A Critique on the Foundational Response Surface Methodology for Exploring Optimal Regions

Abstract

The interest of most process engineers in industries is usually to optimize the yield of their processes. Not until 1951, imprecise methodologies were used in industries for this purpose. However, in 1951, G. E. P. Box and K. B. Wilson invented the technique of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) as one used for the optimization of the yield of processes. Being an initial idea, this paper has considered RSM as a foundational idea. In particular, it criticizes this foundational idea from the angle of its intuitive approach to searching for near-optimal settings of industrial processes, should such processes fail to run at optimal settings. RSM uses the tools of canonical transformation and analysis (a trial-and-error routine) for this search. Regardless, the foundational response surface methodology is acknowledged to be primarily efficient for determining the optimum response.