Question: Machined Steel Slugs. Harris, Murray, and Spear worked with a plant that manufactures steel slugs used to seal a hole in a certain type of casting. The group's first task was to develop and write up a standard operating procedure for data collection on several critical dimensions of these slugs. The slugs are turned on a South Bend Turrett Lathe using 1018 cold rolled steel bar stock. The entire manufacturing process is automated by means of a CNC (computer numerical control) program and only requires an operator to reload the lathe with new bar stock. The group attempted to learn about the CNC lathe program. It discovered that it was possible for the operator to change the finished part dimensions by adjusting the offset on the lathe.
(a) What benefit is there to having a standard data collection procedure in this context?
(b) Why was it important for the group to learn about the CNC lathe program? Which step of the six-step cycle is directly affected by their knowledge of the lathe program?