daily-based or weekly-based production control plan is implemented for monitoring process stability.