Practice

Acoustic test technology in practice.

How industrial customers deploy SonicTC – with measurable results. Real parts, lines and industries.

SonicTC.NVH

EOL noise testing on high-voltage e-drives

Challenge: Tier-1 supplier with 240,000 e-drives per year had pseudo-rejects up to 6.3 % – customers reported comfort noises the EOL bench did not detect.

Solution: SonicTC.NVH integrated into existing bench. Order tracking, psychoacoustic KPIs and AI classifier. Hardware: existing B&K microphones reused.

Result: Pseudo-rejects reduced from 6.3 % to 0.8 %. Slip rate < 0.1 %. Customer claims halved. ROI in 7 months.

−87 %Pseudo-rejects

< 0,9 sTest time

7 Mon.Payback

SonicTC.AT

Crack detection on cast iron brake discs (100 % inline)

Challenge: Production line 1,200 brake discs/hour. Previously sampling + visual inspection. Required detection threshold: micro-cracks from 0.3 mm.

Solution: SonicTC.AT with contactless hammer excitation and microphone array. Resonance analysis with FRF comparison to master. Fully integrated into conveyor.

Result: 100 % inline testing instead of sampling. Detection rate 99.7 %. Pseudo-rejects 0.4 %. Test time 0.7 s per part.

99,7 %Detection

0,7 sTest time

100 %Inline

SonicTC.DSP

Early tool break detection on CNC machining centers

Challenge: Each tool break caused 4.2 hours of downtime plus consequential damage to workpieces. Sensors in place, but no intelligent evaluation.

Solution: SonicTC.DSP retrofitted onto existing accelerometers. Adaptive thresholds per machining operation. PROFINET connection to PLC.

Result: Early warning 28 seconds before break. Downtime per incident reduced from 4.2 h to 18 min. Consequential cost 92 % lower.

−92 %Consequential cost

28 sEarly warning

24/7Monitoring

SonicTC.NVH

Acoustic end-of-line testing on dishwasher pumps

Challenge: Manufacturer with 1.8 M pumps/year. Acoustic anomalies only noticed by end customers – claim rate 2.1 %, high warranty cost.

Solution: SonicTC.NVH with 4-channel microphone array in acoustically isolated test booth. AI classifier for 8 fault classes. EOL-capable, 4.5 s cycle time.

Result: Claim rate reduced to 0.3 %. 100 % inline testing. Warranty cost reduced by 78 %.

−86 %Claims

4,5 sCycle time

8Fault classes

SonicTC.AT

Sintering grade classification on hard ferrite magnets

Challenge: Sorting problem: sintering grades 1, 2, 3 not unambiguously distinguishable visually or magnetically. Manual sorting cost 11 FTE.

Solution: SonicTC.AT with defined excitation energy and resonance analysis. 3-class model trained on natural frequency shift. Fully automated sorter.

Result: Sorting accuracy 99.8 %. 11 FTE reallocated. Throughput from 6,500 to 18,000 magnets per day.

99,8 %Sorting accuracy

×2,8Throughput

11FTE reallocated

SonicTC.AT

Resonance testing on hip joint implants

Challenge: Titanium-alloy implants – post-forging defects not detectable via CT (too time-intensive for 100 % inspection).

Solution: SonicTC.AT with clinically certified hardware and FDA-validated process. FRF analysis with ML classifier. Inline integration with tracking.

Result: 100 % material inspection instead of sampling. Detection of structurally anomalous parts at 99.3 %. Audit-compliant per ISO 13485.

99,3 %Detection

ISO 13485compliant

100 %Inline

SonicTC.AT

Structural testing of firebricks for high-temperature use

Challenge: Firebricks for industrial furnaces must meet high quality demands. Varying firing and material batches complicate quality assurance. Cracks and structural defects were only detectable through destructive testing.

Solution: SonicTC.AT with extensive sampling to determine all influencing factors. Batch variation compensated through multi-parametric test features. Robust test system detecting defined defects despite material variance.

Result: Non-destructive 100 % inspection instead of sampling. Batch differences reliably separable. Cracks and structural defects automatically detected.

100 %Inspection rate

< 1 sTest time

ZfPNon-destructive

SonicTC.NVH

Vibration testing on gear pumps – gear and bearing defects

Challenge: Gear pumps with bearing, gear tooth and imbalance faults only became apparent at the end customer. Conventional end-of-line testing did not reliably detect these defects.

Solution: SonicTC.NVH with accelerometer. Modulation spectrum analysis to detect defective gears via sidebands around the gear mesh frequency. Anomalies reliably detectable even for small defects.

Result: Gear tooth, bearing and imbalance faults detected inline. Modulation spectrum reveals characteristic sidebands for defective gears. Claim rate reduced to below 0.5 %.

< 0,5 %Claims

3 sTest time

3Fault types

SonicTC.DSP

Crack monitoring during assembly – plastic sleeves

Challenge: Crack formation in plastic sleeves during press-fit assembly. Operators could "hear" the defect but had no objective monitoring. Multiple assembly lines affected.

Solution: SonicTC.DSP as process monitor. Measurement shows: noise levels during crack formation many times higher than ambient noise. Time signals and spectra provide clear differences. After 4-week validation, installed at 6 assembly stations.

Result: Successful validation in 4 weeks. Crack monitoring installed at 6 assembly stations. Objective real-time monitoring replaces subjective assessment.

6Assembly stations

4 Wo.Validation

100 %Real-time

SonicTC.AT

Damping and Q-factor measurement on brake discs

Challenge: Besides eigenfrequencies, damping is critical for noise development. Single excitation along the circumference yields non-reproducible Q-values (30 % deviation depending on excitation point).

Solution: Test method developed jointly with Daimler: automatic Q-factor/damping determination through multiple excitations at various angles along the circumference for each frequency. Suitable for lab and production.

Result: Reproducible Q-factor measurement in lab and production. Automatic inline testing incl. damping measurement. Pioneer project for the entire automotive industry.

±0,3 HzEF resolution

360°Circumference scan

InlineProduction-ready

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