Optimization of a bonded leads process using statistically designed experiments

In manufacturing high-technology products using automated manufacturing equ ipment it is critical to obtain process-operating conditions that simultane ously optimize several output variables of interest. Often these output var iables are non-traditional responses such as standard deviations, and there may even be discrete (count or binary) responses. Statistically designed e xperiments are very useful in optimizing these processes. We illustrate how factorial experiments, statistical models for the responses of interest, a nd simple optimization techniques can be successfully applied to a bonded l eads process. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.