Manufacturing quality depends on more than the finished product. It depends on consistently monitoring the processes, measurements, and operating conditions that determine product quality throughout production.
Project overview
Expert Tech Pilot develops custom LabVIEW automation applications that help manufacturers collect production data, monitor process conditions, evaluate quality measurements, and maintain a more complete record of manufacturing activity.
In 2026, Expert Tech Pilot collaborated with Zircoa Inc., a Solon, Ohio manufacturer specializing in engineered zirconium oxide materials and advanced ceramics, on a LabVIEW-based Course Grain Batch Moisture Measurement application.
The application brings batch-level measurement data, mixer operating information, moisture limits, and quality results into a centralized software interface. Rather than treating measurements as isolated readings, it connects process information with individual production batches — providing greater visibility into what happened during processing and whether the measured results met established quality criteria.
The manufacturing challenge
In batch manufacturing, process measurements are valuable only when they can be associated with the production activity that generated them. Operators and quality personnel need to understand:
- What batch was processed?
- What were the operating conditions during mixing?
- How much water was added?
- What were the starting and ending temperatures?
- What moisture measurement was recorded?
- Did the batch meet the established moisture limits?
- If a batch failed, what was the recorded reason?
Without an integrated measurement and reporting application, that information can become fragmented across equipment readouts, manual records, spreadsheets, and separate production systems. Expert Tech Pilot developed a LabVIEW application to bring these measurements and production details together.
The solution: a LabVIEW batch monitoring application
The Course Grain Batch Moisture application provides a centralized interface for capturing, displaying, and evaluating production measurements. It combines several capabilities.
1. Batch identification and traceability
Production information is associated with a specific batch, including:
- Batch number
- Job number
- Composition
- Operator identification
- Batch origin
- Mixer identification
- Batch weight
This creates a more useful production record by connecting measured process conditions to the batch being manufactured.
2. Real-time process monitoring
The application captures and displays important process measurements, including:
- Water added
- Water temperature
- Mixer starting temperature
- Mixer ending temperature
- Mixing-step measurements
- Total mixing time
- Active mixing time
- Ambient temperature
- Ambient humidity
These measurements provide additional context for evaluating batch processing conditions.
3. Moisture measurement and quality limits
The application displays the measured moisture value alongside configurable minimum and maximum moisture limits. This allows personnel to see whether the measured batch condition falls within the defined acceptance range.
The interface provides a clear visual indication of the moisture status and records the resulting quality determination.
4. Process visualization
A time-series graph displays mixer activity throughout the processing period. Rather than presenting only a final measurement, the application makes the progression of the process visible, giving operators and quality personnel a better understanding of process behavior over time.
5. Automated quality results and reporting
The application records the batch result and provides a comments field for documenting exceptions. A failed result can be associated with an explanation, such as an excessive moisture measurement.
This helps connect quality outcomes with the underlying production record and provides a foundation for subsequent analysis and process improvement.
How a batch moves through the application
The measurement does not stand alone at the end of the run. Each reading is captured alongside the batch it belongs to, so the record answers both what was measured and when, on which mixer, under what conditions.
- A batch begins, and its number, job number, composition, origin, and operator are recorded.
- Mixing runs while water added, temperatures, step measurements, ambient conditions, and mix times are captured.
- The measured moisture is compared with the configured minimum and maximum limits, and the pass/fail result is recorded.
- Any exception is documented in the comments field, and the full record stays attached to the batch.
The broader LabVIEW automation portfolio
The Zircoa collaboration is part of a broader body of LabVIEW automation programming experience supporting manufacturing quality assurance and production measurement throughout Northeast Ohio. Expert Tech Pilot has developed custom LabVIEW applications covering:
| Application | Manufacturing purpose |
|---|---|
| Green Density | Measurement and monitoring of green-state material density |
| Disk Shrinkage | Monitoring dimensional shrinkage during manufacturing and processing |
| Fired Density | Measurement and evaluation of fired material density |
| Moisture Measurement | Automated moisture measurement and process-limit evaluation |
| Course Grain Batch Milling | Batch-level process monitoring and measurement |
| Production Applications | Custom production monitoring, data acquisition, and quality workflows |
These applications address different stages of manufacturing, from raw material processing and batch preparation through measurement, quality evaluation, and production reporting.
Business and operational impact
The value of manufacturing automation extends beyond replacing manual measurements with software. By connecting production measurements, batch identifiers, process conditions, and quality results, LabVIEW applications can provide a stronger foundation for operational oversight.
Improved data visibility
- Consolidates important process measurements into a centralized interface.
- Makes production conditions easier to review.
- Provides visibility into process trends rather than isolated readings.
- Helps operators and supervisors identify exceptions.
Stronger batch ownership and accountability
- Associates measurements with batch numbers and job numbers.
- Captures operator identification.
- Connects quality results with the production activity that generated them.
- Provides a more consistent record for reviewing production outcomes.
Better quality assurance
- Compares measurements against defined process limits.
- Makes out-of-range conditions easier to recognize.
- Records pass/fail determinations and associated comments.
- Supports more consistent review of manufacturing results.
Process improvement and operational reporting
- Makes historical production measurements more useful for analysis.
- Helps identify recurring process deviations.
- Provides information that can support adjustments to manufacturing parameters.
- Establishes a foundation for quality reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.
Reduced dependence on disconnected records
- Brings multiple measurements together in one application.
- Reduces reliance on manually consolidating information from separate sources.
- Makes production information easier to retrieve and review.
Beyond LabVIEW: connecting manufacturing data to business systems
LabVIEW is particularly effective for interacting with equipment, collecting measurements, and controlling or monitoring industrial processes. However, manufacturing organizations increasingly need that information to be available beyond the machine or workstation.
Expert Tech Pilot can help extend manufacturing applications through integration with:
- Microsoft SQL Server databases.
- Enterprise reporting and analytics systems.
- Microsoft .NET applications.
- Web-based production dashboards.
- Microsoft Azure cloud services.
- AI-assisted manufacturing analysis and operational reporting.
This creates opportunities to move from individual equipment-monitoring applications toward a more connected manufacturing information environment.
Manufacturing software and automation expertise
Expert Tech Pilot provides direct access to experienced software engineering and automation expertise for Northeast Ohio manufacturers. Led by Gene Farber, Founder and Principal Software Architect, the company combines enterprise software development experience with practical manufacturing automation programming.
Services include:
- Custom LabVIEW automation programming.
- Manufacturing measurement and data acquisition applications.
- Quality assurance and process monitoring software.
- Batch tracking and production data collection.
- Equipment and software integration.
- Legacy manufacturing application modernization.
- SQL Server and enterprise reporting integration.
- AI implementation and manufacturing data analysis.
For manufacturers looking to improve process visibility, strengthen quality reporting, or modernize existing production applications, Expert Tech Pilot provides the engineering experience to connect manufacturing operations with practical software solutions.
Featured collaboration. Zircoa Inc. — Solon, Ohio · 2026 · Course Grain Batch Moisture Measurement Application. Learn more about Zircoa.