The DynEdge controller for dynamometers is an integrated, multi-loop control and data acquisition system designed specifically for dynamometer applications, including system modernizations, new installations, and complete test cell control and data acquisition systems. The system is built on National Instruments (NI) VeriStand™ software and Wineman Technology INERTIA™ add-on, embedded on a multi-core NI PXI real-time controller and housed in a single full height 19” rack-mount enclosure. INERTIA software for real-time control provides a complete test profile editor with system configuration for defining I/O channels, shutdown procedures, PID control loop, and alarms.

The system is designed and pre-configured utilizing both NI PXI hardware and Wineman Technology’s integrated connector blocks and power module to minimize cost and simplify connectivity and integration. The system provides a wide range of I/O capabilities typical of dynamometer applications, such as pumps, engine test cells, electric motor test stands, axle test systems, steering components, and transmissions. It also can easily be modified by the customer to cover a wide range of I/O requirements since the product is based on off-the-shelf hardware.

Contact Wineman Technology for pricing and more information on DynEdge.

Related links:
DynEdge Controller Datasheet

By Brian Sayranian, Senior Sales at Wineman Technology

Over my years as a test facilities manager, I’ve seen multiple companies debate the topic of building an in-house program or machine versus choosing to outsource this work. This is never an easy decision, as there are many factors to consider in this process.

Years ago I worked at a company that created a portable wheeled control system for running endurance tests on products with small automotive DC motors. This system could run automated sequenced tests on power seats, recliners, windows, and sunroofs using a simple PLC controller, a clean DC power supply, and high current components such as mercury whetted contactors and current shunts. Technicians used a simple GUI to tell the system how long to run and stall each motor, and to set alarms for fault determination. The whole thing was smaller than a dishwasher, and we had many happy customers who purchased and leased these workhorses from us.

On one occasion with a prospective customer, the lab manager felt the price was too high based on the fact that he could build one “for one-third the cost” of our selling price. When pressed, he stated the cost of the components we used was his reference point. Indeed, one-third of the unit cost was for parts and two-thirds of the unit cost was for labor, assembly, documentation and support.

During the conversation, I pointed out that his staff must work for free, and surely they couldn’t just whip up the same program in a matter of days that took us months to perfect. After a bit of nervous laughter, he said his employees were considered fixed assets – overhead, if you will. And yes, it would indeed take them some time to perfect whatever they would come up with for a program to run the unit. He also stated that they would have to work on it piecemeal as time allowed.

As you can imagine, the visit resulted in a no sale. And while it’s possible that particular lab was able to duplicate our efforts, the actual cost including the employees’ time is unknown.

This story is not unusual, and in my experience, I have found that the price quoted to a lab manager for a new “best-in-class solution” by an external provider is presented to his management with a coloration of the statement, “we can do it in-house for a lot less.” Below are some of the issues that may surface when building an in-house solution:

• Lack of dedicated engineering resources and time to the project can result in spotty troubleshooting or no maintenance support when post-deployment changes are needed
• Lack of expertise and experience in building a specific type of system can lead to inconsistent internal specifications and standards, sub-par documentation of software and wiring, and non-optimized component choices
• Actual costs are not accurately calculated to account for in-house employee time, as well as time taken away from billable clients

This example points out some of the key factors that often arise within any test environment and should be carefully considered when choosing the in-house route:

• Each organization has a fixed staff capable of a fixed amount of hours of work
• Each organization has a knowledge base primarily limited to what they have been exposed to in the past
• Internal efforts often reach delays and roadblocks due to other more demanding tasks or timetables
• Management is often unwilling or unable to add staff for short-term or one-time projects

If a lab or department is unable to properly address all of these issues, the other option is to outsource the project to an integrator or test equipment supplier. Selecting the correct integrator or supplier is best done by paying attention to the “three P’s”:

Past Experience

• Has the vendor done a project similar to your needs?
• Can the vendor provide examples and references with enough details to prove it?

Performance

• Did the vendor provide enough details in the quote so the task is fully identified?
• Does the vendor present a presence that suggests they have been around and will be around to support your needs now and in the long term?
• What does the staff consist of? How professional do they present the company?

Price

• Does the quoted price reflect an accurate cost to deliver a “best-in-class” solution?
• Does the quoted price offer value added over any vendor who may cut corners to offer a lower price or who may have hidden additional costs in the future?
• Do you really know how the quoted cost compares to doing the project in-house?

While price is certainly the main draw of outsourcing, the other two bullet points are equally important. On your next test equipment or controls project, make sure to choose a vendor with the right past experience and performance, along with price, to bring you success.

Related Links:
Custom Turnkey Test and Control Systems
About Wineman Technology

Industry:
Automotive/Alternative Energy

“NI VeriStand and the INERTIA™ add-on provided us with an easy-to-use tool for developing and deploying our HIL tests, and the NI VeriStand plugin architecture allowed us to customize the environment to meet our specific application needs.”
—Todd VanCamp, Ford Motor Company

The Challenge:
Creating a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test stand to simulate, control, and monitor passenger vehicle fuel cells developed by Ford Motor Company.

The Solution:
An HIL test system based on National Instruments (NI) VeriStand real-time test environment, Wineman Technology INERTIA control software add-on, and NI PXI hardware that is flexible and scalable, which allows for testing a variety of fuel cells with a single test system.

Read the Full Case Study

Industry:
Agriculture

The Challenge:
Creating an energy-efficient test solution for the next generation of hydro-mechanical transmissions used in farming equipment.

The Solution:
Adding a pair of regenerative AC drives to the new test stand to recapture a significant amount of power used when evaluating the unit under test.

Read the Full Case Study

Wineman Technology’s INERTIA™ has been chosen as National Instruments’ LabVIEW Tool of the Week in the March 6, 2012 issue of NI News. An add-on for NI VeriStand, INERTIA is designed to quickly and efficiently implement real-time control systems for physical testing and validation applications. NI VeriStand is a software environment for creating real-time testing applications more efficiently, and by using NI VeriStand with INERTIA, control engineers can easily create and execute real-time control applications including dynamometer and servo-hydraulic test systems.

Wineman Technology is honored to have their product chosen as tool of the week. Contact Wineman Technology for pricing and more information on INERTIA test automation software for real-time control.

The third and final video in the series titled, “Increasing the Value of Your Test System Investment,” is now available. This video concludes the live keynote presentation at Wineman Technology’s open house event, hosted on September 22, 2011, in Saginaw, Michigan. Part Three in the series is titled, “Technologies for Real-Time Testing.” This is a 13-minute presentation clip where Chris Washington, National Instruments Senior Product Manager for Real-Time Testing and HIL Simulation, examines INERTIA™ add-on for NI VeriStand and testing throughout the process of research and development, and testing and validation.

“Increasing the Value of Your Test System Investment” Video Series:
Video Series Part 1: Growth of Embedded Software & HIL Testing
Video Series Part 2: Leveraging HIL Models to Improve Physical Testing
Video Series Part 3: Technologies for Real-Time Testing

The second of three videos in a series titled, “Leveraging HIL Models to Improve Physical Testing,” is now available. The videos are from a live keynote presentation at Wineman Technology’s open house event, hosted on September 22, 2011, in Saginaw, Michigan. Part Two in the series is titled, “Leveraging HIL Modeling to Improve Physical Testing.” This is a 10-minute presentation clip, where Chris Washington, Senior Product Manager for Real-Time Testing and HIL Simulation at National Instruments, examines the real-time vehicle model simulator Dynacar.

Part Three will continue on the theme of latest technologies for real-time testing by highlighting the applications and features of Wineman Technology product: INERTIA™.

“Increasing the Value of Your Test System Investment” Video Series:
Video Series Part 1: Growth of Embedded Software & HIL Testing
Video Series Part 2: Leveraging HIL Models to Improve Physical Testing
Video Series Part 3: Technologies for Real-Time Testing

The first of three videos in a series titled, “Increasing the Value of Your Test System Investment,” is now available on Wineman Technology’s YouTube channel. The videos are from a live keynote presentation at Wineman Technology’s open house event, hosted on September 22, 2011, in Saginaw, MI. Keynote speaker, Chris Washington, Senior Product Manager for Real-Time Testing and HIL Simulation at National Instruments (NI), discusses the growing trends and latest technology used for system testing.

Part One in the series is titled, “Growth of Embedded Software & HIL Testing.” This is a 10-minute presentation clip, where Chris examines the growth of complex systems and how test applications used to validate these systems must evolve to keep pace.

Parts Two and Three continue on the theme of latest trends and technology for system testing by highlighting the applications and features of Wineman Technology products: INERTIA™ and Dynacar. Parts Two and Three will soon be available on our YouTube channel.

Keynote speaker, Chris Washington received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University with a focus on digital electronics and control systems. During his tenure at NI, Washington has provided consulting and support services for various applications, including hardware-in-the-loop testing, rapid control prototyping, noise-vibration-harshness testing, in-vehicle data logging, and real-time test cell development. Additionally, Washington has worked as an applications engineer and a LabVIEW instructor.

“Increasing the Value of Your Test System Investment” Video Series:
Video Series Part 1: Growth of Embedded Software & HIL Testing
Video Series Part 2: Leveraging HIL Models to Improve Physical Testing
Video Series Part 3: Technologies for Real-Time Testing

Wineman Technology has completed its whirlwind tour of NITS in Detroit, Edison, Phoenix, Knoxville, and Denver, ending on the second week of December. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and visited our booth.We enjoyed sharing our new test products, INERTIA™ and Dynacar, and talking with each of you about your testing needs.

Some of the top technical sessions at NITS 2011 included:

• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and real-time testing techniques – featuring our INERTIA test automation software
• The latest features in NI LabVIEW 2011 and best practices for software development
• Techniques for RF vector signal analyzers
• Optimization of DC measurements for speed and stability

For additional resources about our automated test, data acquisition, and real-time control solutions:

• View the online video of our NIWeek keynote segment, demonstrating our INERTIA and Dynacar add-ons for NI VeriStand.
• Read a white paper about the new INERTIA real-time control add-on for NI VeriStand, a seamless, integrated package of control-specific tools for test cell applications.
• Learn more about the new Dynacar vehicle model simulator for developing and testing passenger and light commercial vehicles, from conventional to electric and hybrid.
• Download the datasheet for the RAPID multi-loop control and data acquisition controller, designed for test cell applications that demand quick development and low-cost deployment.

Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor www.michigan.gov/dleg
Stanley “Skip” Pruss, Director Email: mediainfo@michigan.gov

Matthew Eurich of Saginaw
Employer: Wineman Technology

State Recognizes MIOSHA Training Institute (MTI) Graduates at
Michigan Safety Conference

April 20, 2010 – Today the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and Macomb Community College recognized 38 graduates of the MIOSHA Training Institute (MTI) at the 80th annual Michigan Safety Conference in Lansing. The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).

Doug Kalinowski, CIH, Director, MIOSHA Program, and Michael Metz, Director, Public Service Institute, Macomb Community College, presented MTI Level One Certificates to 38 graduates. The MTI offers participants the necessary knowledge and hands-on training for safety and health solutions and has quickly become the premier provider of high-quality workplace safety and health training.

“Employers tell us that a strong safety and health system significantly reduces workplace injuries – which has a tremendous impact on their bottom line,” said Kalinowski. “For every $1 invested in workplace safety and health, employers see a return of $4 to $6 dollars. That makes MTI training an excellent investment for Michigan employers.”

Macomb and MIOSHA established a formal alliance on Sept. 26, 2005, to develop new opportunities to help protect the safety and health of Michigan workers. A key goal of the alliance was to establish the MIOSHA Training Institute to offer employers a high level of safety and health training. MTI launched certificate classes in October 2007.

The MTI has seen tremendous growth, from 917 participants trained in April 2008, to more than 5,600 participants trained today. In FY 2009 the MTI offered 153 courses statewide at 28 cosponsors, including Macomb College, M-TEC facilities, community colleges, and safety and health organizations. To date, 205 MTI students have qualified for Level One Certificates.

“Macomb College fully shares MIOSHA’s commitment to improve workplace safety and health, which in turn enhances both employee experiences and employer objectives,” said Metz. “We’re continually looking at ways to strengthen our partnership and have moved the MTI program into Macomb’s Public Service Institute to benefit from the synergy with our longstanding health and safety programs.”

The MTI delivers affordable, participant-driven and informative seminars based on the most up-to-date industry standards in a hands-on, interactive environment. Students attend a series of courses that will help them develop the knowledge and skills to improve their company’s safety and health system. MTI classes are consistent throughout the state, and have the same length, format, resources, activities, objectives and assessment.

In July 2009, MIOSHA developed an MTI Scholarship Program to help employers, employees and others attend training during these difficult economic times. The scholarships cover half the cost of an MTI class anywhere in the state. Unemployed workers can apply for the entire cost and only pay the $20.00 data base fee. To date, MIOSHA has provided almost $50,000 in scholarships.

Participants can attend MTI courses at any cosponsored location across the state. All participants who successfully complete a course become part of the MTI database managed by Macomb College. Transcripts are available to all participants.

The MTI assessment-based certificate program offers participants an opportunity to be recognized for their educational efforts and increased technical expertise. MTI courses offer Continuing Education Credits and Maintenance Points, as well as an opportunity to receive a Level One Safety and Health Certificate. There are two certificate tracks, General Industry and Construction. A certificate is awarded when a student attends four courses in general industry or seven courses in construction within three years.