Smart quality inspections: Improving efficiency and reducing costs in industrial production
In the manufacturing industry, quality control has become an important aspect in the production chain. Demand for high-quality, defect-free products drives the search for innovative solutions that improve inspection efficiency and reduce costs associated with production errors..
It is important to detect defects within the automotive sector
One of the areas in which it is especially important to detect defects is the automotive sector.. Sometimes surface defects, como rayaduras, tamper marks, etc., are difficult to detect at first glance and that lead to claims and returns.
In order to meet this challenge, the Tekniker technology center has collaborated in the PILAR project, financed by the Hazitek program of the Basque Government, and have developed a smart solution that can automatically detect surface defects in real time, right after manufacturing and before the packaging process.
The solution based on artificial vision, uses an artificial intelligence model trained by Tekniker experts. Experts created a database of 2D images showing surfaces with and without defects, which were labeled by quality specialists from the company Cikautxo, who also participates in the project. The objective is to help inspection operators by automating the detection and rejection of defective parts in an objective way., in addition to notifying inspectors in case of doubt.
The improvement of the precision of the developed solution was achieved through the use of a wide set of images that showed different types of defects and their location in the part., along with data augmentation techniques and genetic algorithms to optimize model training. After implementing the system in a test bench, highly positive results were obtained with a reliability higher than 90%. The next step will be to carry out a pre-industrial validation on the real production line to evaluate its performance in real conditions..
The implementation of ‘smart’ quality inspections’ in industrial production is crucial to achieve the goal of a production 'zero defects'. In addition to improving the efficiency of inspections, these solutions help reduce wasted resources and defective product returns, resulting in significant economic savings for manufacturers.
Collaboration between technology centers, manufacturers and quality experts has shown how innovation and the application of artificial intelligence can make a difference in improving production processes and guaranteeing high-quality products with a minimum presence of defects..
In conclusion, ‘smart’ quality inspections’ represent an innovative and efficient solution to achieve a production 'zero defects'. The positive results obtained so far demonstrate its effectiveness and reliability.. With proper pre-industrial validation, this solution has the potential to transform the manufacturing industry by improving the efficiency of quality inspections and reducing the costs associated with production errors.
