Linking together production machinery, intelligent controls for production plants and automated data sharing for work process planning, have become essential aspects of manufacturing operations over the past few years. Visionary ideas for the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 are ensuring there is now also interconnected test and result monitoring for quality assurance.
We aim to develop all the requisite technologies, processes and resources, and ensure that customers get 100% benefit from all the interconnected devices installed by QATM to profit from optimised data management.
All the steps, tools and developments this requires, are integral to our project: #QnessConnectedFuture We can already meet many of these requirements today!
We are absolutely convinced, within the next 10 years the new generations of testing devices will be hooked up to – and communicate with – superordinate production planning centres, test planning systems and measuring device monitors.
Number of interconnected Qness hardness testing devices
Our team is comprised of experts almost exclusively devoted to the tasks of providing advice, clarifying requirements and implementing data connection projects. Our software programmers guarantee flawless technical implementation for inter-device connectivity and we optimize application technology to ensure the best possible operational comfort and convenience.
Qconnect is the interface in QATM Qpix Control2 software, providing customers with a full portfolio of inter-device connectivity - from serial production, open XML interfaces (bi-directional) and pre-specified plug-in solutions, such as the QDAS Plug-In+, through to customer-specific connectivity solutions implemented completely by QATM. We have a professional solution for every applicational requirement.
Especially when tests have to be repeated several times, modern test devices benefit immensely from template options. Once test program templates have been saved, they can be applied to any required number of test pieces. Templates can be managed via any number of devices hooked up to the network. Templates can be set-up, saved and selected by all Qpix Control2-driven devices.
Many pro-level export functions are built into Qness solutions as standard. Raw data is exported into CSV/TXT and XML, report exports into MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF – as part-specific issues or as individual exports. All export configurations can also be stored individually for templates.
E-mails featuring result protocols and error reports can be sent straight to the customer or the production manager; and can, if desired, be fully automated after the tests. Our 2nd generation Qness Qpix Software now makes it possible.
The built-in remote client makes support provision childsplay for both application assistance and servicing requirements.
Qpix software platforms support the use of barcode and QR code readers, simplifying workflows for inspectors and preventing operator error. Populating header data is simple (standard), and readers can be fully integrated to automatically select templates or retrieve data from higher-level systems (optional).
The ‘PCI Plug-In’ interface enables data link-ups to be managed individually and to be customized for specific requirements. The Qness programming team guarantees flexible interface programming. The PCI Plug-In also facilitates connections to SQL data bases and customer-specific ERP systems.
This is a pre-set software module package enabling a link-up to the statistics programme QDAS/qs-stat made by QDAS GmbH. QDAS specifies more or less the whole data field communication. Setting up the interface is done with Qness’ own, very attentively developed and simply operated QDAS Plug-In+ user interface. Even without further clarifications or adaptions, the module generates a QDAS-compatible and QDAS-analysable file.
ttc Informatik GmbH’s AMS order management system accompanies the production process, especially in many heat treatment plants. The Qpix Control2 Software module AMS Plug-In can be used to predefine items such as test programme templates and entire test guidelines for hardness testing. Subsequent to hardness testing, the results are sent back to the AMS system. The interface was jointly devised by Qness and ttc, and the plug-in module offers the whole basic scope of communication between AMS and the Qness testing device.
Entire hardness testing systems can be automated without human intervention using the Remote Plug-In. Every command, including those for mechanical motions, comes straight from the superordinate control centre. This is ideal, in particular for in-line hardness testing devices loaded by robots.
Qness places particular importance on the provision of seamless connectivity for customers with operations spread over several sites. It’s our pleasure to develop a ‘customer standard’ with you, to ensure that every subsidiary in a corporate group or business – worldwide – can rely on an identical solution for the interconnectivity of Qness devices. Once the standard has been agreed upon, the interface can be applied to all other operational bases in a kind of ‘copy & paste’ procedure, without additional development costs for each separate device. We can guarantee all work and data management follows exactly the same procedures, across the entire group.
We have been developing innovative solutions for interconnectivity in hardness testing for almost 10 years.
First Qness hardness tester completely remotely controlled (Qpix Remote Interface)
Delivery and installation of the first device with QDAS standard format data
Development of the PCI interface (outsourced part of the hardness-testing software for simplified communication with customer systems)
Automatic export functions for Qpix Control and T12 software platforms
Presentation of the Qpix 2nd generation hardness testing software (Qpix Control2 & T2) – revolutionary operability with standard scope open data interface (data import & export)
Installation of the largest Qness test lab so far: One Qness customer uses 12 Qness Q30A+ hardness testing devices in the same room. All devices are connected up to QDAS and share the same test templates and component databases
Automatic sending of e-mails with results, protocols and error notices
New QDAS interface ‘QDAS Plug-In +’ – configuration and installation can be done directly by the customer