Quality improvement of magnetron in Company T based on Six Sigma

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve the magnetron quality in Company T by identifying the nonconforming defect, adjusting the factors affecting the leakage of the magnetron tube core, and determining the optimal parameter values of these factors.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study method is used to present the quality improvement of magnetron tube core. The define, measure, analyze, improve, and control framework is applied in the case study as well as several Six Sigma tools.

Findings

The results show that Ag–W thickness, Ag–W installation state and furnace entry interval are significant factors on the leakage of magnetron tube core, and the optimum settings for these factors are 0.055 mm, offset by 1 mm from the outer edge and 5 cm, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is that it was carried out on a small number of production processes. The authors would like to analyze more case studies on the improvements of after-sales quality and supplier quality.

Practical implications

This research could be used in magnetron manufacturing process as a tool for managers and engineers to improve product quality, which can also be extended to similar manufacturing systems.

Originality/value

In this case study, the Six Sigma approach has been applied for the first time to solve magnetron manufacturing problems by improving the quality of magnetron production process. It can help the quality engineers be more familiar with the deployment of Six Sigma and effective tools.

Citation

Li, A.-D., Zhang, Y., Zhang, M. and Meng, F. (2025), "Quality improvement of magnetron in Company T based on Six Sigma", International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 89-108. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-03-2022-0062