Development of software for measurement data analysis

Task

Hilti Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH develops and tests portable tools for construction and industrial applications. As part of product development and prototype testing, devices are delivered to customers and operated there under real-world conditions. The resulting measurement data is essential for:

• understanding the behaviour of the devices under practical conditions
• identifying optimisation potential and
• shortening development cycles based on data.

The requirement was for a standalone, user-friendly software solution that could process and visualise different types of data.

The software was to be provided as a standalone application to enable independent use by the client. A particular focus was placed on ensuring that the application could be shared internally – for example, with departments such as marketing – without additional software dependencies. To this end, a basic architecture was developed in MATLAB as an app and then compiled as a runnable standalone version.

Solution approach

The application was designed in a modular fashion for multiple data types. The following functions are provided for each data type:

• Import and analysis of the respective raw data
• Visualisation of data trends, measurement parameters and statistical parameters, also with a view to marketing-relevant evaluations
• Project configurations for mapping different measurement conditions
• Extended reporting function for creating meaningful test documentation

Result

The project resulted in a functional, standalone software solution that enables the analysis of current, voltage and power data as well as the evaluation of running times, switch-on times, position parameters and temperature characteristics of devices.

The application offers:

• fast and intuitive evaluation of complex measurement data,
• modular expandability for future requirements,
• efficient support for product development through practical data evaluation.

By automating the evaluation and reporting process, test results can be incorporated directly into development processes, thus accelerating product optimisation.