Project GreenLight

Q2 What challenge in the current production process are you trying to improve?

Right now there's significant manual involvement from our technicians. Probes are calibrated individually, and each measurement and validation step gets recorded manually. It works - but it's time-consuming, and it limits how many probes we can test at once. The current process is difficult to scale without just adding more hands to it.

The improvement would run calibration automatically for multiple probes in parallel and log the results digitally. It saves a lot of time and reduces the potential for human error.

Q3 What are the main technologies involved in the new system?

The new system brings together several areas of engineering. Industrial communication protocols handle the transfer of data between the probes and the control system. Data logging and database systems capture everything in a single program. On the software side, there are coding changes that allow multiple probes to run calibration in parallel - along with embedded systems that tie it all together.

Q4 How could this improve production or quality control for water quality sensors?

The biggest win is consistency. Every probe follows the exact same procedure, which reduces variability and makes testing far more reliable. It also improves data management - if you ever need to go back and verify a result, the data is right there.

From a staffing perspective, it frees up our technicians from repetitive manual tasks. Less time spent on routine calibration, and more capacity to focus on other work that needs their expertise.

Q5 One part of the project focuses on traceability. Why does recording calibration data matter so much?

Traceability is critical in manufacturing because it ensures each probe's calibration history can be verified and reproduced. By recording timestamps, temperature conditions, and reference solution details, we can fully document exactly how each probe was tested.

That record becomes invaluable for tracking long-term performance trends, investigating any potential issues that arise in the field, and maintaining compliance with quality standards.

Q6 What made you interested in doing your thesis with TPS?

Doing a thesis with TPS meant working on a real engineering problem in a real industry environment, rather than something purely theoretical. TPS is a specialised, tight-knit company - you get to work closely with engineers and see exactly how everything is developed and manufactured. That kind of access is rare.

It also helps that TPS sensors are used extensively in environmental monitoring. Knowing that the work you're doing contributes to better data on our waterways and ecosystems - that adds a real sense of purpose to it.

Q7 What made you choose this topic over others?

Working at TPS gave me a front-row seat to the production process for our water quality probes. It became clear fairly quickly that this was an area where automation could make a genuine, meaningful impact. The idea grew out of that experience - seeing a real gap and having the chance to do something about it.

The topic also spans multiple areas of electrical engineering - automation, instrumentation, and data systems - which made it an ideal project to tie together everything I've been studying.