40 Years of RTE: From NVH Testing to Connected Test Technology

1986 – 1996

A decade that turned Noise into Measurable Quality.

In the 1970s, acoustic quality testing in many production environments was largely a matter of subjective craftsmanship: listening, comparing, deciding. With the transition into the 1980s, requirements began to change – measurement systems became digital, PCs found their way into manufacturing, and the former “feel for vibration and noise” developed into the first objective and capable acoustic testing methods. 

This is exactly where RTE’s journey began in 1986 – as a bold spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute IITB in Karlsruhe. The goal was clear: acoustic testing technology should become digital and suitable for industrial use. 

Right from the start, it became evident what “industrial-grade” really meant. In 1986, RTE contributed to the first acoustic quality network, connecting eight test stations in a harsh industrial environment to a central unit – each test station already equipped with its own computer. 

The classic: subjective testing

During this pioneering phase, robust, fully automated test stands were developed for leading automotive manufacturers – designed to meet the cycle times of production.

Technologically, much of this was uncharted territory and not yet available on the market. By developing both hardware and software in-house, RTE laid the foundation for future progress. Where suitable hardware did not yet exist, it had to be created internally – from measurement and signal processing hardware to measurement and test software.

RTE enabled clear and objective test decisions to be derived from noise.

One defining customer project of the 1990s was the development of a fully automated test stand for noise and functional testing of sunroofs directly in the production line.

Up to 12 sensors were evaluated simultaneously to precisely locate defects down to the millimeter. A major milestone was achieved in 1996 with the software PRODIAS – a standardized, user-friendly measurement and test software for all noise and vibration testing in series production. It became the basis for the later Prodias2000 system generation.

1996 – 2006

New business fields – from acoustics to process monitoring

On the occasion of RTE’s 10th anniversary, the company’s story gained its own voice: with the first issue of “RESONANZ”, expertise in acoustic test technology became tangible and shareable.

During this period, RTE further sharpened its profile. The lynx as a key-visual became a symbol of attentive, fast, and reliable quality decisions – not as a promise, but as a demonstrated fact. Technologically, new business areas emerged: acoustic material testing with the in-house software SR20AT, as well as machine and process monitoring with LC Vibro.

       40 Years of RTE – Knowledge we share:

As a thank-you for our anniversary, we are giving away our technical book
“Acoustic Resonance Analysis – Publications on Non-Destructive Testing”
to the first 40 respondents.

The perfect complement to working with SR20AT and modern resonance analysis methods.

👉 Details on how to receive a copy can be found further down this page.

LCVibro, developed as an in-house, industry-oriented hardware solution, enabled practical acoustic process control directly at the measurement location. Using the SR20AT software, acoustic material testing could be cleanly integrated into automation systems via standardized interfaces – delivering powerful and reproducible test results. With SR20AT, users receive a quality assessment within 1 second.

Always close to customer needs: increasingly, testing involved “more than just acoustics” – particularly in fully automated test systems where acoustic noise testing was expanded to include functional testing of electrical parameters such as current consumption, resistance, torque, and many other measurement variables. RTE supplied its first fully automated complete test system.

2006 – 2016

Thinking inline, automated quality assurance

In 2008, RTE received a design award for its SonicTC.Line. Modern design for conservative and robust test technology – a contemporary approach demonstrating that technology, usability, and design belong together.

RTE consistently drove standardization for system integration: test systems were conceived as integration kits – including sensors, data acquisition, and test PCs, all prepared for common communication protocols used in production line control.

Innovation does not arise solely within industrial applications, which led to a number of interesting “out-of-the-box” projects – for example, research into asparagus testing – a small change of perspective with a significant learning curve.

From a methodological standpoint, evaluation processes became more comprehensive and complex. In 2011, RTE and Mercedes-Benz jointly developed a new method for damping and quality factor (Q-factor) evaluation of brake discs – a pioneering project for the entire automotive industry that remains relevant to this day.

This resulted in the first automated inline inspection system for brake discs at Mercedes-Benz, including damping measurement. Mercedes continues to be a leader in this area thanks to this RTE testing methodology.

In 2016, RTE introduced the new and innovative measurement and testing system SonicTC to the market. This forward-looking software system has since shaped RTE’s development. One subsituted all former software systems. SonicTC is more than just a measurement and test system – it is a modular integration platform that structures and scales test processes across multiple test stations and production lines, covering all measurable process and test variables.

What once was a trained ear is now high-tech.

But one thing has remained: the sense for the right sound.

At our 25th anniversary celebration – even as a choir. 😊

2016 – 2026

Quality assurance across production lines and locations

During this decade, the need to increasingly network manufacturing processes became a key driver within industry. RTE followed this trend with its SonicTC system and continuously expanded its client/server functionality.

International presence and partnerships were strengthened: in 2017, the joint venture RTE Transweigh India Private Limited was established; in 2019, a system partnership with Polytec followed, as well as a cooperation with Fraunhofer IDMT for advanced joint development projects.

At the same time, customer project requirements grew in complexity: controlling multiple test stations in parallel and correlating measurement results with other parameters to enable even more reliable quality evaluations.

 

In 2024, RTE took the next step with SonicTC toward centralized data acquisition and test system control. The client/server approach makes measurement, test, and process data a single source of truth – with central history, rights management, audit trails, and evaluations up to the QM level including SPC, reports, and trends.

This transforms individual test stations into a continuous quality network – spanning machines, sites, and countries. As a result, the original vision from RTE’s founding years is more relevant than ever.

 

Internationally active since 1986

 

  • 5,000+ customers
  • 50+ partners worldwide
  • Active in more than 20 associations

We Give Away Knowledge

To mark our 40th anniversary, we thank you for your trust.


The first 40 respondents will receive our technical book
“Acoustic Resonance Analysis” free of charge.
Perfect for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of acoustic material testing.

Request your free copy now