​Artificial intelligence is being implemented within nearly every aspect of our lives and is slowly changing the face of manufacturing. We only need to look at Industry 4.0 to see its vital part within a manufacturer’s roadmap. Technological advancement is a prime candidate to optimise manufacturing processes, automate complex tasks and identify unknown patterns in workflows.
 
The manufacturing industry is leveraging this game-changing technology with a 60% adoption rate in 2020 (using in at least one business function). This means manufacturers are starting to realise the huge potential of utilising AI to increase their commercial advantage.
 
What is Holding Manufacturers Back?
 
AI is revolutionising almost all sectors, giving empowerment to companies across the globe to gain immense value from their data. Utilising AI can help manufacturers increase operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and deliver high-quality products. If this sophisticated technology is the epitome of Industry 4.0, why is the install rate relatively small?
 
Outdated Technological Infrastructure
 
Manufacturers often use a wide variety of machines, tools and systems that use different and competing technologies. Some of these may be outdated and not compatible with their other technological infrastructure. This combined with a lack of digitalisation is preventing manufacturers from capitalising on the potential.
 
Confidence, Uncertainty and Trust
 
A significant barrier to AI adoption is the trust and confidence in the capabilities of abstract algorithms. Personnel within manufacturing who don’t hold a data science background struggle to validate how predictive modelling and data science work together.
 
JetSoft’s Use of AI in Manufacturing
 
JetSoft employs AI techniques to automatically analyse inspection and manufacturing data, to detect anomalies in product output and associate them with the upstream processes that created them. Manufacturers gain deep insights to understand the correlations in inspection failures and deploy targeted process improvements, to reduce the likelihood of that anomaly occurring again.
 
Our OverSeer solution automatically manages inspection data and techniques from different sources. OverSeer reads and places the data automatically into a central database to perform thorough assessments. Data from new inspections can be tracked as it passes through each module that has an output. Working on legacy formats means our cutting-edge AI technology is able to analyse historic data from manufacturers to instantly spot anomalies and defects.
 
 
JetSoft deploys AI technology into a customer's site, which analyses images and inspection data to automatically detect anomalies and patterns within the data. The AI functionality pinpoints which processes have created the specific anomaly without having to stop the entire production to detect and fix the problem. Manufacturing personnel are then able to analyse the anomaly against a defect specification to gain a deeper insight into if the anomaly has become a defect.
 
Benefits of AI in Manufacturing
 
The applications of using AI are widespread and revolutionising, offering actionable insights into reducing waste and scrap. So, what are the overall benefits of using AI in manufacturing?
 
Predictive Analytics for Increased Production Output
 
AI systems are able to learn from machine learning algorithms and make use of predictive analytics. The manufacturing industry holds a large volume of data, which predictive analytics is powered from. Manufacturers can easily pinpoint anomalies without disrupting the production process.
 
Improved Process Quality
 
AI technology creates an efficient production process, resulting in higher product quality. The software ensures that products going through the inspection stage don’t just meet quality standards but are of higher quality and closer to nominal. 
 
Reduction of Scrap and Waste
 
Early detection of anomalies using AI techniques allows manufacturers to make quick industry-related decisions that won’t further impact production and create more waste. Reducing waste and scrap has a direct correlation with profit generation and the bottom line. When high-quality products are always created, manufacturers are maximising their output without having to scrap any materials. Utilising assets more effectively creates a reduction in the variable cost of each component, meaning lower prices can be introduced to become more competitive. Minimising component costs ultimately creates a more profitable company.
 
Implementing our solutions has allowed established clients to benefit from huge commercial gains. One JetSoft customer who using our solutions has reduced their scrap rates by over 60%, resulting in savings in excess of $2m a year.
 
AI solutions allow manufacturers to utilise their assets more effectively and take advantage of commercial gains. If you want to know more about how JetSoft can help you, get in touch.

Production loops can surface within any manufacturing sector, from pharmaceuticals to aerospace. The costs and implications of production loops can be detrimental to a business, meaning it is vital to acquire a stringent testing process to identify errors and meet those output expectations.

 
Production Loops   
 
In manufacturing, production loops generally materialise because of an error or an unknown, resulting in a good or component having to be remade or reworked. As high investments are spent in design, production and delivering a product, all components must match the specification, even the smallest defect or error could have damaging effects. Errors can happen due to defective equipment or material issues. For example, a batch of materials may unknowingly be of lower quality and therefore too weak for its intended purpose, leading to sub-standard products.

 
Production Errors
 
Production loops cost manufacturers unnecessary expense, the time spent re-manufacturing or fixing a product or component leads to additional costs and delayed output.
 
Remaking a component essentially doubles the cost and time to dispatch and delays other goods that were planned to be on the production line at that time. Brand reputation, customer relationships and trust are paramount to profit and growth. Delays to customers receiving their goods can drastically impact brand reputation and, in some circumstances, could even lead to clients going elsewhere.
 
Alongside this, defective products arising creates excessive consumption of materials and energy, significantly affecting profitability. These losses not only impact performance and production costs but also directly increase the carbon footprint with the additional CO2 emissions that are released.
 
 
Identifying the Root Cause
 
JetSoft’s solutions create visibility over the production line, which enables manufacturers to operate more reliable production and mitigate production loops. By centralising inspection data alongside vital production data, our OverSeer framework can derive further intelligence on your operations manufacturing process.
 
To receive detailed inspection data, our solution DigiOps allows manufacturers to digitise the inspection process, collating all the data formats into the OverSeer platform, where it will be combined with the array of production data you have available. Our specialised machine learning algorithms will analyse all the data inputted, in order to spot anomalies to identify common problems occurring.
 
  1. Reduce Extra Production Costs 
As an example, our solution may find that products going through equipment are experiencing higher inspection failure rates than those on other lines, indicating a problem with the equipment. Our solutions can help you identify exactly where a defect is originating by integrating inspection alongside other manufacturing data, so that maintenance of equipment can quickly take place to prevent another component facing the same failure and therefore the associated costs in re-make.
 
  2. Minimise Delayed Output 
Digitising paper-based processes through our solutions helps you to gain end-to-end visibility of all inspection data, to make quick and informative decisions. If a material defect rate is higher from a certain supplier, alternative materials may be sourced to ensure fewer defects and thereby fewer delays.
 
  3. Reach Net-Zero 
JetSoft can help you meet those looming carbon emission targets. Gain complete control and traceability over your inspection and manufacturing data, to identify the root cause of any production-related complications before they become a production nightmare. OverSeer can help you drive sustainability, by increasing quality control, spotting defects earlier on and where from, minimising the chance of a production loop. Fewer production loops mean the associated energy required is taken out of the equation and so are the carbon emissions.
 
  4. Meet Customer Expectations 
OverSeer curates an in-depth data process through our user-friendly analytics dashboard, allowing you to input all formats of data, from complex 3D images to the simplest of forms. Our solution can cross-compare real-time and historic data, to monitor trends and help you gain in-depth insight to produce high-quality products. Minimising production loops is integral to reaching quality controls to exceed customer expectations and stay ahead of competition.

 
A Framework for Success
 
Implementing a digital framework is critical to driving efficiency in your production line and paramount to reducing production loops.
 
By deploying JetSoft’s solutions, you are able to identify defects to improve future production processes, increasing your output and decreasing waste. High-quality and reliable output will create major opportunities to gain a competitive advantage in the manufacturing landscape, get in touch to find out more.

The manufacturing sector is in the midst of a digital revolution, embracing the likes of IoT, robotics and AI, so why is it that so many paper-based processes remain? According to a recent study, roughly 62% of manufacturers still utilise some form of paper-based system, yet those same respondents were aware that is where the greatest productivity improvement could be derived. Enter digitisation.
 
 
Shifting to digitised processes
 
Whilst many manufacturers haven’t dropped their pen and paper just yet, more and more manufacturers are considering digitising their processes to transition to the digital age effectively.
 
The past couple of years have only amplified this, with proportions of the workforce working remotely, there was a greater need for employees to be able to access relevant information remotely and with paper records, this just isn’t possible. Digitising paper processes is the first step on the digital road, there is no point in having a manufacturing facility with IoT sensors connected to assets to conduct predictive maintenance if that same maintenance procedure is being documented on paper. You have to digitise before you digitalise.
 

The potential of digitising
 
The manufacturing sector is evolving and paper-based processes are holding manufacturers back from their true productivity potential. So, what exactly can be gained from digitising these processes?
 
1. Time 
If we take inspections as an example, a record of every inspection has to be collected, however filling in paper-based forms is an arduous task and often leads to a lot of unnecessary repeats and the information sometimes has to be manually inputted into a central system. Digitising this process means inspections can be logged digitally and automatically stored in a central location. Also, pre-generated forms can be developed with certain aspects automatically filled-in to reduce unnecessary repetitions. IDC research states the manufacturers could gain a 50% increase in productivity by going paperless.
 
 
2. Minimising Errors 
Everybody makes mistakes, we’re human at the end of the day. However, paper-based systems only increase the probability of mistakes appearing in records. It gives way to incorrect entries or inconsistent records, leading to a lack of data integrity. The ability to replicate forms means less data entry is required, and less chance of an incorrect data entry.  
 
3. Actioning Data 
As paper-based systems are more time intensive, the route to action is longer. For example, when workers are registering deviations or maintenance issues these are done so on paper, which then must be manually inputted and flagged with relevant members via email or in-person, which could be days later. Whereas a digital platform can instantly highlight any recorded deviations on a shared interactive dashboard, so issues are resolved faster.
 
4. Sourcing Data 
Due to the compliance nature of the manufacturing industry, records are constantly being kept throughout the production processes but once they are done, they are simply stored away and never seen again until an audit, where there’s often a scramble to source critical information. Digitising these documents will mean each record, in various formats can be stored in one location, where it will be accessible for other applicable colleagues. Utilising software means the required information is easier to source through filters and refined searches, reaching records in a few simple clicks. Valuable data is now made accessible.
 
5. Conduct Analysis 
Not only is filling in paper documentation time-consuming, it also loses any opportunity to derive value from the results and data is the new oil! Documents are being filled in purely from a compliance perspective, whereas digitising could allow the stored data to be analysed to give greater insight into operational performance. Data becomes more centralised when the processes are digitised, meaning production, inspection and financial data could be stored in one central location. And when utilising a digital platform that incorporates business intelligence the data can be analysed to detect trends and patterns that can drive more valuable decisions and continuous improvement. For example, the analysis may show that one particular component is failing inspections at a higher rate, which could indicate a design flaw or a problem on the production line.
 
6. Sustainability  
Many manufacturers have set sustainability agendas for their businesses to reduce their environmental impact and printing thousands of sheets of paper won’t help achieve a carbon neutral goal. In addition, the potential for analysis means failed inspections and wastage figures can be analysed and detect areas for concern, so that production waste can be limited in the future.
 
Digitisation is the next step for manufacturers, the move can deliver end-to-end data visibility for continuous improvement and elevated quality control.
 
 
Introducing DigiOps
 
As much as the benefits of digitising processes are clear to see, transitioning to an electronic format is no small feat. Our DigiOps solution is designed to replicate and replace paper and spreadsheet systems, with smooth integration in mind and tailored to your specific needs.
 
Built on our OverSeer framework, DigiOps has the capacity to create digital replicas of your paper forms and the ability to create and revise form templates to be distributed to shop floor team members. These forms from then can be completed digitally from several devices and be shareable with other colleagues. DigiOps comes with business intelligence built in, so data is easily viewable via interactive visualisations and simple filtering systems, and data analysis to develop key insight, delivering actionable information.
 
 
Futureproof your data management with DigiOps. Speak to our experts to find out more.  

​It has been a long time since our last blog post. Rather than indicating a lack of activity, the opposite is true. 2021 has been an incredibly busy year for JetSoft, balancing a record turnover with some impressive product development and innovation.
 
[Announcement]
We’ll shortly be launching two new products to the JetSoft suite of applications.

1. CoPlot: A desktop application that improves data capture and traceability for inspection, enabling companies to continue to use existing methods and equipment while generating 3D inspection datasets.
2. DigiOps: A flexible solution that enables companies to digitise operations, empowering them to create and manage tasks, collate data across many formats, monitor progress and output documents. This is deployed on premise for maximum security.

​[Developed with industry]
These applications have been developed in conjunction with Babcock, in conjunction with of the Made Smarter technology accelerator programme.

This programme, which is run by Digital Catapult, brings together manufacturers (Babcock International) and innovation companies (JetSoft) to enable advanced technology to tackle industry identified challenges.

What is great about this programme is that developments are crafted with the direct input of an industry partner, a company who has a clear and defined problem and a strong motivation for developments to succeed. This coupled with access to Digital Catapult’s knowledge and skills, creates a rich dynamic environment for fast agile developments. This supplies clear benefits for all parties, Babcock’s problem is resolved, JetSoft’s products and range expands, and value is generated for UK businesses.
 
[The Challenge]
Early in 2021 Babcock International set the challenge: improve the quality of inspection data collected while improving operational efficiency. The Warrior land vehicle maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility was the testbed and the key objectives were:
​

• 3D measurements and NDT to be collated and assessed as one, with the data available to assure hull integrity and suitability for overhaul
• Visualise and track information digitally so that this process will no longer be conducted through a combination of standalone laptops and manual data. A solution that improves capacity to recall and compare information and records, as well as traceability and time reduction

​The challenge resonated with us for several reasons:

• This is what we specialise in, software solutions for improving the capture, management, and utilisation of inspection data
• We have the relevant skillsets and can leverage some of our existing applications to solve the challenges presented
• Solutions to solve these problems were on our development roadmap and we have already identified a clear and strong commercial demand

 
[The solution]
After reviewing the challenge documentation, we concluded that this was in fact two distinct challenges to be solved with two different approaches.

​The first challenge aimed to improve the data collected at the point of inspection. For this we designed a desktop application that would connect to different pieces of equipment, gather inspection and positional data and fuse together. We have called this solution CoPlot.

​The second challenge focused on data management. This is where we were able to leverage our existing applications.  OverSeer, EyeView and NDT Office already have a large proportion of the capabilities required, however Babcock had demands that exceeded this functionality. To enable us to meet these demands we have overhauled NDT Office and developed an exceptionally powerful software application that enables users to digitise their operations. We’re calling this software DigiOps.

​We are extremely proud of what we have developed, which we will be officially launching shortly. 2022 looks set to be an exciting year as we look forward to the next stage on JetSoft’s future

If you have an immediate need or would just like more information, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Wishing all our friends, colleagues a happy and healthy 2022

​The JetSoft team

​This month (August 2020) marks the second anniversary of our first AI, Automatic Defect Recognition (ADR) system being installed in a production environment.
​
To date we haven’t promoted our ADR system publicly, deciding to concentrate on working with select companies and individuals to fully develop it. However it has formed a natural addition to OverSeer’s framework. OverSeer collects inspection data and performs validation and calculations upon it, notifying stakeholders of results and storing data for further analysis. ADR is just another calculation.

​
This flagship installation at an aerospace metal production facility was installed in August 2018 and utilises many of JetSoft’s software features. We are gathering positive feedback from the site about the quality and productivity benefits it is delivering, including:
​

• Automatic defect and characteristic recognition
• Combining factory wide data with inspection information
• Driving process change
• Generating new insight and enabling predictive maintenance
• Reducing the requirements on downstream processes

In a series of upcoming posts, I will discuss these areas in more detail to explain how our processes deliver these benefits, starting with an insight into our ADR software.
 

A note on ADR
Firstly, this article uses the term ADR, which is an industrial term to mean the automatic detection of a problem within a component. ADR isn’t clearly defined yet within the industry, as explained in the previous post ADR - what’s expected? 

​The installation discussed in this article is an Automatic Indication Detection (AID) system, where inspections are still signed off by a qualified human operator.
 

How it works
JetSoft’s core mission is to provide systems that automatically aggregate and catalogue inspection data into a single database. We understand inspection data, and we gather it into a convenient format to take advantage of it. Our solutions combine quality control information with data from other manufacturing systems. These include details about the processing conditions that the part has gone through, details of the component structure and the customer specifications. Combining this information, and making it available for all, has the huge benefit of keeping quality at the forefront of everyone’s mind. I will talk about this in more detail in a future article.

This collated data is passed through an extensible list of models which are trained to look for particular faults or certain characteristics. Each model outputs a confidence level based on the likelihood that the inspection contains a positive match. Any disagreement between the system and inspector is highlighted to the responsible level 3 or automatically sent for a second opinion. This drastically minimises the potential for misdiagnosis. Additionally, the output of these models is stored in the system and is made available for analysis. 

​ 
Thresholding of output confidence enables the user to select the desired level of Probability of Detection (POD).

Model training is in depth and employs a hybrid approach using a combination of pre-processing, AI machine learning techniques using historic data and deterministic algorithms.

One of the key advantages of this system is its ability to subcategorise defects. For example, this system can differentiate between a lamination crack caused by rolling and a quench crack caused by heat treatment. Detecting this distinction is non-trivial for a human inspector, requiring further analysis

​Similar defects which are caused by different process may look very similar to inspectors, but it is important to differentiate them to target improvements towards the appropriate processes. For inspectors to make this distinction may require additional training and further analysis, whereas the systematic solution is automatic, quick and consistent.

​I mentioned earlier that the system can be configured to identify any characteristics, not just defects. This is important as there are many things we may want to observe and track that could indicate future problems which in time could lead to defects, or just a general reduction in quality. The time and cost investment of training inspectors to manually identify such trends or patterns would not be justified, however by recognising these warning signs early, there is time for mitigating action to be taken to reduce scrap rates in the long run.

 
Key benefits summary
An independent assessment – this system provides an independent assessment alongside the inspector. If there is any difference between the system and the inspector, the responsible level 3 can be alerted or it can be automatically sent for a second opinion. This improves quality and reduces the chance of mistakes or misdiagnosis, without increasing operating costs.

Sub categorisation of defects – this is the big commercial driver behind the software. It is the application of this feature that has seen scrap rates plummet. An inspector’s job is not necessarily to interpret the cause of a defect, but to highlight its existence. By training models to examine for defects with a known cause, we can target our time and efforts on improving process where we will see the most commercial benefit. This creates a feedback loop of high-quality, useful, data from inspection to all other departments.
 
Next time
Quality should be everyone’s responsibility, but this is only achievable if everyone has a clear vision of quality, and their impact upon it. JetSoft is providing the tools that deliver real time statistics which demonstrate and communicate quality to all.

​Next time we’ll look in more detail at how we’re achieving this and how JetSoft’s is helping everyone to take ownership of quality.
 

​​Automatic Defect Recognition (ADR) is a term that is gaining traction within the NDT world. However, neither ADR or the functions such a system should deliver are clearly defined.

​At JetSoft we prefer to split ADR into two stages, using the terminology Automatic Indication Detection (AID) and Automatic Part Sentencing (APS).
 
The problem with ADR
The scope of ADR isn’t clear. It seems, depending upon your source, ADR can range from a system which highlights abnormalities to an inspector, to one which can perform full sentencing (go/no go), eliminating the need for an inspector at all. In practice, most end users anticipate a solution resembling the latter, but this may not be true of the products promoted by equipment vendors.
 
AID and APS
At JetSoft we don’t use the term ADR, due to the lack of clarity on what this means, instead we use the terms:

• Automatic Indication Detection (AID)
• Automatic Part Sentencing (APS)

Defect detection is a two step process. The first step is the discovery of an indication or discontinuity, the second step is evaluating that indication against a specification to determine whether it is a defect. ADR may (or may not – depending upon who you talk to) be considered to be the automation of this two-step process. However, in JetSoft’s experience each stage can be automated separately, indeed it would be difficult not to.

JetSoft refers to the automation of the first step as Automatic Indication Detection (AID) with the results highlighted to an inspector or used as an independent assessment and compared with the manual outcome.
​
The second step, qualifying the indications against defect specifications, JetSoft calls Automatic Part Sentencing (APS). Because once a system is confidently automatically qualifying defects it must logically be able to decide if the part passes or failed.

​Is ADR overhyped?
News about ADR (go/no go) using deep learning and machine vision is rife and in my view racing towards the peak of inflated expectations on the Hype Cycle. 

The Hype Cycle, developed by the technology firm Gartner, details the phases a new technology goes through to reach maturity and widespread adoption. 

The scale of the peak and trough of this graph is exacerbated by the lack of clear definition of ADR. It is not difficult to imagine a situation where customers and suppliers differ on the expected functionality, resulting in a negative view of ADR and its possibilities.

However, ADR will happen. There is a large commercial appetite to reduce the cost of inspection and new advances in computation technologies prove that it is possible technically. But it may take a while to get there and require more investment (time and money) by users than anticipated. The market should be prepared not to expect a single turnkey algorithm that performs ADR on any component for any defect, but, should rather, anticipate solutions that require dedicated configuration, development and training based on what the users is looking for and the component/material type.

We hear a lot about the benefits involved with ADR, but perhaps less so of the realism of implementing and delivering them.
 
What to expect
JetSoft is amongst several companies utilising these new technologies, with working systems, using deep learning and machine learning techniques in place in production environments.
​ 
It is JetSoft’s experience that performing accurate automatic detection of defects takes dedicated time, development, and extensive testing. Furthermore, for an AID system to be effective, additional information beyond inspection data is required. Including component details and upstream process data, both of which are critical.

​It is important to note that in every case the preceding step to achieving an APS must be a fully working, and empirically proven AID system.
 
Contact us
As always, we would love to hear your thoughts on this, and if you have any questions, or would like to know more about what we do and the systems we have developed please get in contact.

​It is with great pride that we are officially launching our NDT Office software package, a solution dedicated to helping NDT departments manage their vast amounts of documentation and paperwork.

Background
For several years now, Jetsoft’s solutions have been helping companies to capture, manage and utilise their testing data, and to aggregate it across many formats and techniques, improving accessibility, efficiency, and communication.

From here, we spotted an opportunity to add value by transforming the way NDT departments manage their documents. Documentation is the lifeblood of NDT departments and underpins the operation and day to day activity of all personnel. Inspection results are inextricably linked to the documentation which drives the processes, including customer specifications, work instructions, equipment calibration and inspector certification and qualifications.

The problem
Most NDT departments are poorly setup to manage their documents, using unsuitable products such as the Microsoft Office suite, PDFs and in many cases, still using paper records.

My statement that Microsoft Office is unsuitable my surprise some of you, but Word, Excel etc, are not designed for our dynamic needs. They are great for single, standalone documents but are missing a lot of functionality that testing departments require. NDT documents are living, breathing records with dependencies, cascading impacts, and multiple relationships.  Some simple examples of missing functionality include:

• Expiration alerts. Many documents have an expiration date, and Microsoft Office has no way to specify an expiry date and to send alerts as that date approaches.
• Traceability and versioning. Process and specification documents are often updated and revised. Accurate version control is imperative in understanding which documents were in use when. Microsoft tools are inadequate for this.
• Data lookups. Completion of an inspection report requires the inspector to provide details on the equipment used and which specifications were followed. The designer of the template is left with the choice of a free text box which is versatile but lacks any validation, or an inbuilt dropdown box that rapidly goes out of date.

NDT departments implement workarounds for these inadequacies, which adds considerable time to the management process, for example maintaining separate excel sheets or constantly updating report templates. These workarounds not only add significant time overhead, but are not scalable in a business looking to grow the NDT department, operate more machines, test more components and take on more customers (and so specifications). In this scenario, management by a single Excel spreadsheet will very quickly become problematic.

​The Solution
JetSoft is a software company dedicated to developing solutions for NDT. We are ideally placed to both understand the needs of NDT departments and prescribe the best approach to solve them. We put our heads together, engaged with both existing and new clients, and have designed and developed NDT Office. This application fits neatly into our existing framework and expands our capabilities from managing resultant inspection data to integrating the surrounding documentation.

OverSeer and NDT Office are centralised solutions, which store data and documents in one accessible place, and can be created by all colleagues who are granted access by the administrator. JetSoft solutions use cloud technologies, so can be accessed from any networked device without the need to install software. Note, it’s important to point out that while the solution is built using cloud technologies, individual instances can be installed on premises, meaning all data and access is via the internal network only and no data or connection is exposed externally.

NDT Office is an incredibly versatile solution containing a vast number of useful features including:

• A complete and flexible toolkit to create forms and documents, with in built traceability
• Configurable expiry dates and alerts via email as expiration approaches
• Configurable validation to minimise input errors and eliminate missing data
• Create wrappers for multiple files, e.g. an inspection report of a component may be a collection of tests, combined with other related documentation to form a single entity
• Automatically restrict access to create inspection reports based on existence of other documents. For example, it is possible to prevent an operator from creating an inspection report if they don’t have valid credentials.

• Create and manage lookups so that options within forms are always up to date. As this is centrally administered, lookup options are managed and instantly applied to forms. When a new item of equipment comes online, with NDT Office, it can easily be added to the list of active equipment from which the operator can select when completing a report.

NDT office is built on top of the OverSeer framework and so benefits from its existing functionality including comprehensive search tools and business intelligence features.

These features are helping companies to reduce the time demands on key personnel, to reduce risk, become more efficient and put them in a position to scale and grow.

Use Cases
NDT office has already been installed and is in use at several locations. Our clients range from large manufacturers using NDT Office to manage data entry and non-conformance reporting, to test houses exposing the NDT Office interface to field engineers to recall previous inspection results and enter new reports, all of which are immediately accessible to head office.

​I’ll be writing some case studies in the coming months.

We’re offering free Cloud instances of OverSeer and EyeView to help people to work from home.

JetSoft has instigated a work from home policy following the latest UK government recommendations. This advice is designed to stem the spread of the Covid-19 virus to keep infection levels within the capacity of the heath service (to squash the sombrero [curve] as The UK Prime minister put it).
 
It is our collective duty to do what we can during these unprecedented and frankly bizarre times. Whilst it is easy for us to implement home working (we’re a software company, all we need is a laptop and access to caffeinated drinks) this is not true of most people, including in the NDT world. The added pressure of school closures is compounding the problem, and some individuals will be forced to stay home. This got us thinking, is there any way we can help?
 
A major feature of JetSoft’s solutions is a centralized repository for all NDT information, providing access from any device and location. Our software is built using Cloud and web technologies and data is accessed and viewed from a web browser, therefore our tools can be used from any computer. While many NDT tasks require you to be close to the point of inspection, others such as analysis and report writing can be undertaken remotely.
 
We’re offering to setup free instances of our software hosted in the Cloud. Data can be uploaded from the factory and then will be available via a secure portal, for viewing and analysis from any location, plus you’d get access to all the other great tools we have.
 
Designed to be technique and format agnostic, OverSeer accepts and understands lots of different data including:
   Caldata
   .csv
   Matec
   Midas
   Mistras
   DICONDE
   .pdf
   ScanMaster
   Testia
   Tiff
   USL
   .xlsx
 
For a full list, please get in contact.
 
Note: Cloud technologies are not for everyone so we can also setup an on-premises instance, hosted on your company network, which means data doesn’t leave your environment and will be available from home if you’re able to VPN into your network.

What is DICONDE?
JetSoft is a proponent of the ASTM proposed Digital Imaging and Communication in Non Destructive Evaluation (DICONDE) standard. DICONDE provides a detailed common format for the way Non-Destructive evaluation data is stored and communicated.

“DICONDE is an evolving standard that provides a way for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) manufacturers and users to share image data.”
“The DICONDE standard encompasses all NDE specific imaging methods and technologies, such as infrared thermography, ultrasound, computed radiography, computed tomography, eddy current, and acoustic emission”
https://www.astm.org/SNEWS/OCTOBER_2003/voelker_oct03.html

DICONDE is based on the extremely comprehensive and ubiquitously used medical DICOM standard, which has been in use since the 1980s.
 
Why is it important?
DICONDE is important and useful for several key reasons including:

• Interoperability
  DICONDE allows different items of equipment to talk to each other, DICONDE removes the need to have duplicate equipment (and knowledge to operate and maintain that equipment) for all the different formats and technologies that you may currently operator.
• Legacy
  In aerospace, inspection records must be kept for up to 30 years, which means that equipment and methods for opening those inspection records must be maintained for the same period. This can be a major concern if a supplier stops trading or supporting a data format, because DICONDE is an open standard, this concern is removed.
• Data flow
  DICONDE allows the free flow of data to key partners, with the ability to open and view the data without need for common software.
• Key supplier reliance
  DICONDE removes reliance on key suppliers, the data produced and the software to evaluate that data can be easily sourced. 

 
How does OverSeer use DICONDE?
JetSoft’s OverSeer software is a DICONDE Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) which accepts and outputs both DICONDE files and communication streams. OverSeer acts as a hub for all NDT data and allows this data to flow seamless around the digitally connected manufacturing environment.
 
A final warning
A key component of DICONDE is its private tags which allow vendors to encode data within the file but outside of the standard. The intention of this is to give flexibility, but it can be abused and can effectively break the standard, remove any benefit and bring back the reliance on that vendor. When working with any partner that claims to support DICONDE ask for their private dictionary, which details all the private tags they use. JetSoft will happily give a copy of their private dictionary on request, and be extremely wary of anyone who will not.

I’m immensely proud to say I work in NDT. It is an industry which extraordinarily manages to maintain a community feel whilst operating worldwide, across multiple industries and technologies. It is flexible and embraces innovation, yet maintains strict standards and it is a safe space where ideas are met with respect and support. It is a joy to work in.  

These fantastic qualities and innovative nature are in large due to the makeup of the companies that provide NDT resources. Anyone that has attended the myriad of exhibitions or read any of the industry press will know that there are endless companies, offering bespoke services and pioneering solutions. It is extremely competitive, and these companies can only survive by being innovative and creative; providing solutions to make inspection, easier, faster or more effective.

This link between competition and innovation was highlighted by Edward de Bono (creator of the widely praised lateral thinker technique).
 “As competition intensifies, the need for creative thinking increases. It is no longer enough to do the same thing better . . . no longer enough to be efficient and solve problems.”
 

The current state of NDT should be revered and every effort should be made to maintain it. However, a threat looms large. I wrote previously about how NDT is about to become even more important, which looked at the value of the data produced by NDT and how it is set to revolutionise manufacturing. The disruption caused by this revolution is set to disturb the balance and potentially upset the innovative culture we currently enjoy.

The larger equipment manufacturers, most notably GE have been using their vast resources to invest incredibly heavily in developing solutions to facilitate data integration. This investment is on such a large scale that most of their competitors cannot compete. This vertical integration of data and equipment has the potential for them to monopolise the market or at the very least dictate terms to the smaller more innovative specialist companies.


JetSoft is an independent company that links NDT resources with manufacturing processing systems. We partner with equipment manufacturers to help them in various ways, including:

• providing solutions for integrating data which adds value to products
• additional revenue streams through reseller opportunities
  
• allowing partners to focus on innovation and specialising in NDT
• increasing awareness by advertising that our partners are preferred suppliers

JetSoft’s core skill sets lie in NDT data and software development, we’re passionate about the potential of NDT whilst maintaining the innovative and specialist nature which is so important in the industry.

JetSoft works collaboratively to ensure that our solution fits your individual and specific circumstances. So, if you’re the producer or owner of NDT data please get in contact to see how we can help you integrate your NDT information.  We look forward to working with you in the future.

JetSoft was founded to help businesses fully exploit the potential of their NDT resource. This data is often under utilised and therefore the benefits it can deliver are not realised. JetSoft are taking advantage of over 10 years experience in the NDT world, to deliver bespoke, flexible, value added solutions to drive operational efficiencies in the manufacturing environment.

As part of JetSoft's ambition to drive NDT solutions forward, we have been collaborating with NewGen NDT to deliver their latest product, NxtGen. NxtGen is a penetrant process management system which addresses every aspect of the production environment to maximise the full NDT potential. It is a fully integrated system, which monitors the NDT process, notifies the appropriate personnel of any non compliance issues, and produces automated reports to review the process and also fulfil regulatory audit requirements. This delivers a whole range of information which was previously unavailable, such as pass/fail statistics, out of tolerance information and adherence to production SLAs. As the system is fully remote, the information is readily available to all employees, allowing quick reaction times to issues in the production system.

The system will be on display in Munich at the 19th World Conference on NDT. Please come along to view it for yourself, and please do get in touch with any ideas/problems you may have relating to NDT. JetSoft is always looking for exciting and challenging new projects!