Bosch Rexroth AG implemented a Quality Information Management (QIM) system to store test data from various measurement instruments in a central database using a standard format. This allows test data to be evaluated and reported on consistently. The project involved defining standard data fields, integrating measurement devices, setting up a test system, training employees, and configuring reports. After successful testing, the production system was implemented using an Oracle database to handle the large volume of data. An automated reporting system was also set up to regularly update relevant employees on key quality metrics.

1. Quality Information Management (QIM) at Bosch Rexroth AG (Plant Elchingen)
The Reporting Solution
Bosch Rexroth AG
Bosch Rexroth AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH. In May 2001,
Bosch automation technology of Robert Bosch GmbH and Mannesman Rexroth AG merged
and formed Bosch Rexroth AG based in Lohr am Main. At present, the company employs
more than 28 200 people worldwide and generated worldwide sales amounting to 4.6b € in
2005.
Drive and Control
The “drive and control” company Bosch Rexroth AG is an expert in any kind of hydraulic,
pneumatic, electrical, electronical or mechanical drive and control technology. Rexroth
provides a technology independent range of excellent products, systems and services for
industrial and plant automation and mobile application.
Initial Status and Motivations for the Project
The process chain for measurement and test data reaches from data output, data recording and
data processing to data evaluation and the distribution of results.
With the help of drawings, measurement programs for required tests of dimensional values
are generated at coordinate measuring machines and SPC measuring stations. The data
recording process considers those measurement programs, operational charts and
measurement plans and combines them with metrological expertise.
The stored results include measurement data, process parameters and management data.
However, different measuring instruments used to provide their measurement results in

2. different data formats. A standard visualization and evaluation was not possible. Storing
results in one central database was not feasible either because of the mixed data formats.
The aim of the project was to store all test data in one central database and to evaluate and
document all data statistically using one standard tool. Every employee working in quality
assurance, design, process engineering or production should be granted free access to this
data. In addition, an automated reporting system was to be implemented to inform defined
recipients in regular intervals about results relevant to the respective person.
The crucial factors for implementing the Q-DAS® system were long-term reliability, market
acceptance and a worldwide standard.
Start of the Project
The planning and implementation of the project included different stages of development.
Within the context of project implementation, the first and most important step was to define
data fields in the Q-DAS® ASCII Transfer Format. The definition was based on information
received in experiments (by measurement programs plus variable data), desired selections,
evaluations and user reports. Data can only be analyzed properly if measurement and test
systems provide their results in the correct data field. At the beginning of the project,
measuring instruments by Carl Zeiss and MESAS (up to 50 measuring stations) were
integrated into the system. Bosch Rexroth AG had conversations with both companies about
the definition of data transfer. The company intends to integrate further measuring
instruments and SPC measuring stations.
First Installations
The system was implemented successively. At first, the test system included only few
MESAS SPC measuring stations and a Zeiss ScanMax. The test systeminitially consisted of
3-4 qs-STAT® single seat installations (Sample Analysis, Process Capability Analysis and
Measurement System Analysis), a central MS Access database, an Initial Sample Report
installation and the Q-DAS® Monitoring application for an online visualization of the
recorded ScanMax measurement data.
The software of SPC measuring stations was configured gradually. The test system’s
objective was to test the expected software functions and the system behavior under “real”

3. conditions. In addition, module specific training classed for the employees were held at Q-
DAS® in Weinheim and at Rexroth in Elchingen.
Reports and Evaluation Configuration
The project requires a standardized evaluation of quality data. qs-STAT® includes the
evaluation strategy by the Robert Bosch AG as a standard. Hence, all evaluations are
performed based on this strategy.
The reports used are individual reports created using the Q-DAS® Form Designer. There are
two kinds of reports for Process and Sample Analysis. The standardized report header
contains all required information about parts (plant, cost centre, piece serial number, part
description and type) and the evaluation period of the selected data. The characteristics report
documents every important evaluation results per characteristic, and the parts report informs
about characteristic results per part. Every parts report includes a picture of the part which is
generated by converting a CAD drawing into *.jpg format. An appropriate filename ensures
that only the image file of the corresponding part is displayed when opening a report.
Switching from Test System to Production System
After the system had been successfully tested, Bosch Rexroth AG switched to the production
system including a plant-wide implementation of qs-STAT®. Due to the large amount of data
(about 50 measuring stations), an efficient database system is required. While using the test
system, the MS Access database has already met the limits of its capacities.
After switching to the production system, data was administered in a central Oracle database.
This database only contains the specified data fields to reach the best system performance that

4. is possible. By means of predefined selections, individual indices are created. Those are
applied to a database in order to support the system configuration. Selections reflect the
typical way of how users want to query recorded quality data from the database and analyze
it.
Fully Integrated Data Flow
SPC measuring stations and measuring instruments transmit Q-DAS® ASCII data files to
defined directories on the server or on local computers. The station determines when
measurement results are available to the users. Due to the Q-DAS® Monitoring, the
measurement results from the Zeiss ScanMax system can be visualized immediately and
online. After a measurement had been completed, the resulting file is released directly.
By contrast, MESAS stations contain their own visualization feature. Measurement results are
not transferred to the network until the task has been completed. The automated Upload
Function is installed on a separate computer and monitors output directories in defined time
intervals. Then it saves the data into the central database on the Oracle server.
Automated Reporting System and Benchmarking
The next project step aimed at installing an automated reporting system. The system was to
inform employees regularly about the current quality status in their field of responsibility.
Depending on the respective responsibilities, evaluation results are detailed or compressed.
Once a week (at the beginning of the week), the automated Q-DAS® Reporting System
generates reports that are forwarded to defined recipients automatically. Report contents
depend on the degree of compression of the information. At the highest level of compression,
a benchmark report about every single cost centre is created. Each report contains the
measurement data of the preceding week stored into the database. The compressed report

5. displays the frequency distribution of critical capability indices including every characteristic
per cost centre. Diagrams and tables illustrate this information.
On the next level, the benchmark report breaks down this information into machines per cost
centre. A report documents the percentage of critical capability indices per machine.
A more detailed version of this report contains a list of all parts and their evaluation results
per characteristic. The report lists every part produced in the period under review that falls
within the responsibility of the corresponding cost centre. Since different machines produce
the same parts, the system generates additional information automatically according to the
respective characteristic. It ensures that the users can quickly locate processes that might
require any action or corrective measures.

6. In this article, part and characteristic names and the cost centre and machine descriptions are
neutral.
The reports described above are sent to the respective employees via e-mail once a week. At
the same time, they are stored as a PDF document on the server. It is possible to trace weekly
changes and to check the efficiency of the measures taken. Further manual analysis of the data
can be performed in qs-STAT® as needed, for example if an automatically forwarded report
indicated a problem.
Next Project Steps
The dynamic system allows for the integration of additional measuring instruments and SPC
measuring stations at any time. In the future, the system is to store not only measurement data
but also machine data. Then it will be possible to derive a correlation between process
parameters and SPC characteristics.
Apart from the project in Elchingen, Bosch Rexroth AG is in the process of installing a
similar system at another Rexroth location. A company-wide evaluation is planned.
Project Experience
The key to success of a project is the definition of data fields in the Q-DAS® ASCII Transfer
Format. Exact planning will lead to desired evaluations and selections of data. Hence, users
will accept the system. It is advisable to involve measuring instrument manufacturers in the
project at an early stage.
Since quality projects are also IT projects today, the project requires cooperation with
different IT divisions. After the implementation, they have to take care of the permanent
maintenance and administration of the database.
As far as our experience is concerned, a gradual implementation of the system makes sense. It
had turned out to be good to implement a test system and to exercise our employees in dealing
with data before the automated Reporting System forwarded reports.