A key characteristic of robust design is the use of statistically planned (designed) experiments to identify those process variables that determine product quality. Robust design was developed in Japan by G Taguchi in the early 1950s and its widespread use throughout Japanese industry is one of the main reasons why Japan has emerged as a major producer of relatively cheap high quality products, especially in the automobile, home electronics and micro processing sectors. Despite its early success in Japan, robust design remained virtually untried in the United States and Europe until the early 1980s. The realisation that quality is a vital ingredient required for success in today's highly global and competitive markets has prompted Western companies to embrace the robust design concept.