Dynamic Taguchi methods and parameter design as applied in barcode scanning and scanners

In this article, the dynamic Taguchi methodology is applied to the design of a barcode scanner. The concurrent engineering process involves a team of design and manufacturing engineers engaged in both hardware and software aspects of the product. The purpose of this experimental study is to determine the correlation between the outcomes of the conventional design and Taguchi optimization. The main contribution of this work in the design of scanners include: (a) application of the Taguchi methodology to yield an optimum design for scanning and comparing it to the analytical design, and (b) proving the existing opto-mechanical design to be optimum, within the signal processing capabilities. Experimental design using orthogonal arrays is established, and experiments of scanning on different barcode designs are conducted. The ideal function of the dynamic methodology is identified and the control and noise factors are chosen for the experimental design. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and sensitivity are calculated using the equations of dynamic Taguchi methodology. Missing data in experiments, due to the combination of extreme ranges of design parameters, are treated by the sequential approximation method. A theoretical optimum unit is assembled and tested as confirmation of the experimental design, based on the response charts for both S/N ratio and sensitivity. The results of the confirmation experiment show that the performance of the scanner design, based on the criterion of the S/N ratios, has improved.