Minimum Aberration Two-Level Fractional Factorial Split-Plot Designs with Hard to Change Factors

In this article we will consider industrial experiments in which some experimental factors have hard to change levels and others have levels which are easy to change. In such situations, fractional factorial split plot designs are often used where the hard to change factors are included as a subset of the whole plot factors and the easy to change factors make up the subplot factors. Here we consider the problem of finding two-level split plot designs which have minimum aberration among those designs which also minimize the number of level changes for the hard to change factors.