QASS Main Software-Release 2020

QASS has implemented three new programming methods and an input module for its measuring instruments,

1. operator networks (graphical measurement programming)

2. scripting (Python, JavaScript)

3. editable, scriptable graphical user interface (PenGUI)

4. virtual measuring channels (connection of different sensor types, sensor fusion)

whose use leads to an enormous acceleration in the completion or adaptation of measurement applications.

The months of “lockdown” were a time of final spurt for us.
The QASS teams built the last software interfaces to make our Analyzer4D software scriptable.
In parallel, small teams used the new scripting tools in individual workshops to program specialized measurement applications.
The main topics were “crack detection during bend straightening“, “joining and assembly“, “tool monitoring during plastic injection molding“, “non-contact hardness measurement with Barkhausen noise“.
Currently we are already working on the topics “early detection of scoring during wire drawing” and “sensor fusion during electrofusion with structure-borne noise and current-voltage signals in-process as well as laser and non-contact hardness measurements after-process”.

In the last 3 months we have completed a total of 10 special applications with improved or completely new evaluation and a new surface concept.

The pure application development, i.e. the programming of the actual analysis and evaluation logic, thus usually only requires a period of 2 working weeks of a small development team. Our process experts and software developers together form these teams and are supported by sales colleagues in the initial phase.
This leads to a completely new project approach at QASS.

First of all we collect all relevant information about a new process.
When all goals are defined and seem to be achievable, we define the milestones with our customer.
We then collect measurement data in the customer’s production process and two weeks later the application development begins.
Within 10 working days the analysis logic and the user interface are ready and we can evaluate the adapted system in the target process.
Again two weeks later the testing under real conditions is finished and the project goals are settled.

Our new approach allows us to complete new projects within 8 weeks QASS working time.
For already known manufacturing processes we only need hours or days of adaptation.

We program new solutions up to 50 times faster.
We complete our projects 10 times faster.

This also enables us to break new ground in sales.
We divide the project expenditure for completely new measuring tasks into two parts.

1. a fixed amount of 10%, which covers preparations, installations and tests
2. a flex amount of 90%, which is only charged if all agreed project goals are achieved to 100%.

For standard tasks, our previous prices apply, with the possibility of creating customer-specific user interfaces and special evaluations as part of process optimization.

The key to our new possibilities is the scriptability of our analysis software, as well as the possibility to couple almost any sensor with our evaluation.
For scripting we use Python and JavaScript, for the user interface we add HTML-like programming (QML – Qt Modeling Language).
We combine this with the tools of “graphical measurement programming” (operator network) and “virtual inputs” for the integration of different sensors, which we already developed last year.
With new clustering operators and analysis networks, we now determine significant signal patterns fully automatically and thus generate representative search patterns which are then used in the automatic analysis for data comparison with error states.