Polaroid Case Study — Quality Control Challenges and SPC Implementation at R2 Plant

Polaroid Case Study — Quality Control Challenges and SPC Implementation at R2 PlantThis case study examines Polaroid’s quality control and process management practices during the 1980s, focusing on the R2 manufacturing facility in Waltham, Massachusetts where integral films were produced. Backdrop: - Polaroid operated two divisions: Consumer Photography and Technical/Industrial, each contributing ~40% of revenues ($1.3B in 1984). - R2 plant employed ~900 workers (700 part-time) across three shifts, producing sheet metal springs, pods, cartridges, and end caps for film assembly. Quality Control Procedures: - QC sampled 15 cartridges per 5,000-lot; operators sampled ~32 per lot. - Failures led to rework or rejection, increasing costs. - Process engineering technicians gathered data but operators often deferred doubtful cases to QC. Problems Identified: - High scrap costs: $3.28M in 1984 due to destructive testing and failed lots. - Sampling inefficiency: Did not improve quality, only AOQ; excessive testing raised costs. - Repackaging defects: Handling inspected cartridges introduced new flaws. - Operator practices: “Salting” boxes, tweaking machines, poor data recording. - Misaligned QC focus: Auditors tested defects unnoticed by consumers (e.g., reagent flipping). - Testing mismatch: QC used perfect cameras, unlike real-world consumer devices. Greenlight Project Objectives: - Reduce monitoring costs while improving product quality. - Implement Statistical Process Control (SPC) with automated monitoring. - Empower operators with process control tools and decision-making authority. - Shift QC auditors toward training and specification alignment. SPC Implementation: - Operators took six random measurements per shift, plotted means, and shut down machines if values exceeded control limits. - Trends (e.g., eight consecutive values near limits) triggered maintenance. - Sampling reduced, scrap costs lowered. Outcome & Challenges: - Auditor defect detection rose from 1% to 10%, while operator detection halved to 0.5%. - Trust gap between auditors and operators persisted. - Standardized maintenance protocols were not fully established, undermining SPC effectiveness