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Vol: 18 | No: 4 | Jul/Aug '18
Stat-Ease
The DOE FAQ Alert
     
 

Dear Experimenter,
Here’s another set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) from me and the rest of our StatHelp team about design of experiments (DOE), plus alerts to timely information and free software updates.

To open another avenue of communication with fellow DOE and Stat-Ease fans, sign up for The
Stat-Ease Design of Experiments (DOE) Network on Linkedin
. Feel free to post questions or share DOE news with others in the group.

Also, see the Stat-Ease blog here for the latest news as well as tips on making DOE easy. A recent post recaps our successful 7th European DOE User Meeting in Paris France.

 
Stats Made Easy Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Topics in the body text of this DOE FAQ Alert are headlined below (the "Expert" ones, if any, delve into statistical details):

1:  Software alert: macOS Version 11 of Design-Expert® software released
2: Address alert: We’ve moved!
3: FAQ: Impact of missing one blend in a mixture-screening design
4: Video alert: mini-Tip on center points in factorials
5: Info alert: DOE catalyzes development of a specialty chemical
6: Webinar alert: DOE Made Easy, Yet Powerful, with Design-Expert Software
7: Events alert: Stat-Ease talks and exhibits at ENBIS in France and FTC in Florida
8: Workshop alert: See when and where to learn about DOE—Sign up now before classes fill.
 
 

P.S. Quote for the month: An homage to aerospace pioneer and moon-walker John Young, who passed away on January 5.

(Page down to the end of this e-zine to enjoy the actual quote.)


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1: Software alert: macOS Version 11 of Design-Expert® software released

Now Mac users get all the same advantages of those on Windows and on Apple OS to boot—no need to run an emulator. Design-Expert version 11.1 (DX11) for Mac or Windows offers an amazing array of interface enhancements, for example, multigraph views—plus many refinements to its powerful statistical tools. It arrived with rave reviews from the expert evaluators for the:

  • Modernized user interface (UI): “Nice—clean and fresh!”
  • Ability to display results as you wish: “I like the options to split and arrange the output screens.”
  • Improved statistical analysis: “I find the factorial center-point modeling for curvature effects greatly improved and very clear.”
  • Migration made easy for upgrading: “I like the new UI. Definite wow factor, but it still feels the same.”

P.S. to current DX11 users (non-Mac): We advise you update to Windows version 11.1 via Help from within your installed program. View the Read Me file for details on the changes—mainly maintenance items. If you want to receive notice when an update becomes available, go to Edit on the main menu of your program, select Preferences and, within the default General tab, turn on (if not already on by default) the “Check for updates on program start” option. (This alert feature is not available in network versions.)

If you remain mired in an obsolete version or are not yet a user of Design-Expert, click here and select the “Features” tab for what puts the heaven in DX11. Then, assuming you like what you see, scroll up to the link for the free 30-day trial or buy it directly, taking advantage of upgrade pricing if eligible. You will do well by gaining the leading edge on DOE capability!


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2: Address alert: We’ve moved!

Broadway Place West
Broadway Place West

We’ve moved approximately 1 mile up to Broadway Place West. We have a lovely suite on the top floor (foreground of photo), just off Hwy 36 and Industrial Blvd, east of downtown. Our new postal address is:

  1300 Godward Street NE, Suite 6400
  Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413-2561

Make note of our new address and feel free to stop by and visit sometime!


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3: FAQ: Impact of missing one blend in a mixture-screening design

Question from a Developmental Chemist:

“I ran a six-component, simplex-screening mixture-design with the aid of Design-Expert. Unfortunately, one sample is not useable, thus the response went missing. I’m not particularly interested in this particular blend, but I worry that it will disrupt the analysis. Your thoughts?”

Answer:

It depends (the standard reply to all statistical questions!). If you went with the default choice of 23 blends that included axial check blends and constraint plane centroids plus additional centroids, then the impact of a missing result becomes minimal (if a centroid) or greatly reduced. However, if you unchecked all the optional points, you will then find the loss of this blend more debilitating. In either case, you can assess the damage via the Evaluation tool within Design-Expert.
—Mark

(Learn more about screening designs for mixtures by attending the computer-intensive three-day workshop Mixture and Combined Designs for Optimal Formulations. Click on the title for a complete description of this class. Link from this page to the course outline and schedule. Then, if you like, enroll online.)


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4: Video alert: mini-Tip on center points in factorials

In my new mini-Tip posted to the Stat-Ease YouTube Channel here, I demonstrate how Design-Expert provides special treatment for center points in factorials. If you have about a minute to spare, check this out!


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5: Info alert: DOE catalyzes development of a specialty chemical

The May issue of Chemical Engineering World features an inspiring case for the ability of mixture DOE to quickly match a competitive chemical product. Follow the link above to page 24 for the whole story told by the formulator himself.


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6: Webinar alert: DOE Made Easy, Yet Powerful, with Design-Expert Software

In this beginner-level ‘demo-nar’ (demonstration webinar) of Design-Expert, I will feature factorials—the core tool for DOE, followed by a peek at response surface methods (RSM). Via several inspiring case studies, see how you can quickly converge on the ‘sweet spot’—the most desirable combination of process parameters and product attributes.

To accommodate viewers worldwide, I will present the “DOE Made Easy” demonar three times (CDT USA) during the second full week of September:

  1. Monday, Sep. 10 at 7:30–8:30 pm for Australia, NZ and eastern Asia (others welcome!)
  2. Wednesday, Sep. 12 at 6:30–7:30 am for Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East and western Asia (others welcome!)
  3. Thursday, Sep. 13 at 12:30–1:30 pm for the Americas and Caribbean (others welcome!)

Register now for the date and time that works best for you via this GotoWebinar link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.

If this is your first Stat-Ease webinar, please review these suggestions on how to be prepared. If questions remain, direct them to our Client Specialist, Rachel Pollack, via [email protected].

*(To determine the time in your zone of the world, try using this link. We are based in Minneapolis, which appears on the city list that you must manipulate to calculate the time correctly.)


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7: Events alert: Stat-Ease talks and exhibits at ENBIS in France and FTC in Florida

Consultant Pat Whitcomb will detail “Building Designs for Irregularly Shaped DoE Spaces” at the ENBIS conference in Nancy, France on September 2–6. He will also provide tips on “Using Split-Plot Diagnostics to Reveal Hidden Information”at the software session. If you attend, please look Pat up at the Stat-Ease exhibit.

Consultant Shari Kraber will lay out “The Art of Teaching and Communicating Design of Experiments to Non-Statisticians” at the Fall Technical Conference (FTC) in West Palm Beach, FL, on October 3–5. If you make it to the meeting, please stop by to see her at the Stat-Ease exhibit.

Click here for these and other upcoming appearances by Stat-Ease professionals.

P.S. Do you need a speaker on DOE for a learning session within your company or technical society at regional, national, or even international levels? If so, contact me. It may not cost you anything if Stat-Ease has a consultant close by, or if a web conference will be suitable. However, for presentations involving travel, we appreciate reimbursement for travel expenses. In any case, it never hurts to ask Stat-Ease for a speaker on this topic.


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8: Workshop alert: See when and where to learn about DOE—Sign up now before classes fill.

You can do no better for quickly advancing your DOE skills than attending a Stat-Ease workshop. In these computer-intensive classes, our expert instructors provide you with a lively and extremely informative series of lectures interspersed by valuable hands-on exercises with one-on-one coaching. Enroll at least 6 weeks prior to the date so your place can be assured—plus get a 10% “early-bird” discount.

See this web page for complete schedule and site information on all Stat-Ease workshops open to the public. To enroll, scroll down to the workshop of your choice and click on it, or e-mail our Client Specialist Rachel Pollack at [email protected]. If spots remain available, bring along several colleagues and take advantage of quantity discounts in tuition. Or, consider bringing in an expert from Stat-Ease to teach a private class at your site.*

*Once you achieve a critical mass of about 6 students, it becomes very economical to sponsor an on-site workshop, which is most convenient and effective for your staff. For a quote, e-mail [email protected].


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I hope you learned something from this issue. Address your general questions and comments to me at: [email protected].

Please do not send me requests to subscribe or unsubscribe—follow the instructions at the end of this message.

Sincerely,

Mark

Mark J. Anderson, PE, CQE
Principal, Stat-Ease, Inc.
1300 Godward St NE, Suite 6400
Minneapolis, MN 55413-2561 USA

P.S. Quote for the month: The first “Curator of Experiments” endorses empirical study, that is, let the data speak.


"
The science of Nature has been already too long made only a work of the brain and the fancy: It is now high time that it should return to the plainness and soundness of observations on material and obvious things.”

—Robert Hooke, chosen by the newly formed Royal Society (motto Nullias in Verba—“Take nobody’s word for it; see for yourself.”) in 1662 to be their first Curator of Experiments.

Trademarks: Stat-Ease, Design-Ease, Design-Expert and Statistics Made Easy are registered trademarks of Stat-Ease, Inc.

Acknowledgments to contributors:
—Students of Stat-Ease training and users of Stat-Ease software
Stat-Ease consultants Pat Whitcomb, Martin Bezener, and Shari Kraber
Stat-Ease programmers Hank Anderson, Joe Carriere and Mike Brownson
—Heidi Hansel Wolfe, Stat-Ease sales and marketing director, and Stat-Ease business staff—Cathy Hickman and Rachel Pollack—who provide such supreme support!

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DOE FAQ Alert ©2018 Stat-Ease, Inc.
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