ITM Announcements

The Announcement category contains announcements related to ITM’s testing services, LabVIEW programming, Test & Measurement Hardware, Boiler Monitoring Systems, and iTestSystem applications.

Engineering on the fringe of big data

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As test engineers, we are driven by data. It motivates everything we do. The faster we can gather, manage and analyze vast amounts of data, the more effective and efficient we become at understanding the stresses that tax modern machinery.

That is why I’m excited to share some of the recent advances Integrated Test & Measurement (ITM) has made as it relates to our large channel synchronized count monitoring systems.

In many ways, we are hitting the extreme fringes in terms of gathering big data, and these developments have all been made possible by our proprietary iTestSystem software.

(Download a free version of our base software.)

Test Engineering Extremes using iTestSystem and NI cDAQ

  • Collecting and managing terabytes of data during month’s long test
  • Synchronizing 25 NI 9188 cDAQ chassis to collect more than a thousand (1000) channels of strain, acceleration, temperature, voltage and current data
  • Gathering data from on-board systems such as CAN, CCP and customized machine PLC protocols in the same data file as analog data
  • Collecting high voltage and contact temperature data using isolated amplifiers at one megahertz (1MHz)

Train_500Driven by the opportunity to engineer tests for both the rail industry and heavy machinery manufacturers, our team has been able to collect, manage and monitor terabytes of synchronized data during month’s long tests.

The process includes designing and installing data acquisition (DAQ) systems to gather more than a thousand channels of strain, acceleration, temperature, voltage and current data — all at once. Where before we had gathered a couple hundred channels of synced data, we’ve now passed the thousand-count mark. (Incidentally, the manufacturer of our cDAQ hardware platform informed us that our high-channel-count tests are more than double any other application of which they are aware.)

Beyond the volume of channels, we’ve also been able to harvest data from high voltage sources at extreme data rates. One of our colleagues even used iTestSystem to collect 16 channels of data from high voltage sources at 500kHz.

In addition, our engineers have been able to run these tests while at the same time gathering data from on-board systems such as CAN, CCP and customized machine PLC protocols — an advance that allows our clients to gain an even more complete picture of the precise environment at work in their machinery.

ITM Offers Free Version of iTestSystem Software

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Integrated Test & Measurement has an exciting announcement. As of now, you can download a free version of our proprietary iTestSystem software. Anyone can download it and begin using it at no charge from our website.

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iTestSystem is a software platform that enables test engineers to organize, acquire and view important engineering data using National Instruments (NI) C-Series hardware.  iTestsystem was specifically designed for use with National Instruments (NI) cDAQ hardware.

The new free version offers the following new options:

  • Online Software Registration
  • Modern Software Interface Console
  • More cDAQ module choices
  • Customizable Real Time Data Views (Plots)
  • Updated data viewer (TestView +)

Download your copy now, and be sure to reach out and let us know how we can further assist you with this exciting new tool.

Explore ITM’s Rugged Data Acquisition Systems for Rent

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If the right tool doesn’t exist, build it.

For years that has been the approach ITM engineers have taken when it comes to gathering data and building tests for clients. And after decades of performing structural testing in aerospace, off-highway, automotive, industrial and many other environments, we’ve built up an impressive line of custom Rugged Data Acquisition (RAC) Systems that are now available for rent.

RAC88_3_300 x 228

Our RAC systems integrate NI hardware solutions with our proprietary iTestSystem data acquisition software, so you can be sure these units are technically sound.

At ITM we believe that our ability to make tough measurements for clients is often only limited by the availability of the ideal tool for gathering the right data. In other words, necessity really is the mother of invention.

So whether you need to do some long-term, high-speed in-vehicle data logging or you need a portable and rugged system that can withstand harsh environments while gathering high channel counts, our RAC systems will do the job — or we will customize one that will.

Check out our lineup of Rugged Data Acquisition Systems.

— ITM President Tim Carlier

ITM Recruiting at UC’s Technical Career Fair Feb. 19

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UC Technical Career Fair

Our firm is excited to take part in the Technical Career Fair at the University of Cincinnati on Feb. 19. We are even more excited to bring in qualified candidates from UC to help us lead innovative engineering projects worldwide.

Integrated Test & Measurement is a growing firm on Cincinnati’s east side that specializes in performing structural testing and making tough measurements for clients around the globe.

Our group is seeking candidates to fill both full-time and co-op opportunities. We are particularly interested in candidates who are excited at the possibility of getting involved in hands-on engineering testing as well as development of ITM’s proprietary iTestSystem software.

Beyond seeking technical engineering candidates, we are also interested in a skilled marketing candidate who is able to process technical materials, think analytically and lead the promotion of ITM’s brand.

Interested candidates should stop by our booth inside the UC’s Campus Recreation Center from 9a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday Feb. 19 and/or email a resume and cover letter to: info@iTestSystem.com

I look forward to meeting you.

Taking Engineering Communication Beyond Just Tech

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iTestSystem.com Blog Layout

Far too often in our field, we engineers get so completely focused on the technical side of our trade that we lose site of good communication and modern presentation.

As an engineering firm, ITM has been working toward taking our communication strategy beyond simply marketing our technical services. We see the importance of presenting our firm by telling our story and sharing real-world ways in which we solve engineering challenges.

That is the reason for this blog, and it is also a big part of why we redesigned our website last year at itestsystem.com.

On our site you will find plenty of products and services, but you will also find many case studies and blog posts that we hope will share not just what we can do, but also how we accomplish complex engineering tests and why we choose certain methods.

We believe these things work to deepen our relationship with our clients and even spur new ideas. But more than anything, it helps tell our story.

Speaking of improving communication, please update your email contacts for ITM. As of Feb. 1, 2015, we will be changing our e-mail addresses from @unyah.com to @iTestSystem.com.

I look forward to sharing more about ITM’s story with you.

We Make Tough Measurements

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When I think through the ways in which ITM sets itself apart as an engineering firm, there is one simple phrase that always comes to mind: “We make tough measurements.”

What do I mean by that? Quite simply, our engineers are adept at finding creative solutions for gathering data in the field and often despite adverse conditions.

So when a client contacts us looking for solutions to an equipment failure or hoping to validate a new design, our goal is to get to them quickly — generally in a matter of days — and begin instrumenting the equipment in the environment for which it needs to perform.

Plenty of companies can apply strain gauge in a climate-controlled lab or return with a customer’s part for testing in their shop, but we pride ourselves on our field installation. Considering that strain gauges are applied to measure stress at known hot spots during operation, we take every step possible to test in actual operating environments. And when it comes to the instrumentation itself, we thrive when a job requires strain gauges to be applied in challenging locations (either on the equipment or geographically speaking) and in extreme climate conditions.

Rosette strain gauge

Once we begin gathering data, our team will ensure the integrity of the test, whether it spans hours or we need to remain on site for months, and ultimately provide a complete turnkey solution to collect and analyze the data.

Bottom line. We make tough measurements.

— ITM President Tim Carlier

Join ITM’s Nov. 20 MultiDAQ Plugin Webinar

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iTestsystem Webinar Capture

Whether you are a seasoned user of Integrated Test & Measurement’s MultiDAQ plugin for iTestSystem software or if you have never used the product, our next Webinar will allow you to pick up some simple tricks as well as understand the latest features.

Join Chase Petzinger, an ITM software developer, and Todd Holtkamp, an ITM field test engineer, as they host the third in a series of free online demonstrations via GoTo meeting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20. The previous session focused on MultiDAQ configuration tips. View the archived video.

The Nov. 20 Webinar, titled “Running MultiDAQ,” will last 10 to 15 minutes with 15 minutes of Q&As to follow. Those interested in attending should email Petzinger.

Webinar Video: ITM Shares MultiDAQ Configuration Tips

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Our second monthly Webinar at ITM focused specifically on how to configure the MultiDAQ plugin for our iTestSystem software. Two of our engineers — Chase Petzinger, a software developer, and Todd Holtkamp, a field test engineer, hosted the free online demo on Oct. 2, 2014, to walk users through exactly how to configure ITM’s custom product when using National Instruments MAX hardware.

As you can see in the archived video, they also covered how to create a MultiDAQ session, how to create a task, how to enable synchronization, how to select specific hardware and channels to record data and, finally, they gave some tips for setting up file settings. As usual, we finished off the Webinar by allowing those who joined the GOTO Meeting session to pose specific questions.

Stay tuned for news of our next Webinar so you can join us live.

— ITM President Tim Carlier

ITM Uses 3D Printing to Improve Wireless Torque Measurement Designs

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3D Collar Drill Press

One of the ways ITM sets itself apart is that our engineers don’t flinch when it comes to finding creative ways to make tough measurements.

For example, as you can see in this video, we have begun using our in-house 3D printer to customize plastic collars — embedded with sensors and transmitters — which allow us to wirelessly measure torque on rotating machinery.

In this example, we’re recording a signal as the drill bit enters the wood, but the same solution allows us to model and print a larger fixture to measure the stresses on an industrial drive shaft or other piece of rotating equipment.

Where once we might have turned to an area machine shop to mill a similar type collar, we can now model an even more precise tool and print it out overnight — saving valuable time and at a fraction of the cost.

3D Printing is just one more example of how ITM uses cutting-edge tools and new technology to solve problems.

— ITM President Tim Carlier

ITM Installs Paper Mill Thermocouple Monitoring System

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control panel

In search of a system that would send feedback to further optimize their production efficiencies and reduce energy costs, a paper mill company turned to ITM for help measuring the temperature of steam tubes inside its Recovery boiler.

The challenge our engineers faced was to not just log temperature measurements, but also to transfer this information to a remote computer, perform complex measurements and output results that would serve as a watchdog to ensure normal conditions.

Our solution was yet another example of finding a creative way to use existing National Instruments hardware and software to solve a complex problem.

See the complete Case Study.

— ITM President Tim Carlier