The goal of shorter cycle times in difficult production environments requires efficient and robust testing of paint surfaces. Vehicle production is a role model for many industries and drives the use of new technologies like no other - including in the area of quality assurance. Intelligent robot-guided production and inspection, for example, makes high-end automation technology for paint inspection possible. Complete systems available today - such as Car Paint Vision (CPV) from Isra Vision - combine robotics and surface inspection. Thanks to quick and easy integration of new vehicle types and automatic offline robot path generation, they can be used flexibly. Whether on-the-fly, with continuous conveyance of the vehicle, or in a cycle-based stop-and-go process, the entire relevant surface is inspected inline. CPV ensures an objective and consistent evaluation of the paint surface quality. Isra Vision uses the Paintscan hybrid sensor for this solution, which combines two surface inspection methods. This means that all topographical and non-topographical paint defects are detected. Integrated evaluation units ensure fast surface inspection times and reduce maintenance costs. Data processing takes place in the process cycle; defect information is available immediately. The optional final marking of defects makes reworking simple and time-saving.

The oversampling method ensures seamless paint inspection: a high scanning frequency and overlapping images in the direction of travel capture every point on the body multiple times. Redundant data with up to ten images ensures reliable inspection results with a detection rate of more than 95 percent. All relevant defects - such as inclusions, craters, pigment defects, scratches, dents and dings - are detected and classified. The classification software is already pre-trained. Algorithms enable self-learning defect detection and can recognize line-specific defects. Thanks to its flexible application options, the system is particularly suitable for multi-model lines, as a collision-free robot inspection path is automatically planned on the basis of CAD models. The executing robots do not require an additional linear axis to be moved in line tracking mode.

The inspection data obtained enables sustainable and continuous production optimization. In conjunction with the Enterprise Production Management Intelligence solution ("Promi"), the statistical data obtained is evaluated according to individual information requirements and displayed on dashboards. Thanks to easy-to-use user software, configuration is quick and intuitive. Retrofitting into existing systems is also easy to implement. pb