This is a Control Plan example for a made-up welded bracket, taken from its PFMEA. Each row names the characteristic, the specification, how and how often it is checked, the control method, and a reaction plan that says exactly what to do when the check fails. The weld rows show how a corrective action changes the plan: a worst-case test and two automatic controls were added.
The case: bracket 4410-B is a laser cut, press brake formed steel bracket with an M8 nut projection welded on. The customer bolts it into an assembly. Lot 2610-14, 1,200 pieces, shipped and then came back as a complaint: nuts spinning loose when the bolt was torqued. This plan is for production, after the corrective actions in the 8D.
The Control Plan
| Step | Characteristic | Specification | Method | Sample and frequency | Control method | Reaction plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Laser cut | Hole position | Per drawing, ±0.2 mm | Check fixture | First and last piece of each run | Setup approval record | Stop. Quarantine parts since the last good check. Reload program by barcode, recheck, notify quality. |
| 30 Bend | Bend angle | 90° ±1° | Digital angle gauge | First piece, then 1 every 50 | Check sheet | Stop. Quarantine back to the last good check. Adjust, 3 good pieces in a row to restart. |
| 40 Weld nut | Nut present | Nut on every part | Presence sensor in fixture | 100% | Interlock: welder will not fire without a nut | Cell stops automatically. Load nut, restart. Sensor fault: call maintenance, no override. |
| 40 Weld nut | Weld current | Within the validated window | Weld controller monitor | Every weld | Fault stop and reject | Rejected part to red bin. Second fault in a row: stop, call maintenance, quarantine since last dress. |
| 40 Weld nut | Tip dress interval (process) | Every 400 welds | Controller weld counter | Continuous | Interlock stops the welder at 400 | Dress tips, reset counter, push-out test first piece before restarting. |
| 40 Weld nut | Push-out strength | 4.0 kN minimum | Push-out tester | First piece after each dress and last piece before each dress | Test log against counter | Stop. Quarantine all parts since the last passing test. Dress, test 5 pieces, notify quality. Open a nonconformance. |
| 50 Pack | Part revision | Matches traveler | Label barcode scan | Every box | Scanner blocks a mismatched label | Remove box, clear the cell of old revision, notify supervisor. |
What to notice
- Every row traces to the PFMEA. Each control here is the prevention or detection from a PFMEA row. If a PFMEA risk has no row here, something is missing. The free PFMEA to Control Plan check finds those gaps.
- The push-out test checks the worst case. Testing the last part before a dress is the change from the 8D. It tests the weakest weld the process makes, not the strongest.
- Process characteristics belong here too. The tip dress count is not on the drawing, but it controls the weld. Put the inputs that drive a product characteristic on the plan.
- Reaction plans say what to do. Stop, quarantine back to a point, fix, prove, tell someone. "Notify supervisor" on its own is not a reaction plan.
Specifications and frequencies here are made up for the example. Use your drawing, your capability data and your customer requirements.
The rows come from the PFMEA example, and the weld changes from the 8D report example.
Everything on this page is made up for the example: the part, the numbers, the customer and the team. Use your own forms, rating scales and customer requirements.
Use these next
- How to write a control plan, the method behind this example
- 8D report example
- 5 Why example
- PFMEA example
- Quality glossary, for any term on this page
- Free download: Control Plan blank
- On Etsy: the Control Plan workbook, the same form ready to fill in