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Nelson rules

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Applying these rules indicates when a potential "out of control" situation has arisen. However, there will always be some false alerts and the more rules applied the more will occur. For some processes, it may be beneficial to omit one or more rules. Equally there may be some missing alerts where
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An example moving range: if N = 3 and values are 1, 3, 5, 3, 3, 2, 4, 5 then the sets of adjacent points are (1,3,5) (3,5,3) (5,3,3) (3,3,2) (3,2,4) (2,4,5) resulting in moving range values of (5-1) (5-3) (5-3) (3-2) (4-2) (5-2) = 4, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3.
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of determining whether some measured variable is out of control (unpredictable versus consistent). Rules for detecting "out-of-control" or non-random conditions were first postulated by
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Note that the rule is concerned with directionality only. The position of the mean and the size of the standard deviation have no bearing.
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Lloyd S. Nelson, "The Shewhart Control Chart—Tests for Special Causes". Journal of Quality Technology 16, no. 4 (October 1984), 238-239.
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Eight points in a row exist, but none within 1 standard deviation of the mean, and the points are in both directions from the mean.
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chart, can also be used but only with rules 1, 2, 3 and 4. Such a chart plots a graph of the maximum value - minimum value of
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Two (or three) out of three points in a row are more than 2 standard deviations from the mean in the same direction.
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Four (or five) out of five points in a row are more than 1 standard deviation from the mean in the same direction.
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Fifteen points in a row are all within 1 standard deviation of the mean on either side of the mean.
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Jumping from above to below while missing the first standard deviation band is rarely random.
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Fourteen (or more) points in a row alternate in direction, increasing then decreasing.
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in the 1920s. The Nelson rules were first published in the October 1984 issue of the
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some specific "out of control" situation is not detected. Empirically, the detection
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Six (or more) points in a row are continually increasing (or decreasing).
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There is a strong tendency for samples to be slightly out of control.
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There is a medium tendency for samples to be mediumly out of control.
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With 1 standard deviation, greater variation would be expected.
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Nine (or more) points in a row are on the same side of the mean.
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One sample (two shown in this case) is grossly out of control.
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The above eight rules apply to a chart of a variable value.
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One point is more than 3 standard deviations from the mean.
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The side of the mean for the fifth point is unspecified.
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The side of the mean for the third point is unspecified.
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adjacent points against the time sample of the range.
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Small Business Guidebook to Quality Management (pdf)
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is plotted against time. The rules are based on the
334:, NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods 16:Decision rules for interpreting control-chart data 349:https://doi.org/10.1080/00224065.1984.11978921 336:National Institute of Standards and Technology 8: 61: 324: 332:Engineering Statistics Handbook 6.3.2 7: 14: 247: 227: 204: 181: 150: 107: 87: 393:Statistical charts and diagrams 47:on which the magnitude of some 293:Common cause and special cause 1: 33:Journal of Quality Technology 313:American Society for Quality 298:Statistical process control 263:A second chart, the moving 93: 83: 43:The rules are applied to a 409: 78: 388:Technical communication 303:Western Electric rules 383:Quality control tools 74:Problem Indicated 57:standard deviation 28:Walter A. Shewhart 258: 257: 36:in an article by 400: 351: 345: 339: 329: 251: 231: 208: 185: 154: 111: 91: 62: 59:of the samples. 22:are a method in 408: 407: 403: 402: 401: 399: 398: 397: 373: 372: 359: 354: 346: 342: 330: 326: 322: 315:, Quality Tools 289: 241: 221: 198: 175: 144: 125: 114:Some prolonged 101: 81: 24:process control 17: 12: 11: 5: 406: 404: 396: 395: 390: 385: 375: 374: 371: 370: 365: 358: 357:External links 355: 353: 352: 340: 323: 321: 318: 317: 316: 310: 308:Westgard rules 305: 300: 295: 288: 285: 256: 255: 252: 245: 242: 239: 236: 235: 232: 225: 222: 219: 216: 215: 209: 202: 199: 196: 193: 192: 186: 179: 176: 173: 170: 169: 155: 148: 145: 142: 139: 138: 131: 129: 126: 123: 120: 119: 112: 105: 102: 99: 96: 95: 92: 85: 82: 79: 76: 75: 72: 69: 66: 55:value and the 38:Lloyd S Nelson 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 405: 394: 391: 389: 386: 384: 381: 380: 378: 369: 368:Control Chart 366: 364: 361: 360: 356: 350: 344: 341: 337: 333: 328: 325: 319: 314: 311: 309: 306: 304: 301: 299: 296: 294: 291: 290: 286: 284: 282: 276: 272: 270: 266: 261: 253: 250: 246: 243: 238: 237: 233: 230: 226: 223: 218: 217: 214: 210: 207: 203: 200: 195: 194: 191: 187: 184: 180: 177: 172: 171: 168: 164: 160: 156: 153: 149: 146: 141: 140: 136: 132: 130: 127: 122: 121: 117: 113: 110: 106: 103: 98: 97: 90: 86: 77: 73: 71:Chart Example 70: 67: 64: 63: 60: 58: 54: 50: 46: 45:control chart 41: 39: 35: 34: 29: 25: 21: 343: 327: 277: 273: 268: 262: 259: 212: 189: 166: 42: 31: 20:Nelson rules 19: 18: 159:oscillation 68:Description 377:Categories 338:, Dec 2006 320:References 161:is beyond 157:This much 283:is good. 287:See also 281:accuracy 137:exists. 118:exists. 49:variable 240:Rule 8 220:Rule 7 197:Rule 6 174:Rule 5 143:Rule 4 124:Rule 3 100:Rule 2 80:Rule 1 265:range 163:noise 135:trend 116:bias 65:Rule 53:mean 379:: 165:. 133:A 40:. 269:N

Index

process control
Walter A. Shewhart
Journal of Quality Technology
Lloyd S Nelson
control chart
variable
mean
standard deviation


bias
trend

oscillation
noise




range
accuracy
Common cause and special cause
Statistical process control
Western Electric rules
Westgard rules
American Society for Quality
Engineering Statistics Handbook 6.3.2
National Institute of Standards and Technology
https://doi.org/10.1080/00224065.1984.11978921
Small Business Guidebook to Quality Management (pdf)

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