A methodological optimization of brass hardness testing through Taguchi method assessment and analysis of variance

This study focuses on optimizing the hardness testing process for brass using the Taguchi method combined with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to improve result consistency and reliability. The investigation considered four critical process parameters: indentation location, dwell time, temperature, and loading time. Experimental data were analyzed using the Signal-to-Noise (S/N) ratio to identify the optimal levels—Level 2 for indentation location and dwell time, and Level 3 for both temperature and loading time. ANOVA was applied to evaluate the statistical significance of each factor and their respective contributions to the overall variation in hardness values. The results revealed that dwell time contributed the most at 38.21%, followed by temperature at 34.22%, loading time at 17.87%, and indentation location at 9.70%. Visual representation through pie and line charts further supported the analysis and clarified the influence of each parameter. The findings confirm that this systematic approach effectively optimizes hardness testing procedures for brass, offering practical insights for quality improvement in material testing.