MSR Development Department: Equipped for the future with modern technology

 

The Research & Development Department is one of the most important players in a company

 

Market observation, interaction with customers and targeted research and development projects are indispensable to make progress. A highly specialized team of engineers and technicians from the MSR development department develops solutions for practice- and project-related challenges on a solid foundation of theory and decades of experience.

Development is geared to the constantly rising quality standards of building and systems engineering and processes. Thanks to modern technology, laboratory tests and simulations succeed at a high level, shaping the future of new MSR products.

 

MSR Solutions

 

MKF240 climate chamber, Binder

 

The MSR development department can test MSR products over the complete temperature range using the climate chamber with integrated gas connection. It is also used for stress tests and to accelerate ageing processes. A climate chamber is indispensable for the development process. Hence, specifications can be determined and customer-specific wishes can be realised.

 

 

 

MSR long-term tests

 

In addition to long-term tests in the field with long-standing and certified partners, the MSR development department also carries out its own long-term tests of various products. In particular, customer-specific, application-oriented test walls provide insights into the function of the devices in the field.

Furthermore, various tests are carried out under harsher conditions for the sensors in order to monitor ageing due to frequent contact with test gas or deviating environmental conditions. In this way, MSR is able to make a reliable statement about the behaviour over the complete service life of every common product.

 

 

3D printers SLA (Stereolithography) from Formlabs and FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) from Makerbot in use

 

The selection of these printers has a very special advantage. It enables MSR to respond to customer requests at short notice and to create prototypes. The Formlabs device also works with laser technology.

Both 3-D printers are mainly used for sample and prototype production. They can also be used for test setups and small series.

 

 

 

 

 

Gas mixing system supported by Bronkhorst Mass Flow Controllers (MFC)

For the development of sensors, MSR uses a specially designed gas mixing system which basically consists of 2 Mass Flow Controllers (MFC) from Bronkhorst and an integrated physical mixing section.

By setting flow rates via software, a certain concentration can be mixed volumetrically. This device can therefore produce any required mixture from two 2 different gases. In this way, MSR is able to mix even unavailable special gases on their own, if required.  

 

 

 

SIL-compliant development process for hardware and software components

 

The development of the MSR products is based on the SIL (Safety Integrity Level) process and thus runs through the various phases of the V-model, from the initial requirement to the validation phase. A SIL-certified programming environment is used to develop the device software in the C programming language restricted by MISRA C rules (2012). The software modules are tested in an automated way. Modern equipment is available for the integration tests of the hardware and software, e.g. Yokogawa DLM3024 Oscilloscope with detailed serial bus analysis.

Various MSR labs in use

 

While mainly performance tests and environmental tests for sensors are carried out in the gas laboratory, the development of hardware takes place in the electronics laboratory.

The basic equipment of the electronics laboratory includes :

• variable ratio transformers
• frequency generators
• laboratory power supplies
• standard measuring equipment such as multimeters and oscilloscopes

In addition, hardware developers at MSR also use special equipment. One of these is a pico-amperemeter. This meter is needed, for example, to measure the very low nA currents in electrochemical cells. The counterpart is the calibrator or setpoint generator that is used to generate the low currents in the milli and nano ampere range. This device allows the most diverse output currents of an electrochemical sensor to be simulated for the boards.

The equipment of the development laboratories is, amongst others, compliant with DIN 12918-3 and in accordance with Directive EC 842/2006.

 

Certified partner for environmental testing

 

In addition to in-house laboratory tests, MSR products are also tested externally in accredited environmental laboratories. Interferences such as electromagnetic fields are simulated and extensively tested in such laboratories. MSR can look back on a long-standing partnership with the CSA Group in Strasskirchen, Bavaria. Their laboratories have measuring equipment that meets the high quality and safety requirements of MSR-Electronic.