ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY OF THE X̅ IMPLEMENTATION IN UNCAPABLE PROCESSES

This study aims to evaluate the economic viability of SPC implementation in an out-of-specification production system in order to find the most sustainable point to change from the 100% inspection to sampling inspection. It can prevent losses with false alarms and, or, excessive inspection. It was a computational simulation study through the application of Duncan's (1956) model for the economic design of control charts. The model was optimized using a simulated annealing algorithm to find the parameters' values - a comparative study realized with a real case and a decision flow chart for SPC implementation provided. The results have several relevant practical implications, since the correct decision concerning the inspection type to be adopted based on the proportion of defective items allows its operation with lower costs, eliminating wastes in unnecessary inspections. The optimization of resources also contributes to focusing efforts on continuous process improvement.