Minimum cost linear trend-free 12-run fractional factorial designs

Time trend resistant fractional factorial experiments have often been based on regular fractionated designs where several algorithms exist for sequencing their runs in minimum number of factor-level changes (i.e. minimum cost) such that main effects and/or two-factor interactions are orthogonal to and free from aliasing with the time trend, which may be present in the sequentially generated responses. On the other hand, only one algorithm exists for sequencing runs of the more economical non-regular fractional factorial experiments, namely Angelopoulos et al. [1]. This research studies sequential factorial experimentation under non-regular fractionated designs and constructs a catalog of 8 minimum cost linear trend-free 12-run designs (of resolution III) in 4 up to 11 two-level factors by applying the interactions-main effects assignment technique of Cheng and Jacroux [3] on the standard 12-run Plackett--Burman design, where factor-level changes between runs are minimal and where main effects are orthogonal to the linear time trend. These eight 12-run designs are non-orthogonal but are more economical than the linear trend-free designs of Angelopoulos et al. [1], where they can accommodate larger number of two-level factors in smaller number of experimental runs. These non-regular designs are also more economical than many regular trend-free designs. The following will be provided for each proposed systematic design: (1) The run order in minimum number of factor-level changes. (2) The total number of factor-level changes between the 12 runs (i.e. the cost). (3) The closed-form least-squares contrast estimates for all main effects as well as their closed-form variance--covariance structure. In addition, combined designs of each of these 8 designs that can be generated by either complete or partial foldover allow for the estimation of two-factor interactions involving one of the factors (i.e. the most influential).