Implementation of statistical process control ( SPC) in an automated enviro
nment requires a number of issues to be addressed. Changes in sample data d
istribution and statistical properties such as independence will affect the
use and interpretation of traditional SPC procedures; changed monitoring a
nd adjustment techniques will influence the subsequent decision-making; at
the same time, automation could facilitate implementation of SPC with other
control techniques. In this paper, the potential of combining SPC with eng
ineering process control methods is discussed. Comparative analysis between
traditional SPC methods and SPC combined with feedback control is presente
d. Actual and simulated data are used to illustrate the procedure which, be
cause of its self-tuning ability, could greatly reduce system readjustment
while most of the advantages of traditional SPC are preserved at the same t
ime.