Practical Example of a Coating Process Quality Improvement through Designed Experiments

By B. Scibilia, A. Kobi, R. Chasssagnon, A. Barreau

The objective of this paper is to show how coatings quality improvements may be achieved using experimental design. Designed experiments are an empirical approach to solving quality-related problems. We present a successfully designed experiment for improving the performance of a laminated fiber board coating process.

The objective was to eliminate the aesthetic defects that sometimes appeared on the surface of decorative laminated fiber boards. Eleven parameters were tested for significance. A 32-run designed experiment was employed. Live tests were performed to identify the factor settings (the set points at which a factor is placed during the designed experiment) that allowed the elimination of nearly all visual defects.