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Latitude Plots

Latitude Plots are a powerful visualization tool that shows the relationship between input variation and output specification windows. They help engineers understand which inputs have the most impact on staying within specifications.

Understanding Latitude Plots

• Latitude Plots Overview - Understanding the basics of Latitude Plots
• Part 1 - Introduction - Introduction to Latitude Plots
• Part 2 - Working with Latitude Plots
• Part 3 - Interpreting Latitude Plot results
• Part 4 - Advanced Latitude Plot techniques
• Part 5 - Additional Latitude Plot topics

Key Concepts

A Latitude Plot displays:

• Latitude Window - The available "room" for variation based on specification limits
• Expected Variation - The predicted variation of outputs based on input distributions
• Overlap - Areas where expected variation exceeds the latitude window (potential defects)

Latitude Plots fall into several categories:

1. Ideal - Expected variation fits comfortably within the latitude window
2. Excessive Variation - Process variation is too large for specifications
3. Off Center - Process is shifted away from optimal
4. Too Expensive - Excessive latitude indicates opportunity for cost reduction