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The combination of even more test and measurement projects and a scaling of the workforce has meant that, over the past couple of years, GPower has been able to invest in developing a new and groundbreaking test system called Profactory—a system that benefits both small and large companies.
GPower is widely recognized as one of National Instruments’ most valuable partners in Denmark. This is due in part to its position as the now leading development house within NI’s programming language LabVIEW and TestStand, which is a framework for test management. Assignments range from developing measurement and data acquisition systems used to optimize wind turbines to test systems for product quality assurance.
Over time, however, GPower’s ambitions have grown beyond “just” working on projects and acting as hourly paid consultants. A few years ago, GPower made a strategic decision to develop a standardized, yet modular and scalable system for managing all types of test execution. And although the CEO today admits that developing the test system has been a major investment due to the many internal work hours—and thus also a deprioritization of new development projects—the result has nonetheless been highly positive:
– We have already sold Profactory to a couple of larger companies, but the system is also designed for smaller-scale test execution, making Profactory relevant for both small and large companies. Personally, I find that the already strong demand is because our customers can see that the investment in a smart test system quickly pays for itself—both in terms of product and function development, but also in terms of minimizing costs and getting a future-proof system.
As a company, do you want to save time and money while improving the quality of your products with a smart, innovative test system? That is one of the questions GPower has had great success asking both new and existing customers in connection with the launch of Profactory.
In short, Profactory is an all-inclusive test and automation solution that can be used in production, the development department, and the laboratory. It is a software and hardware platform that can be implemented on a single computer or scaled to cover a global enterprise. Profactory enables customers to convert their own know-how and existing hardware into modern test equipment, controllers, or automation equipment.
GPower’s Technical Director, Steen Secher Schmidt, explains that with Profactory you get a complete test system with higher quality and greater flexibility at lower cost and with shorter development time than the market has seen to date:
– What is groundbreaking about Profactory is, for example, that you can use the same test sequence for your product across all test stations and let Profactory manage differences in product variants and hardware at the various stations. Nothing is left to chance—you always test with the correct parameters for the situation. The entire process and production environment are automatically documented by Profactory. If errors occur in the product or equipment, you already have data at hand to find and resolve the issue. Together with Profactory’s configuration-based setup, this means that both planned and unplanned maintenance takes far less time than in a classic test environment. With a standardized product like Profactory, GPower’s customers also avoid having to focus on continuous improvements, function development, and inefficient equipment, as GPower handles ongoing development and maintenance. Clear savings that resonate with both large and small companies.
These benefits are possible solely because of GPower’s proprietary and modular software platform, which in this case consists of three parts: Supervizer, Devizer, and Provider.
Supervizer manages the customer’s stations and test configurations, ensuring that the correct test with the right parameters is always executed. Supervizer also offers advanced test management such as partial testing and pausing with later resumption of an ongoing test. In addition, it continuously traces the test process and test environment, and it provides central configuration and automatic result collection as well as remote monitoring of the stations. In short, Supervizer minimizes the risk of doing something wrong and maximizes the value of the installed equipment and the time spent on testing.
Devizer is an intelligent instrument driver that makes it possible to use the same test sequence for all product variants, potentially with different hardware at different stations. Devizer provides hardware type and channel abstraction, validation of functional requirements, instrument tracking, and parameterization of instrument properties. With Devizer, you build drivers with only the necessary instrument functions and add more functions only when needed. Devizer is therefore a hardware abstraction—not by instrument type in the traditional way, but by instrument function, for example resistance measurement or AC voltage output. This enables Devizer to use exactly the instrument the customer already has on the shelf—and it can even be replaced with a completely different instrument without changing the test sequence, as long as the new instrument has an equivalent and sufficient function.
Provider is the interface between ProFactory and the customer’s product. A product will always have a serial number that links it to a given product name, variant, and product category. ProFactory configurations are associated with products, so all processes in ProFactory begin with precise product identification. In a classic test system, the operator selects which test to run. If the wrong test is selected—or the right test but with incorrect parameters—a lot of test time is wasted, product quality may be compromised, and the test station can suffer physical damage. Test selection is far safer with ProFactory, as the station identifies the product and ProFactory is left to set everything else correctly. Provider includes a Product Management System, but it can also be integrated with third-party product managers if you prefer to use your own.
Profactory is primarily a software solution that provides a solid framework for the customer’s existing know-how and instruments. If the customer wants a turnkey solution, GPower also offers a complete and scalable hardware platform for Profactory.
GPower offers turnkey stations ranging from benchtop instruments to rack-and-stack solutions with thousands of channels, complete with cabling and fixture solutions. The flexibility of Devizer means that instruments of any type can be supplied—for example standard instruments for measurement, signal generation, power supplies, controllers, industrial interfaces, and communication devices. GPower also has special instrument systems on the shelf and regularly develops customized instruments for customers with specific requirements for accuracy or other performance that are not readily available as off-the-shelf products.
GPower’s Technical Director explains that the unique combination of modular software and modular hardware is the key to being able to build virtually any workstation with ProFactory. Typical examples include component and final testing, incoming inspection and quality control, machine vision, calibration, device programming, guided processes for, for example, repair or packing, equipment for experiment control in laboratories, and validation of wind turbine components. Factories can therefore be equipped with ProFactory at all positions and benefit from unified and consistent management of all this different equipment.
The launch of Profactory is only the first step for GPower. The company will continue to develop Profactory by launching even more features that meet customers’ needs. In addition, they also plan to continue concept and product development:
– GPower’s vision is to develop innovative test and measurement products with the aim of delivering high-quality solutions at a better price to increase accessibility for small and medium-sized companies as well. With ProFactory, we are one step along the way—now we just need to keep going.
With this news, GPower is therefore delivering on what the company promised back in 2017. At the time, they made it clear that their goal was to shift the business to become more concept- and product-driven in parallel with customer projects, which they are well underway with.
At GPower, we deliver robust and scalable solutions across industries, from research to production. Our modular software helps you optimize and streamline operations, so you can focus on your core business.
