Kontrollfaktor

Kontrollfaktor is a term used in statistics, engineering and quality management to describe a variable whose value can be influenced or stabilized by the researcher, operator or system to affect a process outcome. The meaning can vary with context: it may refer to a factor that is deliberately varied in an experiment, or to a factor that is kept constant to reduce variability.

In experimental design, a kontrollfaktor can be a variable that the experimenter controls directly. When such a variable is varied according to a planned design (for example a factorial experiment), it is often called a controllable or independent factor. Conversely, keeping a factor constant to minimize noise or confounding is a way to control for a potential source of variation, sometimes described as a blocking or control measure.

In quality and process control, kontrollfaktorer are the process parameters that operators adjust to keep outputs within specification. Common examples include temperature, pressure, feed rate or machine speed. Proper identification and control of these factors help improve product quality, repeatability and process robustness.

Terminology varies by discipline and language. In Swedish or Norwegian contexts, kontrollfaktor generally denotes a factor that can be controlled to influence results, whereas other terms may be used for factors that are held constant or are nuisance variables. In English-language literature, related concepts include control factor, controllable factor, and design factors, depending on whether the focus is on manipulation or stabilization.

See also: design of experiments, statistical process control, blocking, nuisance factor, independent variable.