Zero Defects Manufacturing (ZDM) is a proactive quality strategy aimed at preventing defects during production. This study proposes a novel integrated method using the Defect Tracking Matrix (DTM) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to predict the sources of surface defects in particleboard manufacturing. The authors evaluated twenty technical attributes and sixteen quality defects. Results showed that duct cleaning, setting blower, screen cleaning, press calibration, and blade sharpening were key contributors to detect patterns. The DTM-PCA framework improves traceability and helps implement ZDM through structured, data-driven analysis in a previously unexplored context.

Published in Evergreen, Volume 12, Issue 04. Citation formats available via DOI link.