Example: label adhesion
The team plans to study pressure, platen temperature, dwell and post-press hold time. The positive half fraction repeats eight combinations twice and adds three center runs. Peel force will be measured in N per 25 mm.
Download the factor catalog (CSV)This is the same example used in Help. The CSV lists factor definitions to enter manually on Inputs; importing it does not configure the design. Use Open example in a practice copy in Help to prefill the example settings.
1. Create the workspace
In the sidebar, open Design of Experiments and create an analysis. Name it, select New blank worksheet, then choose Create analysis. The factor catalog is a reference; no measurement data needs to be imported for this task.
2. Choose the design
On Inputs, choose Create design for Task and Fractional factorial for Design family.
3. Enter the factors
Under Factors, use Add factor or remove a row until there are 4 factors. Keep them in the order below. Set Type to Numeric for every factor.
Enter the Factor name, Unit, Low and High values below.
| Factor | Factor name | Unit | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | press_pressure_mpa | MPa | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| B | platen_temperature_c | °C | 35 | 55 |
| C | press_dwell_s | s | 1 | 3 |
| D | post_press_hold_s | s | 5 | 15 |
4. Set the run plan
Enter 2 in Complete replicates and 3 in Center points per design. Choose Unblocked for Blocks. In Generators, separated by commas, enter D=ABC. Check Randomize within blocks and enter 42 in Random seed.
The preview should show Expected 19 runs in 1 block(s) and Resolution 4.
5. Generate design
Choose Generate design. A new worksheet opens with the randomized run plan and a blank Response 1 column. Open Results to inspect the design summary and complete run sheet. Keep this generated study separate from the recorded analysis example.
6. Interpret results
Check the run plan
Design summary shows 19 runs: eight distinct half-fraction settings repeated twice, plus three center runs, in one block. The plan uses half of the 16 low/high combinations for four factors. No peel force has been measured yet.
Read the first run
Execution order 1 is standard-order run 7, replicate 1. Its settings are 0.4 MPa pressure, 55 °C platen temperature, 1 second dwell and 5 second hold. Follow execution order rather than sorting the factor columns.
Understand the trade-off
The factor letters follow the setup table: A is pressure, B temperature, C dwell and D hold. Low settings are coded −1 and high settings +1. The generator D=ABC means multiplying the first three codes to choose the fourth. For execution run 1, (+1)×(+1)×(−1)=−1: hold is low, 5 seconds. This half fraction is resolution IV; pressure × temperature shares its estimate with dwell × hold, and main effects share with three-factor interactions.
Choose how to use the design
Replication helps estimate run-to-run variation but does not remove these aliases. Check the complete Alias structure before conducting the study. If separating an aliased pair is essential, plan additional settings rather than treating repetition as a solution.
Conduct and record the study
Check that each setting is feasible, then follow the randomized execution order. Repeat preparations independently. Enter newly measured peel force in Response 1 against its actual run; never transfer measurements from another experiment by row position.
More details: read each result section
Complete result tables use six significant digits, as in Help.
Design summary
Family identifies the design. Runs is the total, 19; Base runs is the generator’s base count, 8. Replicates and Blocks record the chosen structure. Actual seed is 42; keep Generator version with it when reproducing the plan. Alpha applies to axial distance in a central composite design. Resolution describes aliasing in a fractional factorial; a dash means the statistic is not applicable.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Family | Fractional factorial |
| Runs | 19 |
| Base runs | 8 |
| Replicates | 2 |
| Blocks | 1 |
| Alpha | — |
| Resolution | 4 |
| Actual seed | 42 |
| Generator version | doe-v2.1 |
- Unavailable settings are shown as —; the saved design rows remain authoritative.
Factor settings
Each row gives the Factor name, modeling Type, Unit and entered Low and High bounds. All factors here are numeric. A dash under Levels means no additional explicit level list was entered. Midpoints are factor settings for center runs, not measured responses.
| Factor | Type | Unit | Low | High | Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| press_pressure_mpa | numeric | MPa | 0.2 | 0.4 | — |
| platen_temperature_c | numeric | °C | 35 | 55 | — |
| press_dwell_s | numeric | s | 1 | 3 | — |
| post_press_hold_s | numeric | s | 5 | 15 | — |
Run sheet
All generated runs are shown in execution order. Row ID identifies a run; Standard order identifies its design position; Execution order gives its planned sequence. Block groups runs and Replicate identifies repeated designs. Point type distinguishes factorial, star (axial), edge or center points, as applicable. The remaining columns are actual factor settings in their stated units. The generated worksheet’s Response 1 starts blank; no response values appear in this plan.
| Row ID | Standard order | Execution order | Block | Point type | Replicate | press_pressure_mpa | platen_temperature_c | press_dwell_s | post_press_hold_s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| doe-7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.4 | 55 | 1 | 5 |
| doe-12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.2 | 55 | 3 | 5 |
| doe-9 | 9 | 3 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.2 | 35 | 1 | 5 |
| doe-14 | 14 | 4 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.4 | 35 | 3 | 5 |
| doe-3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.2 | 55 | 1 | 15 |
| doe-13 | 13 | 6 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.4 | 35 | 1 | 15 |
| doe-19 | 19 | 7 | 1 | center | 1 | 0.3 | 45 | 2 | 10 |
| doe-16 | 16 | 8 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.4 | 55 | 3 | 15 |
| doe-8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.4 | 55 | 3 | 15 |
| doe-11 | 11 | 10 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.2 | 55 | 1 | 15 |
| doe-17 | 17 | 11 | 1 | center | 1 | 0.3 | 45 | 2 | 10 |
| doe-18 | 18 | 12 | 1 | center | 1 | 0.3 | 45 | 2 | 10 |
| doe-15 | 15 | 13 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.4 | 55 | 1 | 5 |
| doe-1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.2 | 35 | 1 | 5 |
| doe-6 | 6 | 15 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.4 | 35 | 3 | 5 |
| doe-4 | 4 | 16 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.2 | 55 | 3 | 5 |
| doe-10 | 10 | 17 | 1 | factorial | 2 | 0.2 | 35 | 3 | 15 |
| doe-2 | 2 | 18 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.2 | 35 | 3 | 15 |
| doe-5 | 5 | 19 | 1 | factorial | 1 | 0.4 | 35 | 1 | 15 |
Alias structure
Term names an effect and Aliases lists effects that this fraction cannot distinguish from it. For I=ABCD, AB shares with CD, AC with BD and AD with BC. The letters follow the factor order entered in Inputs. Main effects share with three-factor interactions. Repeating this same fraction does not separate the aliases.
| Term | Aliases |
|---|---|
| press_pressure_mpa | platen_temperature_c × press_dwell_s × post_press_hold_s |
| platen_temperature_c | press_pressure_mpa × press_dwell_s × post_press_hold_s |
| press_dwell_s | press_pressure_mpa × platen_temperature_c × post_press_hold_s |
| post_press_hold_s | press_pressure_mpa × platen_temperature_c × press_dwell_s |
| press_pressure_mpa × platen_temperature_c | press_dwell_s × post_press_hold_s |
| press_pressure_mpa × press_dwell_s | platen_temperature_c × post_press_hold_s |
| press_pressure_mpa × post_press_hold_s | platen_temperature_c × press_dwell_s |
| platen_temperature_c × press_dwell_s | press_pressure_mpa × post_press_hold_s |
| platen_temperature_c × post_press_hold_s | press_pressure_mpa × press_dwell_s |
| press_dwell_s × post_press_hold_s | press_pressure_mpa × platen_temperature_c |
- Defining relation: I=ABCD
- A = press_pressure_mpa; B = platen_temperature_c; C = press_dwell_s; D = post_press_hold_s
7. Create a report
Keep Design summary, Factor settings and the complete Run sheet, plus Alias structure. Record the actual seed, generator version, units and planned execution order. This report documents a design; add measured responses and their analysis separately after conducting the study.
Choose Add to report from the completed run. Open Choose individual items and advanced options to select tables and charts, then choose Add to draft. Hidden items stay in the saved analysis.
Name the report and add the purpose of the study and your interpretation. Choose Save, review Preview, then use Export → Download HTML. The example below contains the full selected content, including results beyond one screen.