Reproducibility is the extra variation that appears when conditions change between measurements: a different operator, a second tool, another fixture or lab. In manual gauge studies it is called appraiser variation (AV). In fabs, where measurements are automated, reproducibility usually means tool-to-tool differences, which is why matching between metrology tools gets so much attention.
Reproducibility is eating the budget: operator 2 clamps the part differently and reads 15 microns high.
Also heard as
- appraiser variation
- AV
- operator variation
Related terms
Repeatability
Scatter in the readings when one person and one gauge measure the same part over and over with nothing else changed.
Gauge R&R
Study that measures how much observed variation comes from the measurement system's repeatability and reproducibility.
Tool matching
Making several tools or chambers that run the same step produce the same results on the same material.
MSA
Measurement systems analysis: the set of studies that prove a gauge is fit for the decisions its data will drive.