Case Study on the Application of Six Sigma DMAIC for Reducing Product Rejects in VRLA Battery Production

Abstract

The high reject rate in the VRLA battery production process has become a critical issue affecting both efficiency and product quality. This study aims to reduce the reject rate by applying the Six Sigma methodology through the DMAIC approach (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). The tools utilized include the Pareto diagram, DPMO and Sigma Level trend charts, and the 5 Why Analysis to identify root causes. The implementation results demonstrate a reduction in product mismatch rate from 4.2% to 1.1%. The average weekly DPMO decreased from 23,544.74 to less than 5,000, while the Sigma Level improved from 3.5 to above 4.0. The application of the Six Sigma methodology proved effective in enhancing process capability and reducing product defects.

Country : Indonesia

1 Norman Iskandar2 Afif Nashafa Al Qauma3 Sulardjaka

  1. Mechanical Engineering, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia
  2. Mechanical Engineering, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia
  3. Mechanical Engineering, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia

IRJIET, Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2025 pp. 246-253

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2025.905033

References

  1. Soares, A. P., Rosolem, M., Soares, L., dos Santos, G. R., Frare, P. T., Beck, R. F., & Arioli, V. (2018). Storage impact in VRLA batteries life. INTELEC 2008 - IEEE Telecommunications Energy Conference.
  2. Mittal, A., Gupta, P., Kumar, V., Al Owad, A., Mahalwat, S., & Singh, S. (2023). The performance improvement analysis using Six Sigma DMAIC methodology: A case study on Indian manufacturing company. Heliyon, 9(3), e14625.
  3. Wang, Y., Zhao, J., & Li, X. (2021). "Quality optimization in lead-acid battery manufacturing: A comprehensive review." Journal of Power Sources, 483, 229167.
  4. Sharma, G. V. S. S., & Rao, P. S. (2023). "Implementation of lean tools for waste reduction in manufacturing industries." Materials Today: Proceedings, 78, 225-230.
  5. Abhilash, R. C., & Thakkar, J. (2019). Application of Six Sigma DMAIC methodology to reduce the defects in a telecommunication cabinet door manufacturing process. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management.
  6. Kaushik, M., Chauhan, G., Mathiyazhagan, K., Ojha, R., & Kumar, M. (2019). Reducing rejections using Six Sigma: A case from Indian automobile component manufacturing industry. International Journal of Services and Operations Management.
  7. Jirasukprasert, P., Garza-Reyes, J. A., Kumar, V., & Lim, M. K. (2023). "A Six Sigma and DMAIC application for the reduction of defects in a rubber gloves manufacturing process." International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 14(2), 289-310.
  8. Nallusamy, S., Nivedha, R., Subash, E., Venkadesh, V., Vignesh, S., & Vinoth, P. (2018). Minimization of rejection rate using lean six sigma tool in medium scale manufacturing industry.
  9. Venkatesh, L., & Ravindranath, K. (2018). An application of Six Sigma DMAIC and DMADV methodologies in a two-wheeler lead acid battery manufacturing industry. Retrieved from
  10. Kamble, P., & Kumar, D. A. (2017). Application of DMAIC Six Sigma Methodology: A Case Study.
  11. Kumar, A., & Sharma, N. (2017). Six Sigma DMAIC Methodology: A Powerful Tool for Improving Business Operations. Advanced Materials Research, 488–489, 1147–1150.
  12. Prabu, K., Makesh, J., Raj, K., Devadasan, S., & Murugesh, R. (2017). Six Sigma implementation through DMAIC: A case study. International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 3(4), 386–400.
  13. Kulasooriya, D., & Kumarasinghe, K. K. A. (2016). Application of Six Sigma methodology in glazing and printing processes. NSBM Journal of Management, 1(2), 127.
  14. Srinivasan, K., Muthu, S., Devadasan, S., & Sugumaran, C. (2016). Six Sigma through DMAIC phases: A literature review. International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 17(2), 236–257.
  15. Hayajneh, M. (2017). Applying Six Sigma methodology based on DMAIC tools to reduce production defects in textile manufacturing.
  16. https://westgard.com/six-sigma-calculators.html