Automated visual inspection of extruded aluminium profiles
A line-scan camera station with controlled lighting and an edge inference unit now grades surface defects at full line speed, replacing sampled manual inspection.
- Location
- Germany
- Duration
- 8 months
- 100%of production inspected, at line speed
- -84%customer-reported surface defects
- < 40 msinference per frame on the edge unit
The challenge
Surface defects such as die lines, pick-up and blisters were found by manual inspection of samples at the saw. Defects reaching customers triggered claims and full-batch sorting.
Profiles varied in geometry, finish and reflectivity, and the line could not slow down for inspection.
What we did
We specified the capture station first: line-scan optics, dark-field and bright-field illumination, encoder-triggered acquisition and a mechanical arrangement that kept the profile in focus.
A defect detection and classification model was trained on images labelled jointly with quality staff, with an agreed definition of each defect class and its severity.
Inference runs on an industrial edge computer beside the line and reports to the quality system; uncertain regions are routed to a human review screen rather than auto-graded.
The outcome
Every metre of profile is inspected. Defect escapes fell sharply within two months, and the manual sample inspection was redeployed to root-cause work on the press.
A representative engagement. The figures are indicative of typical outcomes for this kind of work and are not drawn from a named client.
Contact
Tell us about the problem you need to solve
You may have a defined project, an underperforming process or a technical question that needs investigation. We can help assess the challenge, identify the information required and define an appropriate next step.