最後更新：2026.06.22
February 11, 2026 | Author: Yi-Chun Shih
SPC
MDC
Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor
Automotive Electronics
About This Case
Lelon Electronics Corp. (TWSE: 2472) deployed the MiDFUN SPC Statistical Process Control System together with the MDC middleware platform to build an information-flow architecture spanning three sites: Taichung in Taiwan, Suzhou in China, and Huizhou in China. Through MiDFUN MDC, Lelon Electronics’ in-house MES system is integrated so that production data is automatically pushed into SPC, enabling real-time alerts based on the Western Electric Rules and remote quality monitoring, and meeting the SBL (statistical baseline) analysis requirements of a German automaker supplier qualification.
Customer Overview: Lelon Electronics
Lelon Electronics Corp. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Dali, Taichung, Taiwan. It is a publicly listed company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2472). Lelon Electronics centers on aluminum electrolytic capacitors, with a product line spanning radial-lead, surface-mount (chip), snap-in, and screw-terminal aluminum electrolytic capacitors, as well as conductive polymer solid aluminum electrolytic capacitors and conductive polymer hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitors, widely used in high-end electronic equipment for automotive electronics, telecommunications, the cloud, and power electronics.
To provide customers with comprehensive service, Lelon Electronics has pursued upstream and downstream vertical integration, expanding into upstream areas such as formed aluminum foil raw material and automated production equipment. Its manufacturing sites are currently distributed across Taichung in Taiwan, Suzhou (Wujiang) in China, and Huizhou (Huidong) in China, and it has obtained automotive industry quality management certifications such as IATF 16949 (formerly TS 16949).
Project Background: From Excel Records to Automaker-Grade Quality Requirements
In earlier years, Lelon Electronics relocated its production lines to Huizhou and Suzhou in China, with the Taiwan quality assurance center monitoring the overseas plants remotely. However, the production floor and the quality assurance department had long recorded quality data in Excel, which left clear shortcomings in both timeliness and accuracy.
In early 2025, Lelon Electronics successfully qualified as a supplier to a German automaker, facing more rigorous quality monitoring requirements. The automaker required suppliers to provide SBL (Statistical Baseline) analysis reports, as well as real-time data on process capability indices such as Cpk. The Excel-based recording method could no longer meet these requirements, creating an urgent need for a quality management system capable of real-time monitoring, automatic calculation, and cross-site consolidation.
SBL (Statistical Baseline analysis) is an important method in automotive industry quality management. It requires suppliers to collect process data over a specified period and calculate statistical indices such as Ca, Cp, and Cpk, which serve as the basis for setting specification limits and driving continuous improvement.
German automaker quality requirements for suppliers: PAT Part Average Testing (sampling 30 lots every six months) and SBL statistical baseline analysis (per automotive product lot) are key thresholds for qualifying as an automaker supplier.
Why MiDFUN
Three-Site Information-Flow Architecture Design
MiDFUN designed a three-site information-flow architecture for Lelon Electronics across Taiwan, Suzhou, and Huizhou. Each site deploys the MiDFUN SPC system independently, while the system data can be consolidated for a unified view. The Taiwan quality assurance center no longer needs to rely on Excel reports or manual updates, and can view the process quality status of all three sites in real time through the system.
MDC Middleware Platform Integrating MES
Lelon Electronics already had an in-house MES (Manufacturing Execution System), where production data was originally stored. Through the MDC (Manufacturing Data Collection) middleware platform, MiDFUN integrated MiDFUN SPC with Lelon Electronics’ MES across systems, so that RAW DATA from the production floor is automatically pushed into SPC, achieving real-time monitoring and automatic control without manual re-entry.
MiDFUN MDC-API database integration solution architecture: ERP/MES production data is automatically pushed to the SPC system through the MDC middleware platform, without manual re-entry.
SBL Statistical Baseline and Process Capability Analysis
The MiDFUN SPC system supports searching data over a specified date range and automatically calculating process capability indices such as Ca, Cp, and Cpk. This capability gives Lelon Electronics reliable data standards when setting new specification limits, satisfying the SBL statistical baseline analysis required by the German automaker while also significantly reducing the rework of manual recalculation by quality assurance staff.
Real-Time Alerts Based on the Western Electric Rules
The MiDFUN SPC system has the Western Electric Rules built in. When control chart data triggers any of the rules, the system automatically sends an alert email. The Taiwan quality assurance manager can stay on top of the quality status at the Suzhou and Huizhou plants in real time even when not on the production floor, greatly reducing the likelihood of defects.
MiDFUN SPC system Western Electric Rules configuration screen: the trigger conditions and detection direction of each rule can be customized, and real-time alarm notifications can be enabled.
Deployment Scope and Results
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Deployed Products | MiDFUN SPC Statistical Process Control + MDC Middleware Platform |
| Deployment Sites | Taichung in Taiwan, Suzhou (Wujiang) in China, Huizhou (Huidong) in China |
| System Integration | Integration with Lelon Electronics’ in-house MES via the MDC middleware platform; production RAW DATA automatically pushed into SPC |
| Core Features | Automatic Ca/Cp/Cpk calculation, Western Electric Rules alerts, SBL statistical baseline analysis, cross-site real-time monitoring |
| Deployment Background | Qualified as a German automaker supplier in 2025, requiring quality monitoring to be raised to automaker grade |
Conclusion
The deployment of the MiDFUN SPC system and the MDC middleware platform elevated Lelon Electronics from Excel recording to a real-time, automated quality monitoring system. By integrating MES through MDC, production data no longer needs to be manually transcribed and re-entered; through real-time alerts based on the Western Electric Rules, the Taiwan quality assurance manager can remotely monitor the process quality of the Suzhou and Huizhou plants; and through SBL statistical baseline analysis, Lelon Electronics can respond to the German automaker’s quality requirements on a reliable data foundation. This three-site information-flow architecture not only meets the rigorous standards expected of automaker suppliers today, but also lays a long-term foundation for Lelon Electronics’ quality management under a cross-border production model.
Key Terms
| SPC | Statistical Process Control. Uses control charts and statistical methods to monitor process stability, detecting abnormal trends before defects are produced. |
| MDC | Manufacturing Data Collection middleware platform. Responsible for automatically pushing production data from different systems (such as MES and ERP) into quality systems such as SPC. |
| Cpk | Process Capability Index. Accounts for both process precision (Cp) and accuracy (Ca); Cpk ≥ 1.33 is generally the basic requirement in the automotive industry. |
| SBL | Statistical Baseline. Automakers require suppliers to collect production data over a specified period and calculate statistical indices as a quality baseline to verify process stability. |
| Western Electric Rules | A set of statistical criteria for judging whether a control chart shows an abnormal trend, covering eight patterns such as points beyond the control limits, consecutive points on one side, and consecutive increases or decreases. |
Source: AIAG SPC Reference Manual
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is SPC, and why does a capacitor plant need an SPC system?
A: SPC (Statistical Process Control) means using statistical methods to monitor the production process, detecting abnormal trends before a product becomes a defect. Aluminum electrolytic capacitor manufacturing demands extremely high stability in parameters such as capacitance, dissipation, and leakage current, especially when supplying automotive electronics, where automakers require Cpk data and SBL statistical baseline reports. The MiDFUN SPC system can automatically calculate Ca, Cp, and Cpk and issue real-time alerts based on the Western Electric Rules, allowing quality assurance staff to intervene at the very start of a process shift.
Q: What does the MDC middleware platform do, and how does it relate to MES?
A: MDC (Manufacturing Data Collection) is MiDFUN’s data-acquisition middleware platform, designed specifically to connect data between different systems. For example, Lelon Electronics already had its own in-house MES system, and MDC is responsible for automatically pushing the production RAW DATA from MES into MiDFUN SPC, with no need to key it in again manually. Put simply, MDC acts like an interpreter, allowing different systems to communicate with each other.
Q: With plants in different countries, can a single SPC system manage them all at once?
A: Yes. MiDFUN supports multi-site data consolidation, where each location can be built out independently and then consolidated for analysis. Lelon Electronics deployed across three sites simultaneously in Taiwan, Suzhou, and Huizhou, and the Taiwan quality assurance center can view the control charts and Cpk data of all three sites in real time, without waiting for Excel reports to be emailed back.
Q: What are the Western Electric Rules, and how do they help with quality control?
A: The Western Electric Rules are a set of statistical criteria for judging whether a control chart shows an anomaly, including points beyond the control limits, several consecutive points on one side, and consecutive increases or decreases, among eight patterns. When the data triggers any rule, it means the process may already be drifting. When the MiDFUN SPC system detects an anomaly, it automatically sends an alert email, so the Taiwan quality assurance manager can immediately learn the status of the overseas plants even when not on the production floor.
Q: What does a capacitor manufacturer need to prepare in terms of quality management to qualify as an automaker supplier?
A: Based on Lelon Electronics’ experience qualifying as a German automaker supplier, the key quality-management preparations include: (1) obtaining IATF 16949 automotive quality management certification, the basic threshold for entering the automotive supply chain; (2) building SBL (statistical baseline) analysis capability, since automakers require suppliers to provide process capability statistics over a specified period; and (3) providing real-time Cpk reports, which automakers need to retrieve during audits. The MiDFUN SPC system supports SBL statistical baseline calculation and automatic Cpk generation, and combined with systems such as FMEA and MSA, can fully meet the quality requirements for automaker supplier qualification.
About MiDFUN
MiDFUN has specialized in manufacturing quality management software since 1993, with expertise in multi-site information-flow architecture design and cross-system MES integration. As Lelon Electronics’ three-site deployment (Taiwan, Suzhou, Huizhou) shows, MiDFUN uses the MDC middleware platform to consolidate quality data from different plants and different systems for monitoring on a single platform. The product line spans
SPC Statistical Process Control,
FMEA Failure Mode Analysis,
MSA Measurement System Analysis,
SQM Supplier Quality Management, and ten major quality systems, helping enterprises achieve automaker-grade quality management standards.
