Taguchi technique in controlling the moisture in cigarette manufacturing

Summary for only given as follows. This study is made in a cigarette manufacturing unit to control the moisture variation and attain a target value. During the process steam is passed and drying also takes place due to several reasons. The final product has to maintain a target value. To attain this moisture level, in between the process also has to be maintained at a specific target. There are three grades of tobacco in the production line with given weightages to obtain the quality of the specified cigarette brand. As preliminary study a crucial stage in the process is selected to control the moisture variation. Six control factors and their levels are found out by brainstorming method. Since this is a case of attaining the average target value with “nominal is the best” and reduction in variation, the appropriate S/N value is chosen. Three control factors are found to be significant in the ANOVA of S/N ratio. Giving proper weightages to the three grades the levels of the maximum S/N ratios are chosen. ANOVA with the control factors are done and the significant factors are found out. The average values of the parameters which are close to the target value are chosen. For the fine tuning the parameter values were interpolated with polynomial decomposition. A linear fit was found to be appropriate. A compromise of the levels of the parameters is arrived at with due consideration for the weightages of the input grades. Since one of the parameters is easy to change during the process, separate levels were found out for three grades. The confirmation test resulted with substantial reduction in the variation and with attaining the moisture level very close to the target value