Containment Action

Definition

Containment Action is an immediate, temporary emergency measure taken in manufacturing processes when defects or quality issues are detected, to prevent defective products or materials from flowing to the next process or being shipped to customers. The core principle is to physically block the spread of defects until the root cause is identified and permanent corrective actions are established.

Application in Manufacturing

Implementation Methods

• Physical Separation: Store suspected defective products in a separate area with clear identification
• Production Halt: Immediate shutdown of the affected line or equipment
• Inventory Freeze: Prohibition of shipment and use of entire affected lots
• Sorting Inspection: 100% inspection of suspect product groups

AI Technology Integration

Manufacturing AI supports faster and more accurate execution of containment actions:

• Real-time Anomaly Detection: Automatic alerts upon defect occurrence through vision inspection systems and sensor data analysis
• Impact Range Tracking: Automatic identification of affected product scope through integration with lot traceability systems
• Automated Containment Execution: Blocking product movement and labeling through MES (Manufacturing Execution System) integration
• Predictive Analysis: Pre-identification of product groups with high recurrence probability through historical data learning

Key Points

Containment action corresponds to the third step (D3) of the 8D problem-solving process and is distinct from Permanent Corrective Action. Rapid containment action is the first line of defense to minimize quality costs and prevent customer complaints. AI systems detect problems faster than human judgment and accurately track the scope of impact even in complex supply chains, significantly improving the effectiveness of containment actions.