T h e m a ch i n e v i s i o n p e o p l e
Quality Inspection
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Quality inspectionin industrial production processes
Adam Opel AGB. Braun Melsungen AG
Braun GmbHBMW AG
Creaton AGDaimlerChrysler AG
Dynamit Nobel GmbHEuropipe Deutschland GmbH
Fergat S.P.A. (I)Flabeg GmbH & Co. KG
Fresenius Medical Care GmbHGKN Sinter Metals GmbH
Hayes-Lemmerz GmbHKern-Liebers GmbH & Co.
Rexroth HydraulicsRobert Bosch GmbH
Roche Diagnostics GmbHGerhard Schubert GmbH
Sortimat Technology GmbH & Co.Thuringia Netzsch GmbH & Co. KG
Transpac n.v. (B)Ungerer Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
VW AGetc.
References
Many years ago, the strategy followedby quality assurance was to separate the good from the bad at the end of the production process.For a long time now, the quality inspec-tion of the completed product has nolonger been the be-all and end-all ofdefect minimisation strategy. Industrialmachine vision systems allow efficientintermediate on-line inspection duringthe production process at economic cost in order to
• produce quality instead of waste,• minimise costs resulting from defects
during the production process • save resources and • optimise the production process.
Conclusion: increased quality at reducedproduction costs.
In other words: machine vision is wellworth having!
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In addition to standard two-dimensional visualinspection, our 3D machine vision systemsallow three-dimensional acquisition and evaluation in real time, thus permitting smoothin-line quality inspection even in high-speedproduction processes.Our sensors work completely without wearand tear, even under the most severe industrial conditions.3D technology is another field in which VITRONIC has been the trendsetter of theindustry for years now. As a result – it wasawarded the innovation prize of the state ofHessia in 2000.
Of course, we set our quality standards in our own company too: more than 130 qualifiedemployees including over 70 engineers keepVITRONIC close to the pulse of the customerand at the technological cutting edge in industrial machine vision. VITRONIC has beencertified according to ISO 9001 since 1996.
This brochure shows some examples of howVITRONIC products can be used in quality inspection – for exactly where and how it can pay to use them for your own individual requirements, please see the following pages.
Thank you for your interest in our products and in VITRONIC.
Dr.-Ing. Norbert Stein– President and Owner –
Dear readers,
since the company was founded in 1984,VITRONIC has been synonymous with
innovative machine vision solutions in factory automation. Together with our
customers, we work on tailor-made solutions, including the mechanical
components if required. VITRONIC has been certified according to ISO 9001
since 1996.
Quality inspection must be especially fast, reliable and efficient.
Absolute process reliability is indispensablenowadays. That means quality inspection
that can keep up with the speed of the production line and works reliably and
without any malfunctions. These are features which make our machine vision
solutions superior to visual quality inspection.
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The 2000 Hz sensor is mounted to an articulated arm robot and inspects thewelding seam in parallel to the weldingprocess. Inspection parameters and tolerances can be adjusted individually by the customer for different parts of thewelding seam.
No matter how it is used, VIRO-3D means100% inspection of welding quality in permanent use, even under rough manufacturing conditions.
Features:
• Real time capability with up to 2000 profile sections per second
• 0.2 mm height resolution and resolution perpendicular to the welding seam for a MIG welding seam with a width of 12 mm
• Inspection of MIG-/MAG- and laser welding seams
• Inspection of complex welding seams• Remote diagnosis, on-line maintenance
and updating via ISDN
Inspection criteria:
• Missing welding seam• Porous welding seam• Length of welding seam• Edge notches• End craters not filled• Pearls• Holes• Relative position of welding seam
Welding seam inspection
The perfect in-line solution for the automotive industry
Fast and precise inspection of the weld seamson steel wheels is now indispensable for the
production process in the automotive and related industry. Robustness and speed are
what count here.
VITRONIC developed the VIRO-3D three-dimensional inspection system
especially for this kind of application. Optical quality inspection with a light-stripe
frequency of 2000 Hz guarantees thereproducible detection of all relevant defects.
VIRO-3D can be flexibly integrated into the manufacturing process.
Thus, for example, for steel wheel inspection the sensor unit is stationary while
the wheel rotates. The internal welding seams are moved past the sensor unit in a circular path. No matter whether
there are pearls or porous areas –the welding seam is scanned several
times within fractions of a second.Wheels that have passed the inspection
are conveyed to the following productionsteps, poorly welded wheels are
separated to be redone.
Robot-controlled welding
seam inspection
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During the optical inspection of injection needles (cannulae), the bevel of the needle(bevel eye) and its contour are inspected for defects. The cannula can for example be blunt, bent or deformed or it can be inthe wrong position or damaged.
In order not to impair the material flow theneedle is inspected from two differentdirections.
VINSPEC is used in medical technology and is subject to validation (FDA/GMP). For example, altered inspection require-ments and system states are registered("audit trail"). The protocol is protected from manipulation.
VITRONIC has already developed and supplied systems with validation capabili-ties. They meet the complex requirementsfor medical and the pharmaceutical industry in future.
The final inspection of foil material on coils isone more application for VINSPEC, the optical
quality inspection system.The medical industry is especially dependent
on a 100% defect-free final product – particularly in the case of foils for medical
packaging such as needle packaging.The materials to be inspected here are
aluminium-coated webs with a dull surface orwhite strips of paper to which a coating of
adhesive has been applied.
The foil material is inspected while the coating machine is running – this corresponds
to an image processing speed of up to 200 meters per minute. In case VINSPEC
detects and classifies errors, the PLC receives a signal to mark the position
in question on the web.In a second step of processing, the foil canbe cut off at the markings and the defective
section of foil removed.
For each coil, i.e. about every 6000 meters, aprotocol file is generated in which all defects
and their exact positions are registered. The file is stored in the image processingcomputer and can be read via a standard
commercially available calculation program.
Quality inspection for the medical industry
Reliable fault detection in motion
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Surface analysis of web
material on coils
Optical cannula
inspection
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Optical inspection
of valve housings
Oil filter inspection
Oil filter inspection –high-tech meets high-speed
Oil filters for the automotive industry have to be inspected for possible leaks,
i.e. porosity and cavity. In order not to delay the production process, the time available for the inspection process is usually very short. Maximum precision
and attention to detail are necessary on all surfaces.
VINSPEC uses a pixel resolution which reliably detects defects down to a size
of 0.01mm2. In order to make all surfacesaccessible, the workpieces are lifted out of the workpiece carriers and inspectedusing a total of six individually movablecameras. The workpiece carrier is then
coded according to the result of inspection (good or bad).
Quality inspection for the automotive industry
Inside, inline, online
The cylinders of valve housings must bemanufactured with high precision withoutleaving any residues inside. Control edgedefects and deviations in the parallelcourse of the control edges cause waste.VINSPEC from VITRONIC ideally meets therequirements of an inspection environ-ment of this kind. The modular quality inspection system was especially designed for inside inspection implemen-ting endoscopic technologies. This meansthat the sensor head with an integrated camera is inserted into the valve housingand inspects every control edge by rotating 360˚ in accordance with the typein question. Defective parts are detected and sorted out automatically.
The handling robot is pre-programmed andpresents VINSPEC the valve parts. A spe-cific menu guidance allows the inspectionof different types of housings in a chaoticmix. An ISDN data line allows the develo-pers from VITRONIC to access the system– remote diagnosis and updating via mouse click.
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Quality inspection
of flat ceramics
Sorting into qualities
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Quality assurance in flat ceramics
Insist on the best
Features:
• Defect diagnosis down to a size of 0.3 mm and a surface of 0.1 mm2
• Qualitative and quantitative assessment• Self-sufficient installation of system possible• Inspection types and inspection parameters can
be set via menu guidance• Adaptation to different types of article• Remote diagnosis, on-line maintenance and
updating via ISDN• Interface to all kinds of host computers
and QM systems
Inspection criteria:
• Surface defects such as SIC contamination and marks
• Cracks• Crooked shoulder• Geometrical errors
VINSPEC is completing the manufacturingprocess in the manufacture of ceramics andcloses the last gap in the automation of the
production chain: sorting plates into goodqualities and waste goods. VINSPEC monitorsthe product quality of the ceramic plates just
before the decoration is applied and analysesall deviations in form, cracks and
contaminations – such as those caused bycombustion residues or deposits. The image
processing software is easily adjustable: pla-tes with defects which do not conspicuously
impair the quality due to a certain decorationcan remain in the production process. This is
VITRONIC precision that saves resources.
In spite of the mechanical handling of eachpart and the image acquisition time, the real-
time image processing allows a throughput of1000 articles per hour. This corresponds to the
usual production throughput in this industry. Conclusion: quality inspection and sorting of
different types of articles, in variable gradua-tion, with individual parameters, precisely and
within the production process.
In addition to flat ceramics, VINSPEC alsofinds extremely small errors on high-tech
ceramics, for example ceramic componentsfor heavy-duty roller bearings.
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VITRONIC Machine Vision Ltd.
Airport Office Park200 High Rise DriveSuite 257Louisville, Kentucky 40213 USA
Phone +1 [502] 964 -0701Fax +1 [502] 964 [email protected]
VITRONIC
Dr.-Ing. SteinBildverarbeitungssysteme GmbH
Hasengartenstraße 14aD-65189 Wiesbaden
Fon +49 [0] 611-7152-0Fax +49 [0] 611-7152-133
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