3D in-line inspection of car parts
In co-operation with Raufoss Chassis Components AS, SINTEF has developed a tailored, advanced industrial inspection system for the accurate measurement of the shape of wheel suspension arms. The method combines two structured light projection techniques, which results in a robust, fast and very accurate in line inspection system, that fulfils the stringent requirements that are set by the automotive industry.
Control of shape, size and quality is important in every production line. Manual inspection is expensive, time consuming and often inaccurate. Automatic inspection is inexpensive and time efficient, and can be used both to remove deficient objects from the production line and to sort or grade objects according to size, shape and quality.
In order to meet the demand for quality control in the car industry, we have developed an inspection system to replace manual inspection in a production line for car parts. The system measures the three dimensional shape of the car part by using structured light projection. This method provides robust height measurement images with a high resolution even when low-cost, off-the-shelf components are used.
We designed a model of normal parts from a large set of height measurement images of normal parts. This model represents both expected part dimensions and the normal shape variation. The measured part is compared with the model, and deviations outside the normal variation are classified as faults. The system is thus able to find geometrical faults as small as 2x2x0.25 mm in a part that measures roughly 400x400 mm.
For further information please contact Øystein Skotheim for 3D measurements or Kristin Kaspersen for fault recognition.
