Robust design of multi-response problems - a review

The problems in today’s quality engineering focus on robust design of multi-response. Much researching work done by overseas researchers has presented many methodologies, for example, the strategies to reduce all response functions into a single response function such as approaches of desirability function, generalized distance and loss fuction; the other methods are based on dual response method and reduce all response functions into two response functions; also there are some techniques combining with Taguchi’s method; in addition, there are heuristic search procedure etc. In China, some scholars also doing research work in that field and some progress has been made. However, although various methodologies have been put forward by the researchers, but no one is mature and a new effective methodology to deal with robust design and optimization of multi-response problems needs to be proposed urgently. This paper introduces some popular methodologies and technologies and then summarizes traits and shortcomings for them. All of the work will be useful for the researchers in the country for the understanding of the state of the art in this field and it will be helpful to put the research work to a further extent.