InnerVoice is a real-time, in-process monitoring hardware and software platform for manufacturing quality assurance.

For more information, see our article Introducing InnerVoice.

In-process monitoring is the on-machine, real-time assessment of part and process quality based on the direct observation of the process physics and dynamics.

For more information, see our articles:

• What is In-Process Monitoring
• Creating an Inspect-for-Cause Approach to Manufacturing Quality Assurance through Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring

In-process monitoring, when properly implemented, can shift the present conformance and inspection mindset to a predictive approach that emphasizes fundamental process understanding. This new approach brings tangible and quantifiable benefits to manufacturing, including the following:

• Provides objective evidence that the process is consistently producing products complying with the predetermined design and development requirements.
• Characterizes the process based on what the part experienced and not just on machine tool knob settings.
• Enhances, complements, and extends the current manufacturing quality-assurance and quality-control paradigm by providing an in-process view of quality control.
• Offsets or replaces a manufacturer’s over-reliance on post-process, destructive and non-destructive testing.
• Reduces scrap and rework.
• Reduces the time to qualify a new piece of equipment or process.

In-process quality assurance is the in-process approach to manufacturing quality assurance that extends the traditional approach by including a verification stage and modifying the post-process inspection stage, thus resulting in the following activities: (1) control materials, (2) write specifications, (3) train operators, (4) maintain equipment, (5) set and control knob settings, (6) verify that the manufacturing process is repeatable by interrogating the real-time response, (7) reduce dependence on final inspection as the database of in-process signatures for “good” welds evolves and matures, and (8) perform metallurgical cutups only as necessary. 

For more information, see our article Eliminating the Blind Spot in a Traditional Approach to Manufacturing Quality Assurance.

InnerVoice is more than data collection. Furthermore, in-process monitoring is not simply machine monitoring. The correct functionality of the machine tool is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for getting an acceptable part. While feedback that the machine delivered the desired setpoint parameters is important, InnerVoice expands upon this by extracting the process dynamics that directly (or indirectly) impact the product's quality. InnerVoice accomplishes this with advanced signal processing, feature extraction techniques, and powerful pattern recognition tools. Finally, InnerVoice can incorporate additional sensors into its analysis when the machine data lacks the necessary fidelity.

For more information, see our articles:

• What is In-Process Monitoring

It depends on the customer's needs and the product's service requirements. For some manufacturers, InnerVoice provides an additional layer of product quality surveillance. This is particularly true for manufacturers of mission- or safety-critical components. For other manufacturers, InnerVoice can reduce the over-reliance on post-process destructive and non-destructive tests (NDT).  In particular, InnerVoice can help manufacturers create an "inspect-for-cause" quality assurance methodology, where only "suspect" components are inspected further by trained personnel.

For more information, see our articles:

• What is In-Process Monitoring
• Creating an Inspect-for-Cause Approach to Manufacturing Quality Assurance through Real-Time, In-Process Monitoring

InnerVoice was designed from the ground up to be a pluggable architecture. This design approach allows for a "process-agnostic" framework where one or more plug-ins provide a customized feature set that is specifically tailored to the customer's data, process, machine interface, and reporting needs. Essentially, there are two requirements: (1) the manufacturing process must be capable of instrumentation and (2) the measurements must capture process dynamics that are relevant to the process health and product quality. We are constantly expanding our process capabilities. Contact us for more information.

Yes! In addition to selling InnerVoice, we also offer data collection and data analysis services. We have worked with some of the largest and most reputable job shops, machine tool manufacturers, and process development companies in the world. Our clients receive an independent and unbiased third-party analysis of the weld development effort using the same advanced visualization and analysis tools that we build into InnerVoice. Please contact us to learn more about how we can help with your next process development effort.

For an example of what we can do, see our article on Exploratory Data Analysis of Resistance Spot Welding for Small Lot Manufacturing.

No. InnerVoice collects, analyzes, and stores your manufacturing process data at the edge. This protects your data and ensures that your intellectual property never leaves the manufacturing plant floor.

Absolutely. InnerVoice can interface with both new and old machine tools to provide actionable part quality feedback.