A comparative analysis of the Taguchi and Shainin DOE techniques in an aerospace environment

Purpose – To highlight the application and to compare the effectiveness of the Taguchi and Shainin experimental design processes as applied to aerospace structural components. Design/methodology/approach – This paper applies both the Taguchi and Shainin experimental design techniques to optimizing the design of honeycomb composite joints. The techniques are fully applied, the results analysed and their user friendliness is assessed. Findings – This paper identifies an optimum parameter setting for composite joints gained from applying these experimental design techniques. Significant improvements in joint strength are achieved through identifying a new joint setting. Practical implications – The adoption of the experimental design techniques outlined in this paper and their application to a real engineering problem will enable a company to apply the techniques and to attain improvements in terms of cost and quality. Originality/value – The analysis of both the Taguchi and Shainin methodologies and the resulting conclusions as to their effectiveness for industry is the real value of this paper. This paper will be valuable for quality professionals, design engineers and manufacturing specialists in a wide range of industries.