Build the Design (Factorial Tab: 2-Level Factorial)

 

Choose New Design from the file menu. Select the cell corresponding to the Number of Factors you wish to investigate and the number of Runs you want to perform.

Select the number of Replicates, Blocks and Centre Points required (see Design Tips below)

Click Continue to view the alias pattern and decide allocation of factors to letters; and again to enter the details of the factors and responses

Colour key: The fractionation (superscript), colour and resolution (subscript) indicate how much information you can expect from the design about the key effects

White (Completely Safe) – all effects are capable of being independently estimated

Green (Safe, Go) – main effects & 2-Factor Interactions can be estimated separately of other key effects

Yellow (Caution) – main effects are aliased with 3-Factor Interactions, but 2-Factor Interactions are aliased with one another

Red (Stop, Think) – main effects are aliased with 2-Factor Interactions 

Replicates of factorial combinations, and/or replicated centre points, provide an estimate of the background variability (pure error). Including centre points also enables you to test whether a potential optimum exists within your current ranges (e.g., max hardness/min degradation etc.)

Blocks manage the experiments when they must be performed by different operators, equipment or on different days and these variations are expected to introduce bias

Factor Types can either be Numeric i.e on a continuous scale between Low & High Settings, or Categoric i.e. with discrete settings (e.g., type of lubricant)

Fractionating: The more you fractionate to save resource, the more the effects you would like to investigate get partnered up, or aliased, and so the poorer the resolution of your design

Run the experiments and Enter the Data

 

For each experiment run in Run order, enter the results for each response into the Design (Actual) sheet. An alternative Run Sheet view, for carrying out & recording your results offline, is available under the View menu

 

Display: Right-click on a column heading to display options:

• Std - sort your design into standard order
• Run - sort into a randomised run order
• Type - display type of point e.g. Factorial
• Factor - edit information e.g. ranges
• Response - e.g. simulate results

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