• The American companies NI (formerly National Instruments) and Tech180 have announced their collaboration with the German company Set.
• This collaboration aims to advance the design, development and maintenance of test systems for the aerospace and defense industries.
• It is expected to lead to the development of new approaches in the implementation of test systems, as well as hardware and software solutions, an open systems reference architecture and an on-demand system methodology.

 
Aerospace and defense companies face soaring development costs and complexities from embedded software, design, and integration challenges required in manned/unmanned aircraft, space launch vehicles, and new urban air mobility approaches. Simultaneously, the pressure to develop faster continues to rise while dated test approaches and equipment further exacerbate problems, making adaptability to changing requirements and early product life cycle tests difficult.

The System-on-Demand and model-based test approach delivered through the new collaboration will shorten time-to-market schedules, reduce operational expenses, integrate labs, and optimize data and assets, resulting in more time spent ensuring the quality and safety of future products and less on building test systems.

“Conventional approaches for aerospace and defense test are badly outdated and in need of disruption. Engineers and enterprises are looking for new ways to leverage test as a competitive advantage, using it to reduce costs and accelerate product introductions while maintaining agility and equipment utilization,” said Luke Schreier, Vice President and General Manager of NI’s Aerospace, Defense and Government Business Unit and new board member for Set.

“As both a developer and manufacturer for flight certified electronics and a specialist in aerospace electronics test systems, Set brings a deep understanding of the full development process,” explains Frank Heidemann, founder and CEO of Set. “Customers can no longer afford long processes as they strive for a faster time to market. Through our collaboration, we expect to find answers and fill a critical gap in the industry.”

“Incremental improvements to the status quo are not good enough,” adds Chris Bakker, founder and CEO of Tech180. “Currently, there’s an enormous amount of duplicate engineering spent on test, consuming resources that should be going towards research and development. Achieving the velocity of innovation companies require means a fundamental shift in the approach to test. A streamlined test strategy is the key to a better product strategy, and this collaboration provides the path to this evolution at scale.”

Set specializes in hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test systems, functional and power semiconductor test systems, and electronics development for the aerospace industry. Founded in 2001, the German company now employs more than 100 people at four locations in Germany and the United States.

The US company Tech180, based in Massachusetts, offers modular and reconfigurable test systems for the aerospace and defense industry.