About Q-DAS

Q-DAS software portfolio has a wide range of use within the world of industry. There is an endless number of use cases and each one of them might have different technical intentions and explanations. To be able to work with the particular solution, user does not need to be an expert in everything related to Q-DAS and does not have to be familiar with all Q-DAS portfolio. However, when users understand what Q-DAS is and why does it exist, it opens a lot of opportunities for them. They even might start think about their job-related processes in a different way then ever before and it might help them to solve the issues they couldn’t solve before. This documentation exists for 1 purpose only. To explain the intention behind the Q-DAS software without any deep technical explanations.

The beginning

Every manufacturing company is on the path for the most effective production possible. To be able to do that, quality control principles are usually the way to go. In quality control we are talking about measurements, visual controls, statistic process control, MSA, PPAP, FMEA, DoE and lot of other techniques that helps the companies around the world to ensure, increase and report the quality of their production. Some of the techniques are natural part of the Q-DAS software.

In today’s world, lot of Q-DAS experts are living around the globe. If someone should ask the question “What is Q-DAS and why does it exist” to multiple experts, multiple different answers might be given. The reason for this is that each of the experts are coming from different background and their Q-DAS journey is not the same as the others. That matters in understanding of Q-DAS. For one engineer it all starts with the statistics and calculations behind the software. For another engineer it starts with clear data flow and data structure. Next engineer might tell you that it starts with simple data collection. All of the answers will be right, because it all comes from 1 simple idea that is behind. The needs and challenges of the world of industry. Therefore, it starts with the customer.

Requirements and challenges

Requirements and challenges in the world of industry are behind all the functions and ideas in Q-DAS software. We are able to roughly describe those requirements and challenges in 4 categories. This simple scheme represents those categories and also illustrate that it is a closed loop that is evolving all the time:

Evaluation – reliable calculations

One of the most pressing requirements in any industry is ability to have a reliable calculation. What does it mean? According to me it is assurance that software is able to repeatedly evaluate the data according to actual standards of the industry. But it is also much more. It is the ability to challenge the current standards and change the calculation models, so it fits to the respective process. It is not possible for the standards to cover all manufacturing processes. So, what calculation am I talking about? Measurement system acceptance (MSA) studies, machine capability studies (Cm, Cmk) and process capability studies (Cp, Cpk). Those 3 categories basically determine most frequent reasons why companies buy Q-DAS software (and expertise of our engineers) and also with these 3 categories was the software developed in the beginning. To handle those calculations, Q-DAS introduced evaluation strategies. Q-DAS engineers can configure the evaluation strategy in a way it makes sense for respective processes in the respective company. It also comes with some pre-defined strategies for specific purposes or done according to international and company standards. The evaluation strategy is a game changer. The users do not have to be the statistics experts anymore to be able to make a statistical evaluation from the measurements. Thanks to the evaluation strategy, the “correct” calculations are available to anyone. And this is actually the first concrete answer on the question “why does the Q-DAS exist”.

Data flow

Once it is decided what evaluation does one need (and why) another question arise. How to collect the data in the right way? Usually, there are multiple places from where the data come from. Hand gauges stations in the shop floor, automatic measuring machines, laser scanners etc… Those are the places that generates the data. But without the context, a lot of information might be missing. The context is the manufacturing process and a reason for the measurement. The important thing is also the configuration of the data collection for each process. The reason for this is not only the statistical evaluation of the data but also to be able to control the process along the way. With the right approach one can implement SPC (statistical process control) principles in the data collection. Overall, the data flow must be established. Usually, it is done in the data flow workshop together with Q-DAS engineer. During the workshop a thorough analysis of the manufacturing processes is done and the data flow is then proposed based on this analysis.

With the established data flow the key users can see that collection of the data is (more or less) done in an automatic way using the Q-DAS products and international data standards. And right here we have a second concrete answer why Q-DAS software exist. Because automatic and reliable data flow leads companies to the “right” evaluation, in the right time, without the unnecessary manual work. And also, because sensible data flow saves time of the workers, handles data security and bring on the much-needed process control principles.

Results

With established data flow, the measurement data can be used for evaluation that is needed by the customer. The results of this evaluation is to be presented in many different ways. It always depends on the case for which the results are needed. Actually, it all comes down to the people. Different people in the company need different information from the evaluation, different results. Head of measurement lab is concerned with all processes from short period point of view. Process engineer cares only about his processes from long term point of view. The management might be interested in the overall view at production, special KPI etc… For these reasons, special graphics and special reports inside of the Q-DAS software exist. Thanks to those, anybody is able to show and present the results which he needs in the click of the button. And that is another reason why Q-DAS exists. Because its users not only do not have to be statistical experts, but they also do not have to be data analytics experts and they will still be able to show vast datasets, correctly filtered and presented in the understandable way.

Automation

Evaluation, data flow and results. Once these 3 elements of Q-DAS software are established, tested and approved by the users, key-user and the management, it is time to take it one step further. Automation of the everyday processes is the way to go. But what does it mean in the scope of the Q-DAS software? We have already covered some of the answer on that question, but some tasks go even beyond what we already talked about.

The automation in the Q-DAS software is all that, and sometimes more. The important thing is that automation is the key function. It is the last answer on the question “Why the Q-DAS exists”. Because with the complex automation, the time savings grows exponentially compared to the state before implementation of Q-DAS solutions.

To the end and beyond

It begun with the customer, and it ends with the customer as well. The specific reasons behind Q-DAS existence were described in the chapter above. But it all comes down to the people. The question “What is Q-DAS” is not easy to answer, and a lot of times we would need the technical discussion about requirements to answer it correctly. The overall explanation given in previous pages, is a good start for the answer. And “Why Q-DAS exists”? To increase the quality of the production. To help the people in the industry to do their job. To make it easier, quicker, smarter, and insightful.