Client
Key focus areas
Challenge
CG Accelerate was brought on board to assist in implementing the first public release of the product. During this transformation the application was converted from an engineering and validation centric focus to a production focus suitable for operator use on the factory floor. In tandem, Fives’ development team matured the mechatronics systems and data analysis software that turned their R&D technology into COAST, a factory-floor-ready product.
Fives, a prominent player in industrial solutions, had developed an Edge Compute solution intended for real-time inspection of its robotic composite fabrication work cell. The application initially consisted of a functional application to validate their unique hardware/software product offering, using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), licensed from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). With a completely custom hardware and software stack, the challenge of naturalization within a competitive time to market was a big challenge that was presented to the Collinear team.
This transition necessitated a user interface (UI) paradigm shift that seamlessly integrated with the existing version while being poised for production deployment.
The existing user interface was optimized for measurement system analysis, validation, and qualification workflow. A separate UI was required for efficient implementation by operations on the factory floor.
Merging the current codebase with the production system posed technical hurdles.
Ensuring system stability and performance in a production environment was crucial to meet operational demands for high uptime, availability and continuous data collection. This system is designed to collect millions of data points per layer of inspection and each part consists of many dozens of layers. The results for each layer are expected to be processed and ready for an operator to disposition within seconds of fabrication completion.
CG Accelerate collaborated with Fives’ UX designers to design detailed UI/UX wireframes that directed the UI development process. A contemporary web-based interface was designed for efficient factory floor operations.
A GraphQL API integration layer was introduced by CGX Labs to seamlessly connect the UI with backend components, including the real-time application, MSSQL database, and RabbitMQ messaging system. The legacy codebase was harmoniously integrated into the new architecture with minimal refactoring required.
To enhance scalability and reliability, CGX Labs implemented a fully orchestrated, cloud native, microservices architecture. This architecture was deployed on a bare-metal Kubernetes environment at the edge, optimizing performance and responsiveness.
To validate system stability and responsiveness, comprehensive load and performance tests were conducted in collaboration with Fives. Rigorous load and soak testing ensured the system's suitability for production use.
Through iterative planning, development, and testing, Fives application was successfully transformed into a robust, production-ready product.
The collaboration between Fives and CGX Labs resulted in:
The new interface improved efficiency for factory floor operators.
The legacy codebase was integrated smoothly, preserving existing functionalities.
The microservices architecture boosted scalability and stability to meet operational demands.
Rigorous load and soak testing confirmed system stability and performance.
"CG Accelerate’s expertise played a pivotal role in propelling this project towards success by helping to deliver a production-ready solution that seamlessly aligned with Fives’ customer requirements. This achievement held utmost importance in meeting our crucial contractual system readiness and gate-review milestones. The fruitful collaboration stands as a true testament to CG Accelerate's ability to navigate intricate technical challenges and produce tangible outcomes for clients, fostering innovation and catalyzing growth in the realm of complex industrial solutions."
- Jonathan Schwedhelm, CEO Fives Lund
