Wang Hu-Yun
Technical Division, SCBU
One day, Manager Chang of the technology department at a customer tells Mr. Wang of Everlight's technical team about a problem. The PU elastomer, one of that company's products used on the white logos of athletic footwear, cannot pass weathering tests and turn yellow during the tests. The customer ask Everlight for help, but due to trade secret concerns, the customer cannot reveal the formulation. Manager Chang can only tell us that they must use the wavelength of ultraviolet C as the weathering test conditions.
Status quo assessment
With such unique testing condition and limited information, Mr. Wang uses basic formulas recommended by China's national standard testing methods (HG/T 3689-2001(athletic footwear /waterproof footwear)-method B) and professional publications. The result of the test is only level 2.5, a long way from the critical goal of level 4 required by the customer.
After the goal and current conditions are ascertained, how can Mr. Wang come up with a solution that satisfies the needs of customers? Mr. Wang now remembers the Six Sigma training on the improvement process, starts a brainstorming session with colleagues, studies the various possible causes that cause yellowing in PU elastomer, and identifies three major causes. "Wonderful!" Mr. Wang is happy and feeling that he is closer and closer to the goal. At this time, he feels that he has to use the Design of Experiment (DOE) that he has learned before and find the best solution effectively.
A solution beyond our expectations
Mr. Wang used to think that no matter what type of PU it is, as long as we add our UV absorbent to it, there would not be any problems. Things did not go as planned. However, the results of the experiment design show that: As long as the material is white PU with yellowing characteristics, no matter how much UV absorbent is added, it turns yellow anyway. If the material is non-yellowing PU, after UV absorbent is added, its weathering factor can reach level 5, which is high enough to satisfy the level 4 requirement of the customer. These two base materials have their fundamental difference. This is the fact!
No more actions in vain
Mr. Wang immediately tells Manager Chang about the result of this experiment: chemical additives cannot stop the yellowing of PU with yellowing characteristics under UVC, and there is no need to waste time to find the right additive. He also clearly tells the client that the best solution is to switch to non-yellowing PU in good combination of UV absorbers. This is an area where Everlight's UVA products can help.
After Mr. Wang's presentation on this matter, Manager Chang gratefully say "so it was the problem with the base material after all. No wonder we have tried several additives but cannot prevent it from yellowing. Fortunately, Everlight helps us so that we do not need to keep trying in vain."
What we have learned from this experience
As the saying goes, "Messages have to be sent across to make the other party understand it, just like the lamp has to be lit to make it glow." Very often, we are stumbling all over the place in a maze, trying to find our way. If we are lucky, maybe we can find an exit and a solution very quickly. Most of the time, however, we are running full circles in the maze and cannot find the right path. Even though we spend enormous amounts of time, we cannot find an exit. In this situation, the science of statistical tools works like a bright lamp that shows us the right direction.
Design of Experiment is a methodology, provides the experimenter an objective, systematic and efficient experiment planning. For any experiment will be interfered by many kinds of known or unknown, and how to design experiment, let interference caused by the minimal impact on the experiment, this is the purpose of experiment planning. It helps us a more comprehensive understanding of systematic changes in the experimental range.
Design of Experiment
Design of Experiment is a methodology, provides the experimenter an objective, systematic and efficient experiment planning. For any experiment will be interfered by many kinds of known or unknown, and how to design experiment, let interference caused by the minimal impact on the experiment, this is the purpose of experiment planning. It helps us a more comprehensive understanding of systematic changes in the experimental range.
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