Statistical software identifies critical factors affecting production levels and certification tests

Bridgestone Corporation, a tyre and rubber company, manufactures tires in locations around the world for use in a wide variety of applications. The plant faced two challenges: certifying a new tire by meeting US Department of Transportation regulations, and overcoming a bottleneck that limited the overall production of light truck tires at the plant. Six Sigma black belt Kenneth Quirós Acuña embarked on a project that, if successful, would address both challenges. He and his project team used Minitab Statistical Software to identify critical factors affecting both production levels and the certification tests, design an experiment to find optimal settings for those factors, and develop a model the company could use to produce and certify more tires with more speed.