Production line quality processes

A method of improving lot quality for product lots produced on a production line having a plurality of production steps, where at least some of the production steps utilize a plurality of individual tools, comprising:

• producing a plurality of product lots using different combinations of the tools;
• determining quality values for the produced product lots;
• establishing a quality benchmark for the product lots;
• identifying product lots that fail to meet the quality benchmark;
• identifying tools used in the production of identified failing product lots;
• identifying product lots that meet the quality benchmark;
• identifying tools used in the production of any identified quality product lot;
• and
• producing additional product lots by shifting production at least substantially to those tools that are not identified failing tools, excepting those tools that are identified as failing tools and simultaneously identified as quality tools.

A production system comprising:

• a production line for product lots, the production line having a plurality of production steps, and at least some of the production steps utilizing a plurality of individual tools;
• a processor, configured to direct each product lot to an individual tool at each production step, and to record each tool utilized to produce each product lot;
• a memory storage device coupled to the processor;
• a quality feedback input, configured to transmit a quality value for each completed product lot to the processor;
• a program including plural instructions stored in the memory storage device and executable by the processor to:
• receive data identifying the individual tools used to produce each of a plurality of identified product lots;
• identify completed product lots that have a passing quality value;
• identify tools used in the production of identified quality product lots;
• and
• direct the routing of subsequent product lots to individual tools at each production step that have been identified as quality tools.

A computer program product for improving lot quality for product lots produced on a production line having a plurality of production steps, where at least some of the production steps utilize a plurality of individual tools, the computer program product including a plurality of computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and comprising instructions executable by a server to:

• receive data identifying the individual tools used to produce each of a plurality of identified product lots;
• receive data identifying the quality value of each identified product lot;
• compare the quality of each identified product lot to a threshold quality value;
• identify all tools that were used to produce identified product lots exceeding the threshold quality value;
• and
• direct the production of additional product lots to those tools identified as producing product lots exceeding the threshold quality value.