I am in the process of putting together flow charts and work instructions for MSA. The reason for this is that we intend to go for TS16949 at the end of the year and I need a procedure in place. Now then, I could use the AIAG reference manual and have done for most of it. However, management has decided not to implement MSA for our non automotive gauges. A shortsighted approach in my humble opinion, but there it is. Now the question. Do I have to do stability, linearity and bias studies if just using the Range and Average and Range method?

Well, they all address different issues in a measurement system. You may have a very good GRR and still have bias or stability issues.

While it may be prudent to do all the studies, the arguments (for and) against it are well known: one of them being, if the customers or auditors don't care or mandate it, don't do it.

I guess it boils down to what kind of risk you and your customer are willing to accept about the quality of the product that you ship, and what the measurement system is being used for.

That's about as vague as I can get! :(

Recently, I found this question about GRR on Quality Magazine message board:This may be a dumb question, but knowing quality professionals, nothing is really dumb. I am trying to justify doing gauge R&R studies and we have had some of our plant quality managers attend a UT course where they were taught that R&R studies are essentially useless since the data is only valuable for that instant. I disagree but am having a hard time justifying myself.

I am in the process of putting together flow charts and work instructions for MSA. The reason for this is that we intend to go for TS16949 at the end of the year and I need a procedure in place. Now then, I could use the AIAG reference manual and have done for most of it. However, management has decided not to implement MSA for our non automotive gauges. A shortsighted approach in my humble opinion, but there it is. Now the question. Do I have to do stability, linearity and bias studies if just using the Range and Average and Range method?
Hello
I'm a novice in this field and not familiar with the requirements of TS16949 but maybe this can be of use to you.
When calibration of the measurement equipment is performed some of the studies regarding bias, stability and linearity should already have been taken care of. Check the procedures on how calibration is done, to find out which of them. Off course there might still be differences in results between calibration and when the equipment is used for inspection of products. As Atul stated above, it comes down to the risk you and your customer is willing to accept.