Experts in LabVIEW™ Software Development and Systems Integration
for Automated Test, Measurement, Control and Datalogging

Case Studies

Test and Measurement Solutions
MacKinnon Marine

LabVIEW application and data acquisition hardware for a Hydraulic Compression Test Rig that is designed to simulate a pipe-lay tensioner (on an oil pipe laying ship) in order to confirm tensioner pad compression and friction capability for a wide range of compression loads, pipe sizes, and coatings. Capabilities include precise load control, repetitive fatigue cycling, axial slip rate control, and export of results into Excel report spreadsheets. The user interface is based on two 27" touchscreen displays and a Windows tablet PC for full remote manual control.

LabVIEW application to calculate the trackloading requirements for a pipe-laying tension system, for a given tensioner pad setup, pipe diameter, and vessel operating condition.


Mathwall Limited

LabVIEW application and data acquisition hardware for an automotive oil filter aeration test system designed to pump oil and air into an oil filter during a sequence of programmable flow rates, pressures and temperatures, and record filter output performance and system operation. Two variable-speed drives are used to control the flow of oil into the filter and out of the oil tank. A second monitor has a permanent display of the system mimic.


Parker Kittiwake

'DebriSCAN' software to monitor and record the size, rate, and composition of ferrous and non-ferrous particles in machinery oil measured by the Parker Kittiwake wear debris sensor. 'pqLAuxilium' software to remotely operate the new Parker Kittiwake pqL instrument for laboratory-based ferrographic analysis.


Trend Controls

'Global Tester' generic test executive and sequence editor for Trend Control Systems Ltd (part of Honeywell) to functionally test, program, and configure their IQL, IQeco, IQ3xcite, and IQ21x ranges of Building Energy Management System controllers and I/O modules.


Hursley EMC Services

Automated test software for Hursley EMC Services to perform EMC compliance testing of conducted and radiated emissions according to various commercial and military standards such as DEFSTAN 59-41/59-411, MIL461E/F, EN55015, and RTCA/DO-160E/F/G. RF measurements are made using a choice of ESS, ESIB, FSEB, or ESCI7 EMI Test Receiver.


Ericsson

Assorted in-house ATE systems for Tandberg Television (now Ericsson) to test digital television broadcast equipment during production and design verification stages. The test equipment included a large amount of remote control of proprietary equipment (using RS-232 and SNMP) and RF instruments. Many ATEs involved building entire racks of test equipment. Some ATEs used NI TestStand, while most required bespoke test executives.


Rohde & Schwarz Services UK RFMD

Automated test software for RF Micro Devices (RFMD) and Filtronic, on behalf of Rohde & Schwarz Services UK, for high-speed testing of silicon wafers containing mobile telephone RF switches fabricated their plant in Newton Aycliffe, UK. Measurements on each switch include switching current, channel isolation, insertion loss, and harmonics. Test throughput and yield have improved steadily with a total now of seven test systems.


Delphi

Automated test software for Delphi Diesel Systems at three of their sites in the UK for high-temperature, endurance validation testing of automotive diesel fuel pumps and injection systems. Extensive data-logging of all system and test parameters is performed.


Magna International IAC Group

Automated test software for Magna International and IAC Group to test and record the opening behaviour of automotive airbag deployment panels in vehicle dashboards and knee bolsters using a weight fitted with an accelerometer and dropped from a 6m tower, with the destructive impact captured using a high-speed camera (4000 frames/sec). The key measurements are amplitude and time of the peak force of break-through.


Husco International

Guided assembly and automated test software for Husco International Ltd for the manufacture of high-pressure hydraulic valves for agricultural diggers and tractors. Two whole production lines have been installed, each with several assembly stations based on customer-created SOPs, a build-and-torque station, and a final functional test station.


SMR Automotive Mirrors

Automated test software for SMR Automotive Mirrors UK Ltd to test, calibrate, and program Volvo wing mirrors with integrated blind-spot detection cameras on the high-volume production line; laboratory test software to measure the size of vibration patterns (chatter) of automotive wing mirrors using a reflected laser acquired and analysed using NI Vision, and to measure current and torque during motorised wing mirror folding operations.


Precision Engineering

Automated test software for Precision Engineering (Sittingbourne) to run on various automotive/electrical/mechanical component assembly and test machines, which typically involve integration of LabVIEW software and NI DAQ hardware with Siemens PLCs and Parker AC or DC drives in order to safely generate and control typically quite high pressures, temperatures, flow rates, and rotational speeds.


Dico

LabVIEW software to operate the Dico DELTA and SERVO ranges of automated bottle capping machines. The software provides an intuitive touchscreen user interface, uses a Siemens S7-300 PLC to control machine operation, and provides advanced features such as cap inspection/rejection, cap applied torque control (using servo drives), and cap numbering and traceability for quality control. Visit the Dico website for more information.


Gravfil

LabVIEW software to operate the Gravfil EXCEL range of automated volumetric liquid filling machines. The software provides an intuitive touchscreen user interface, uses a Siemens S7-300 PLC to control machine operation, and provides advanced features such high accuracy using servo drives, profile filling with controlled nozzle height and variable fill rates, vacuum drip removal, and automated flushing and cleaning. Visit the Gravfil website for more information.


Young Calibration Ltd

LabVIEW and RT application software and data acquisition hardware to run tests, measure and log air and fluid characteristics, and perform closed-loop control of air and fluid temperatures and flow-rates in a wind tunnel used for calorimetric testing and calibration of thermal systems and components.


Clenergy

Upgrades and improvements to SolarCADA software for remotely controlling, monitoring, and configuring solar energy power converters for Clenergy (China/Australia/UK). The software allows connection to multiple local (serial) and remote (Ethernet/modem) converters.


ITT EDO MBM Technology

Two separate applications for EDO MBM Technology Ltd to test the communications output of a Mil-Std-1553 remote terminal device; and to test the linearity, power, torque, and repeatability characteristics of a small angular displacement motor.


Buhler Motor UK Ltd

Automated Dynamometer Test Rig software designed to control and monitor test equipment used for automated and manual testing of BLDC motors manufactured by Buhler Motor UK Ltd.


Greenwood Airvac

Automated measurement and calibration software for Greenwood Air Management for compliance testing and calibration of wall-mounted commercial and domestic ventilation fans.


Cameron

Semi-automated calibration software for Cameron Measurement Systems in order to generate calibration certificates for gas and liquid turbine flowmeters, used extensively in the oil & gas and process control industries.


GE Aviation Dowty Propellers

Automated test software for Dowty Propellers (now part of GE Aviation) to test and calibrate aircraft over-speed governors (OSGs) and pitch control units (PCUs) for five aircraft types including Hercules, Dash-8 400, Saab 2000 and Fokker 50.


Fire Testing Technology

FAA Micro Calorimeter (MicroCalc) software for Fire Testing Technology to determine flammability parameters of materials under laboratory conditions on a bench-scale test instrument. MicroCalc uses controlled heating to thermally decompose the sample, thermal oxidation of the evolved gases in excess oxygen, and oxygen consumption calorimetry to measure the heat release characteristics of materials under conditions that simulate a fire environment.


Eaton

Software for Eaton Aerospace Vickers Fluid Systems (Bedhampton) to interactively control a 3-phase 90 kVA AC power source during evaluation and testing of aircraft hydraulic pump motors.


King's College Hospital

Research software for Kings College Hospital, University of London to control an experimental system using a ventilator to measure patient airway resistance.

Datalogging Solutions
Libertine FPE Ltd

LabVIEW software for Windows and FPGA to measure the position and speed of a translator in an experimental linear motor. The FPGA code runs on an NI cRIO platform and measures voltages from Hall sensors to calculator linear position.


Seaspeed Marine Consulting

A complete self-contained Vessel Motion Monitoring System (VMMS). The system comprises a small touchscreen PC that reads, displays, and logs data from two Motion Reference Units (MRUs), a GPS, an anemometer, and an IP camera. Data is collected for real-time analysis of vessel motion and performance and for subsequent off-line analysis by vessel designers and operators. Motion analysis includes time and distance at various speeds, significant wave height and period, body vibration dose, and motion sickness index. The software has been designed to allow the system to operate unattended for many months and will even cope with unexpected power loss using a battery and UPS.


Mathwall Limited

Software and electrical interfaces to control and monitor a high-performance automotive engine driveshaft rotation system for speeds up to 10,000rpm (based on an industry-standard SpinTron machine), and to continuously display and log speed, torque, temperature, flow, and pressure data. The software also controls engine oil and coolant heating and circulation to allow tests to be performed at oil temperatures up to 130C.


NERC

Software for monitoring winch and cable loading for winch operators on board the scientific research ship RRS Discovery for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The application reads and displays key data such as cable tension, length out, length left, rate, winch back tension, water depth, and ship heel angle. Alarm limits are provided to ensure safe handling of expensive payloads and cables. All data is logged for official maritime record-keeping.


Hamworthy Krystallon

Touchscreen HMI with monitoring and logging software for marine exhaust scrubber systems developed by Hamworthy Krystallon Ltd. Acquires water and gas temperatures, pressure, and flows using NI Compact FieldPoint hardware; water pH and turbidity from a Modbus sensor; and exhaust gas CO2, SO2, NO, NO2 concentrations from a gas analyser via Modbus.


EADS Astrium

Several mobile high-channel count temperature monitoring, control, and logging systems (TMACE) for EADS Astrium Ltd for use during assembly and integration testing of communications satellites at their Portsmouth facility. Read more about TMACE as a product.

The VideoMASTER Success Story

Auric Solutions Ltd was the original creator, designer, and primary developer of VideoMASTER, a comprehensive and powerful LabVIEW-based tool for acquisition and measurement of analogue video signals, prior to it being bought out and made into a National Instruments product, NI VideoMASTER Analog Video Analyzer. VideoMASTER is used around the world by manufacturers of DVD players, games consoles, and TV set-top boxes to test their consumer products during design and manufacturing. Visit www.ni.com/videomaster to get the latest details about this product.