Example 13.21 Specifying Control Limit Information

[See SHWNP5 in the SAS/QC Sample Library]This example shows how to use the DATA step to create LIMITS= data sets for use with the NPCHART statement. The variables _VAR_ and _SUBGRP_ are required. These variables must be character variables whose lengths are no greater than 32, and their values must match the process and subgroup-variable specified in the NPCHART statement. In addition, you must provide one of the following:

• the variables _LCLNP_, _NP_, and _UCLNP_

• the variable _P_

The following DATA step creates a data set named Climits1, which provides a complete set of control limits for an chart:

data Climits1;
   length _var_ _subgrp_ _type_ $8;
   _var_    = 'Fail';
   _subgrp_ = 'Batch';
   _limitn_ = 500;
   _type_   = 'STANDARD';
   _lclnp_  =  0;
   _np_     = 10;
   _uclnp_  = 20;
run;

The following statements read the control limits¹ from the data set Climits1 and apply them to the count data in the data set Circuits, which is introduced in Creating np Charts from Count Data:

title 'Specifying Control Limit Information';
proc shewhart data=Circuits limits=Climits1;
   npchart Fail*Batch / subgroupn = 500;
run;

The chart is shown in Output 13.21.1.

Output 13.21.1 Control Limit Information Read from Climits1

The following DATA step creates a data set named Climits2, which provides a value for the expected proportion of nonconforming items (_P_). This parameter is then used to compute the control limits for the data in Circuits according to the equations in Control Limits.

data Climits2;
   length _var_ _subgrp_ _type_ $8;
   _var_    = 'Fail';
   _subgrp_ = 'Batch';
   _limitn_ = 500;
   _type_   = 'STANDARD';
   _p_      = .02;
run;

title 'Specifying Control Limit Information';
proc shewhart data=Circuits limits=Climits2;
   npchart Fail*Batch / subgroupn = 500;
run;

The chart is shown in Output 13.21.2. Note that the control limits are not the same as those shown in Output 13.21.1.

Output 13.21.2 Control Limit Information Read from Climits2