Quality is the ongoing process of building and sustaining relationships by assessing, anticipating, and fulfilling stated and implied needs. This definition goes beyond creating a durable product that can work in multiple applications. When we talk about quality it is measured by the ongoing process of improving, testing, and anticipating the needs of our users. That is what we do at the Anybus Quality lab.
The Anybus Quality lab was built with four things in mind, Design, Testing, Usability, and Quality of our products. In this facility located inside of the HMS Networks headquarters, Anybus products are tested to ensure that they meet industrial classifications and our customer’s needs. Other companies might achieve matching compliance levels, but we go beyond this. Having a testing lab during the design process allows quick turnaround, testing for customer requests, and more product updates. The tests are not just done when the product is being prepared for a release but throughout the designing process.
“If we find anything wrong, we fix it, and test it again,” says Erik Gredvall, Anybus Hardware Manager. “I think that the benefit to having this lab is to understand our product. We can test the filtering, the protection, and how to install it. That's a very important thing to know, for example, do we need to have shielded cables, or does it withstand the test without shielding cables. That's the thing that we're testing here.”
The designing process is the first step in the process. During this time the engineers are doing small markups with the design and testing throughout. The designers have the ability and access in the lab to the equipment needed for testing such as voltage shocks, temperature controls, and signal disturbances. Each designer has a list of testing guidelines they adhere to before any product is launched. This was created from years of experience understanding customers’ needs and applications. An example would be in a machine start-up, as the voltage changes up or down the equipment needed to withstand it. It’s not a standard that is required for certification, but what the product needs to be able to do for the customer. Beyond the qualification for standards, we know how our products are used and test for that.
Having a full library of products from over thirty years, designers can access how to improve or replace machinery for modern needs. This knowledge in-house is extremely valuable, as is the expertise and experience we get from the suppliers who work with us. We work with our suppliers to find the right components that can withstand an industrial space. An example is if a product needs to have a DC supply voltage on a specific area, we would design that together with the supplier for the DC components, and then go into the lab, test it and see if it's working. This process saves a lot of time and allows more ideas to be experimented with.
Common challenges for an electronic device in the industry would be Interference, surging, cable disturbance, and radiation disturbances. Hardware tests are meant to test conditions on the hardware of the product as software is running. The goal is for the product to continuously run when we have completed the test. An example of a test could be high voltage from a shocking device; we test how the hardware can handle several thousands of volts when a charge is released. The charge will be coupled to the metal base, it will be discharged onto that. This test displays how well the product does when near other devices with charges. All these tests are important before products go into the field.
At Anybus, we keep a record of any returns/broken products and test the conditions that caused these errors. With over 7,000,000 products successfully delivered, Anybus has been a source of quality products for years with a guarantee to resolve defects in material, design, or manufacture free of charge. Our ten years of warranty is our guarantee. Having years of experience and testing we can use that knowledge to make even better versions. That is what helps Anybus have a strong reputation and few returns. Building products with high MTBF (mean time between failures) from continuously advancing them. Products you can trust in because we have been testing them continuously.
One of the greatest strives Anybus makes is to ensure our reputation for delivering robust products that work. Our philosophy for high-quality hardware is through balance. Starting with the CEs levels at the industrial level and pushing for A classifications. This level of classification is the highest and is determined by whether the product continuously runs even after being affected by outside factors such as surges or changing temperatures. From there we focus on the value of the product and its uses. This way our products are compliant and effective. Our long experience has made us become experts in the operational conditions for electronic devices in industrial environments, which means that we can focus on designing the ideal hardware for these types of applications and focus on ensuring it can withstand the right level of disturbance.
Additionally, by being involved in the designing process with customers, we can test and improve in-house to create custom solutions for their applications. We can do this by changing the components and testing to these levels. We also actively seek feedback from customers who have products in the field. By having a strong relationship with customers and helping them with these applications our design and technical support teams can anticipate the needs of our users.