Measurement system performance analysis using MINITAB

This article introduces the principle of mathematical statistics such as R&R (Repeatability and Reproducibility), variation ratio (%P/TV), tolerance ratio (% P/T) and number of distinct category in the measurement system. The article takes infrared moisture analyser the InfraLab 710 e-Series as a measurement system and uses hierarchical nested analysis method to perform destructive experimental moisture equilibrium. Taking moisture in shredded leaves during tobacco primary process as example, we setup up three conditions of cut tobacco leaves moisture at 11%, 15% and 20%, and analyse the results generated by MINITAB tools to identify the source of fluctuations, the extent and root cause in the measurement process which will be used to evaluate the measuring performance of infrared moisture meter. Then the analysis will be carried out to see if the measurement system meets the criteria of acceptable requirements, which will be a reliable tool for applications of cut tobacco leaves moisture measurement.