IB Design Technology 10.4 Quality Management Questionbank

During the manufacture of fiber-optic cables, sensors collect data on the core diameter in real-time. This data is analyzed using upper and lower boundary limits to distinguish between 'common cause' variation and 'assignable cause' variation, allowing for immediate intervention if the process trends toward a defect.

Which quality management technique is being described in this scenario?

Which of the following is a key component of quality management in commercial production?

A company manufactures Bluetooth-enabled smart water bottles on a high-speed filling line. Each bottle must meet a net fill volume of $600\text{ mL} \pm 5\text{ mL}$, have a leak-free seal, and pass a short connectivity check.

After a rise in complaints, an internal review found three recurring issues:

• Some bottles are underfilled.
• A small number leak after being dropped in shipping.
• A few units fail to pair with the mobile app.

The quality manager wants to strengthen the quality system without slowing production. The team is considering: (1) updating documented procedures and training, (2) adding in-process checks on the line, (3) using statistical monitoring of the filler over time, and (4) sending periodic samples to an independent lab for verification against the specification.

Klean manufactures refillable trigger-spray bottles for hospitals. The bottle is made from recycled PET and must reliably deliver a $1.2\,\text{mL}$ dose per trigger pull (target) to meet cleaning protocol requirements. In the last month, several hospitals reported inconsistent spray output: some bottles dribbled, some produced a weak mist, and a small number leaked during transport.

An internal investigation found multiple potential sources of variation: two suppliers provide the small check-valve, operators adjust the crimping force on the pump head by feel, and the resin moisture level varies by shift. A senior manager proposes “checking every finished bottle before shipping.” The production engineer argues for monitoring the process instead and preventing defects rather than detecting them late.

Klean is deciding how to redesign its quality approach before launching a new higher-volume contract. The team has access to basic metrology tools (calipers, digital scales), a pressure/flow test rig, and production data from the last 10 days. They must choose an approach that satisfies customers, reduces cost of poor quality, and ensures consistent performance at scale.

Figure 1: Klean spray bottle and pump head assembly

Soar Electric Scooter Rental

“Scooter sharing” has become popular in cities all over the world. E-scooters are being promoted as a sustainable mode of transport by providing an alternative to cars. One e-scooter company, Soar, offers e-scooters in several cities that can be easily rented via a smartphone app. A rider uses the Soar app to locate the nearest e-scooter, see Figure 1.

Figure 1: A representation of the Soar smartphone app

Soar purchased their first-generation e-scooters from manufacturer Xiomani for US$550 each. To break even an e-scooter needs to be used five times a day for five months. As the Soar smartphone app tracks battery charge, location and usage, it was found that many of these Xiomani scooters were lasting less than two months. Many were simply discarded, see Figure 2.

Figure 2: Discarded e-scooters