Low precision manufacturing processes usually give rise to items that present a high (dimensional) variation. Therefore, when assembling these items special techniques have to be employed to minimize either the resulting stacked variation or the scrap level. However, full inspection (100%) is commonly required. The Statistical Feed-Forward Control Model (SFFCM) divides the system in two to apply iteratively the Statistical Dynamic Specifications Method (SDSM) on small groups of component items that are produced consecutively in a short-time interval. Ina parallel manufacturing configuration, where the components are produced simultaneously in different lines, the adjustment offset generates an undesired bias. To approach theproblem three different predictive models to estimate the adjustments were developed. Their properness was tried by means of designing a set of specific experiments and by simulating the production of lots of 1,000 assemblies made of two components having high dimensional variation. The effectiveness of the models was measured in terms of the reduction achieved in the mean shift and the standard deviation of the resulting assemblies’ length and in the improvement achieved in the capability indices of the processes. Simulation results showed that whereas the predictive models helped reduce the average mean shift between 71% and 83%, the average standard deviation varied increased between 4% and 28%. In conclusion, the proposed approach helped reduce significantly the mean shift but not the standard variation. The resulting process capability indices, c_p and c_pk, revealed that none of the predictive models performed well enough to get rid of the offset problem.

Classic intention, which pursues the management of any company – is to improve the quality and competitiveness of its own production, aiming at the end to speed up the receiving of profit. Such an implementation is primarily made possible by optimizing production processes.
The manufacturing processes are influenced by various factors that may lead to deviations from the process requirements. Management of processes is needed to counteract such change in the process.
Processes that are not managed, can lead to the production of a large number of defective products earlier before the detection of nonconformity, causing significant damage and lead to disruption of production schedules. It is important to develop an effective system of management and control, capable of detecting variations in the process as early as possible so you can take corrective action before it is produced by a large number of defective products. To optimize production processes in quality assurance the following systems have been known as TOC, Lean, Six Sigma. Typically, these systems are used separately. However, their combination and comprehensive utilization can be more efficient and can give a much better result.
As a rule, first by using theory of constraints (TOC) the bottleneck is defined – weak area, which is an obstacle of improving of the quality and efficiency of the company and profit increasing. Then Lean tools manage this area. And the next phase includes Six Sigma, which allows you to receive a significant increase in the effectiveness and efficiency of production and profit.
Each of these techniques is unique and their complex usage is important in managing the quality of processes and products.

The Coordinate Measuring Machines are recommended to be tested in an adequate time. In the case that the CMM is tested and the unexpected large errors or failure are found, it is difficult how to deal the data just before. So it is necessary to find the large errors or failure as soon as possible. Therefore it is better to test the CMM everyday or every measurement cycle. But this idea is very time consuming.
As the most errors happen in the squareness and scale errors, the squareness errors and scale errors are tested every week using two artefacts, e.g. the QuickCheck and Ball Pyramid. The QuickCheck is developed and sold by Trapet Engineering. The Ball Pyramid is developed by NMIJ. Both artefacts have balls in three dimensional space and the coordinates of center of balls are referred.
As the squareness errors and scale errors are dependent on the location, these artefacts are set on some locations in some orientations.
These result is analyzed by ANOVA method. We show the scale errors are independent on the location and orientation of the artefacts. we show the squareness error between X-axis and Y-axis is large and dependent on the location of the artefacts.
We also compare the results from both artefacts.

The paper presents general concept and some examples of the new modules of the application Geometrical Tolerancing that has been consequently developed by the authors for a couple of years to effectively present and disseminate the ISO GPS system fundamental concepts, definitions, interpretations and rules in technicaluniversities and industry. The package structure and main capabilities are shown and discussed through a few screen shoots. The application starts from the main window in which the user can click on one from the 14 tolerancing symbols or any modifier to open the new window with list of particular symbol/modifier applications. The selection of the case (e.g. roundness, coaxiality of an axis to the common axis, etc.) opens the next window with relevant tolerance and datum indicators attached to the workpiece. There are on screen notes and the context po-pup windows to explain requirements defined by the specification. Selection of the interpretation button at each case window activates the sequence of animations controlled by the user in which she/he is instructed how the datum (or the datum system) is established, next the tolerance zone is presented (running translation and/or rotation of the zone clearly shows its unlocked degrees of freedom) and finally the user triggers the geometrical deviation evaluation. The concepts of the geometrical deviations verification are demonstrated for the selected tolerances. Due many interactive animations enriched by prompts and questions the user has opportunity to control step by step the assessment of the geometrical deviations on the actual parts.

This paper reports on the recent work carried out as part of the EU funded NanoMend project. The project seeks to develop integrated process inspection, cleaning, repair and control systems for thin films on flexible PV film based on CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide CuIn_xGa_(1-x)Se₂). These films are fabricated on polymer film by the repeated deposition, and patterning, of thin layer materials using roll-to-roll processes, where the whole film is approximately 3um thick prior to final encapsulation. Current wide scale implementation however is hampered by long-term degradation of efficiency due to water ingress through the barrier layer defects to the CIGS modules causing electrical shorts and efficiency drops. A thin (~ 40 nm) barrier coating of Al ₂O₃ usually provides the environmental protection for the PV cells. The highly conformal aluminium oxide barrier layer is produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The paper reports initial measurement taken on prototype films and reports on the correlation of water vapour transmission with defect density, it also reports on a new in process, high speed, environmentally robust optical interferometer instrument developed to detect defects on the polymer film during manufacture. These results provide the basis for the development of R2R in process metrology devices.