Quality Inspection Software

As comprehensive SPC Software, the software Compact.Net provides standard-compliant incoming goods inspection plans that facilitate adherence to ISO 2859 and ISO 3951 in all their modes (normal, increased, reduced, etc.), flexible skip-lot-methods, or freely definable and process-accompanying inspections. Using this software furthermore means that you can apply all your company’s quality knowledge and information during the inspection planning process, as it enables you to directly include existing data from FMEAs or risk analyses, CAD-drawings, control-plans, or initial samples.

The Quality Inspection Software Compact.Net can be precisely adjusted to meet the requirements of your production facility. Whereas it offers a vast variety of functions and settings during the production plan compilation and final analyses stages, the processing interface can be reduced to only the most necessary details when actually conducting the inspection data acquisition processes at shop-floor level. This means that the inspector can concentrate on what is really necessary at this point in time and only view the part of the big picture that he is immediately involved in.

Usability is furthermore increased via the implementation of acoustic / visual signalling mechanisms and hardware. These indicate the necessity of an inspection with the simplest of measures. The user-guidance model with its assistants, clearly structured inspection sites with connected gauges and expressive QM-dashboards at production level also significantly increase the user-acceptance throughout the entire company.

Data pens, touchscreens, web-applications, and peripheral data acquisition via smartphone or tablet PC: the Quality Inspection Software Compact.Net allows you to tear down the physical boundaries of conventional quality management. The software also fulfils a vast variety of requirements with regard to data security, automation, flexibility, error handling, and backup facilitation. For these purposes, it supports all contemporary methods of data entry such as QR-codes, NFC-tags, barcodes, mobile/stationary readers or wireless input devices etc. The supported methods and technologies include the following:

• Manual data entry via keyboard, smartphone, tablet, or data entry terminal – including plausibility of entry tests.
• Electronic cable-bound or wireless handheld gauges and acoustic or optical feedback.
• Integration of protocol-ready measuring machines such as scales, multipoint measuring devices, or coordinate measuring machines via APE.Net – the definitive tool for automatic inspection data acquisition.
• Peripheral or local inspection data acquisition without direct database linkage – including inspection order import / export.
• Wireless, barcode, and transponder technologies.

The optional CAD inspection planning software CAD-Link.Net can be fully integrated into Compact.Net. This allows you to adopt relevant inspection characteristics from directly within your CAD-drawings. New versions of CAD-drawings can also be immediately compared with those contained in your inspection plan. All necessary characteristics data and specifications (measurement, shape, and position tolerances, symbols and comments) are adopted and transferred with the simple click of a button. This automatic data exchange ensures referential integrity and eliminates the likelihood of data transmission errors.

Compact.Net includes sophisticated, flexible, and highly powerful tools for analysis and statistical evaluation. These provide everything you need to monitor, control, and improve your processes. Let the software monitor your processes and alert you in case of process violations or extraordinary developments in your process workflow. Consolidate specific content of your database either graphically or in shape of list evaluations and define filters that govern which data should be returned in what cases. Use the cross-references applied to acquired information and examine your data with regard to parallels and interdependencies to highlight weaknesses or determine solutions for sustainable quality and system improvements. Create your own evaluation library and use it as a companywide quality control panel or make it accessible to a select group of users. Integrate logic functions into table-fields or combine database entries in order to uncover hidden information. Export lists, data, or graphic evaluations to familiar MS Office applications or other software programs and process data via the integrated graphic and analysis tools whose mode of function is the same as it is in your familiar MS Office programs.

The far-reaching batch, serial number, nest, and sample tracking functions in Compact.Net ensure that no measurement values and no decisions are lost. The comprehensive traceability throughout all levels of production and quality assurance allow you to fulfil the traceability obligations contained in a variety of applicable standards and guidelines. When was what part used in which assembly group? What timeframe was what batch processed in what products and who were the products shipped to when? What was the exact quality status of the process, when a specific batch was produced? What qualitative characteristics were considered during a specific assembly group and what assembly site was used? These are all questions that arise when complaints or damages are dealt with or evaluations of production processes are conducted. The software provides you with the information you need to answer all these questions at the simple click of a button. The flexible batch management solutions allow you to document the production, application, and movement / storage information of every one of your products.

All statistical evaluation tools assume and are based on the fact that gathered measurement values are valid. The validity of an assessment is the degree to which it measures what it is supposed to measure. This means that a measurement is valid if a gauge precisely measures and correctly displays the desired values and the inspector has followed his instructions properly. Reasons for non-valid measurement results may be uncalibrated gauges, faulty communication of inspection orders, or non-performance of inspections. Whereas these causes can be identified comparatively easily, identifying faulty or multiple data transmissions from measuring machines, deliberate measurement manipulations, or accidental measurement distortions is much more difficult. During the characterization and identification of typical measurement manipulations and distortions, the Quality Inspection Software therefore analyzes any type and length of measurement series. The values are hereby largely normed and classified in advanced. Following this, the software scans the measurements and checks whether e.g.:

• The same value repeats itself across several measurements
• The same distance repeats itself between two measurements
• The values of a good sample are repeatedly copied
• The value “scheme” of a good sample is repeatedly copied

The advantages of this intelligent measurement value analysis via AI in Quality Assurance are many, as, apart from providing an additional level of data validation, it also facilitates a greater degree of process control and the possibility of visualizing manipulations and preventing false reporting in advance.

All process parameters that are gathered in the production environment, which have an impact on the quality during the manufacturing process, can be included in the inspection plan. Temperature, humidity, or any other type of data that is gathered by your machines can thereby be used as additional source of information during inspections. A good example for this is the connection between Compact.Net and the ARBURG ALS MES-system of the injection moulding machine manufacturer ARBURG. The seamless networking of Compact.Net and ALS ensures comprehensive and transparent documentation of the entire injection moulding production process. The machine parameters can be logged and transmitted to Compact.Net for each production cycle relating to a job order. The machine parameters and the individual produced part results are made available in a common database and can then be evaluated and cross-examined.

Different products often have a lot of similarities and characteristics and often only differ with regard to nominal values or with regard to the precise composition of different components. In order to keep the inspection planning process as simple yet flexible as possible, the Quality Inspection Software includes family inspection plans, module-characteristics, characteristic-templates, and automated inspection schemes which can be used to precisely depict the individual processes and production methods in your company. The usage of inspection schemes means that only one inspection plan / family inspection plan is created and the scheme dictates which characteristics need to be checked in which cases. This can also be prompted directly by the ERP-system via customer requests or product specifications. The possibilities achieved by only having to individually determine characteristics such as the nominal value only when the inspection order is actually logged on, mean that products which only differ in certain details can be conveniently and flexibly managed and inspected via one shared family inspection plan. The specifications can be defined during the manual log-on of an inspection order or be adopted directly from the ERP-system.

The software consistently supports you throughout all analyses, inspections, and examinations in the laboratory and lays the groundwork for comprehensive sample management in a modern LIMS. Whether acquiring and managing samples in the foodstuffs-industry, planning, developing, and selecting methods and experiments in the pharmaceuticals business or consistently analyzing and monitoring pool parameters during galvanization operations: Compact.Net enables you to manage the sheer quantity of information and abide by the strict data security regulations that the research and in-house laboratories of virtually all industries face. The software supports you throughout the management of deviating analysis results such as Out-of-Specification (OOS) Results, Out-of-Expectation (OOE) Results or Out of Trend (OOT) Results all the way to individual raw material certificates such as Certificates of Analysis (CoA).

Whether preparing, gathering, and distributing samples or performing statistical analyses and creating control charts: Compact.Net provides you with all the tools you require for data acquisition, preparation, and evaluation in the laboratory. In order to ensure data security and the various traceability requirements, the software also contains tools for batch-tracking and analysis specification.

The integrated certificate generator in Compact.Net allows you to automatically generate certificates directly after an inspection has been completed. For this purpose, the software gathers all the batch information of relevant product / process inspections that is contained in the database and generates a tailor-made certificate accordingly. This certificate may also contain individual raw material certificates such as Certificates of Analysis (CoA). These raw material certificates can either be created directly via the software or be conveniently uploaded by your customer and fed into the database. Once it has been generated, the certificate can be made available to a predefined internal group or sent to your customer or supplier – fully automatically if required. Of course, it can also be printed on a pre-specified printer, e-mailed, uploaded to the Intranet / Internet, or be posted in the MyCAQ.Net web-portal.

The potential analysis function allows you to compare the inspection data of a current order and match it with other suitable orders or other articles. This applies if e.g. the production process could not meet the specifications of the original article, but may match the specifications of a different article. Hence, the data can also be transferred directly to a new inspection order for a different article. This function thereby supports you during the analysis of interim-products and allows you to choose a different final product that matches the actual measurement values.

The production-accompanying calibration takes place directly in Compact.Net and there is no need to switch to the PMM.Net Calibration Management Software. The calibration therefore takes place right during production, at the same inspection site and in the same software. This essentially means the calibration becomes an integral part of the inspection process: the inspection process is underway, the screen for the quick-calibration appears, the measurement with the standard is executed and documented, and the inspection process continues just as before. The intelligent structure of CAQ.Net^® means that information gathered during the process-accompanying calibration is transferred directly to the gauge management module where it is included in the gauge history and can be used for deeper analysis. This function not only facilitates a significant reduction of substandard goods, but also enables direct reporting with regard to current gauge calibration statuses.

The production-accompanying and in-process measuring techniques are seamlessly linked to all other CAQ.Net^® software modules. Hence, the planning data in your CAQ system (quality planning, order data etc.) is immediately available online to all measurement computers you use. Vice-versa, the inspection data you gather is available online to all other CAQ.Net^® modules for further processing and comprehensive quality management analyses (e.g. for dashboard display or complaint management).

True to the idea of a comprehensive Control Plan Software, Compact.Net enables you to create IATF 16949 compliant control plans. The software here allows you to identify and define all relevant product/process characteristics that are to be monitored throughout the production process.