Abstract
This study presents an integrated procedure using neural networks and exponential desirability functions to resolve multi-response parameter design problems. The proposed procedure is illustrated through optimising the parameter settings in the fused bi-conic taper process to improve the performance and reliability of the 1% (1/99) single-window broadband tap coupler. The proposed solution procedure was implemented on a Taiwanese manufacturer of fibre optic passive components and the implementation results demonstrated its practicability and effectiveness. A pilot run of the fused process revealed that the average defect rate was reduced to just 2.5%, from a previous level of more than 35%. Annual savings from implementing the proposed procedure are expected to exceed 0.5-1.0 million US dollars. This investigation has been extensively and successfully applied to develop optimal fuse parameters for other coupling ratio tap couplers.