Quality Improvement in the Mechanical Testing of Steel

Laboratory testing of sheet steels for their mechanical properties was studied to reduce the variability in the test results. Tensile testing was considered a process with the test results as its products, and the SPC methodology was applied to improve the product quality. Precision of the test results was the significant product property.

This paper demonstrates, through examples, the reduction in variability of the tensile test results through the application of the SPC methodology.