Statistical testing methodology: SKZ Plastics Center supports teaching with its own software
The SKZ Plastics Center provides its in-house design-of-experiment (DOE) software MESOS for experimental methodology free of charge to students and participants of the SKZ course Experimental Methodology. The software is used for process optimization in plastics processing.
Students at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Technology will receive SKZ's DOE software MESOS free of charge. (Photo: SKZ)
Students at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences will receive the SKZ DOE software MESOS free of charge
At the SKZ Plastics Center in Würzburg, Germany, the optimization and analysis of injection molding processes in terms of quality characteristics, molding defects, process fluctuations, and scrap is an absolute specialty. It is therefore not surprising that they have developed their own software for this purpose. Since the early 1990s, the scientific staff at SKZ has been using the first version of the SKZ DOE software, called MESOS, with the aim of creating a practical, user-friendly and extremely efficient tool for process optimization. MESOS stands for "Method for the Empirical Statistical Offline System Analysis" and is now available as a free starter version.
Comparable software often too cumbersome
Despite the wide range of comparable software available, there is still a gap between simple experimental designs in a spreadsheet and the large, very deep statistical programs. The former quickly reach their limits and do not exploit the full information content of the experiments performed. The latter require extensive prior knowledge and do not speak the language of the injection molder and the average user.
MESOS closes gap
MESOS deliberately focuses on the field of plastics processing and here in particular - but not exclusively - on injection molding. As a result, the software is able to close precisely this gap. It guides the user through the selection process of a suitable test plan as well as through the subsequent steps of measured value acquisition, modeling and process optimization.
Software also available for commercial purchase
The new software version will be made available free of charge to participants in the SKZ course on statistical experimental methodology and is, of course, also available for commercial purchase by users. In the future, students of plastics engineering will also be able to use the software as part of their studies. The SKZ will provide MESOS to the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (THWS) free of charge for all students starting in the winter semester 2023.
Learn more about MESOS
