CQPA case studies
CQPA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA) is a certification offered by ASQ for the paraprofessional quality practitioner. According to ASQ, a CQPA works in support of and under the direction of quality engineers or supervisors, analyzes and solves quality problems, and takes part in quality improvement projects. The CQPA case studies are 5 cases and about 3,253 words.
1Run Rule and Point Beyond Limits on a Bottling Line
A 12-head rotary filler at a beverage plant fills 500 mL PET bottles; the label declares 500 mL and the legal minimum is 497 mL. The analyst plots 30 subgroups of n = 5 taken every 20 minutes over one shift on an X̄-R chart.
652 words, about 3 min2Gage R&R on a Critical Shaft Diameter
A supplier quality engineer is qualifying a digital caliper for a shaft outside diameter with specification 25.00 ± 0.05 mm. A Gage R&R study uses 10 production parts, 3 operators, and 2 trials per operator.
611 words, about 3 min3Capability Index on a Process That Drifts
A machining cell produces a hub bore with specification 25.400 ± 0.050 mm; the bore diameter is a safety-related characteristic. The analyst has 40 subgroups of n = 5 collected over two weeks and plots X̄-R.
632 words, about 3 min4Switching Rules and a Rejected Incoming Lot
An electronics assembler receives connectors in lots of 20,000 from a long-standing supplier. Incoming inspection uses ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, general inspection level II, single sampling, AQL 0.65%, normal inspection; for this lot size the plan is n = 125, Ac = 2, Re = 3.
676 words, about 3 min5Recurring Label Error and an Unverified CAPA
At a contract manufacturer, three lots of a powered surgical instrument shipped with the wrong sterilization indicator label: the 50-cycle label instead of the 25-cycle label. The initial corrective action was to retrain the two operators on the work instruction, add a signature on the training record, and revise the work instruction to bold the label part number.
682 words, about 3 min