New quality engineering technologies, that include methodologies for robust system/product/process design and the incorporation of quality considerations in the modern integrated engineering design/manufacturing system, are in a rapid state of development. These methodologies employ engineering/statistical experiment design, loss functions, quality function deployment and elements of the controversial Taguchi parameter and tolerance design methods. Based on modern quality/reliability philosophies and technical communication tools, they enhance the role of quality engineering to include planning and improvement, in addition to quality control. They also extend the concept to include the total life cycle of the system or product. Engineering Colleges lag industry in both the teaching and researching of these technologies, and most engineering undergraduate education is essentially limited to the traditional concepts of quality control. The objective of the Quality Engineering Workshop is to present these new quality engineering technologies, to provide successful examples of their application, to illustrate these concepts through laboratory experiments and computer simulations, and to demonstrate and compare associated computer software. The workshop should assist faculty to play key roles in the development of quality engineering courses at their own schools by convincing them of the importance of expanding traditional quality control courses to quality engineering, and providing them with materials and strategies for playing a significant role in the total quality management movement in their institution.
