UNIT VI

Automated Inspection

INSPECTION
The

term inspection can be defined as the

activity of examining the products, its
components, sub-assemblies, or materials out
of which it is made, and to determine whether
they adhere to design
specifications.
The design specifications are prescribed by
the product designer.

Types of Inspection
Classification of inspection is based on the amount of
information derived from the inspection procedure
about the items conformance to its specifications .
Inspection for variables, in which, appropriate
measuring instruments or sensors are used to measure
one or more quality characteristics.
Inspection for attributes, where the parts or products
are inspected to conform to the inspected quality
standard. The determination is sometimes based simply
on the judgement of inspector. Attribute inspection
involves counting the number of defects in a product.

Inspection Accuracy
There are normally two errors committed on
the part of manufacturers while
carrying out the inspection.
These two kinds of mistake are called Type I
and Type II errors.
Type I error occurs when a good lot is
rejected and is called producers risk.
Type II error occurs when a bad lot is
accepted and is called consumers risk.

In manual inspection, these errors result

from factors such as :
(i) Complexity and difficulty incurred while
performing an inspection task.
(ii) Inherent variations in the inspection
procedure.
(iii) Requirement of judgment by the human
inspector.
(iv) Mental fatigue.
(v) Inaccuracies or problems with the gages
or measuring instruments used in the
inspection procedure.

After establishing methodology for an

automated system, inspection errors occur
due to factors such as :
(i) Complexity and difficulty of the inspection
task.
(ii) Resolution of the inspection sensors
affected by gain and similar control
parameters setting.
(iii) Malfunctioning of equipments.
(iv) Faults or bugs in the computer
program controlling the inspection
procedure.

The capability of the inspection

process to avoid these types of errors
is termed as inspection accuracy.
Inspection accuracy is high when few
or no errors are committed.

Inspection vs. Testing

Quality control (QC) utilizes both
inspection and testing procedures that are
equally important in a companys quality
control program.
Testing is a term in quality control
referring to assessment of functional aspects
of product whereas inspection is used to
assess the quality and its design
specifications.

Automated Inspection
Automated inspection can be defined as the automation of one
or more of the steps involved in the inspection procedure.
There are a number of alternative ways in which automated or
semi automated inspection can be implemented:
1. Automated presentation of parts by an automatic handling
system with a human operator still performing the
examination and decision steps.
2. Automated examination and decision by an automatic
inspection machine, with manual loading (presentation) of
parts into the machine.
3. Completely automated inspection system in which parts
presentation, examination, and decision are all performed
automatically.

Where and When to Inspect

Inspection can be performed at any of several
places in production:
1.Receiving inspection, when raw materials
and parts are received from suppliers.
2.At various stages of manufacture, and
3.Before shipment to the customer.

Off-Line and On-Line Inspection

The timing of the inspection procedure in
relation to the manufacturing process is an
important consideration in quality control.
Two alternative situations can be
distinguished:
1.Off-line inspection.
2.On-line inspection.

Off-Line Inspection
Off-line inspection is performed away from the manufacturing
process, and there is generally a time delay between processing
and inspection.
Manual inspection is common.

On-Line Inspection
The alternative to off-line inspection is on-line
inspection, in which the procedure is performed when
the parts are made, either as
An integral step in the processing or assembly
operation, or
Immediately afterward.
Two on-line inspection
distinguished:
On-line/in-process.
On-line/post-process.

procedures

can

be

On-Line/ in-process Inspection

The is achieved by performing the inspection procedure
during the manufacturing operation.
As the parts are being made, the inspection procedure is
measuring or gaging the parts simultaneously.

Technologically,
automated
on-line/in-process
inspection of the product is usually difficult and
expensive to implement, As an alternative, on-line/
post-process procedures are often used.

On-Line/ post-process Inspection

The measurement or gaging procedure is accomplished
immediately following the production process.
Even though it follows the process, it is still considered
an on-line method because it is integrated with the
manufacturing workstation, and the results of the
inspection can immediately influence the production
operation of the next part.

Contact vs. Non-contact Inspection Techniques

Inspection techniques can be divided into two broad
categories:
1. Contact Inspection.
2. Non-contact Inspection.
In contact inspection, physical contact is made between
the object and the measuring or gaging instrument.
In non-contact inspection no physical contact is made.

Contact Inspection Techniques

Contact inspection involves the use of a mechanical probe or
other device that makes contact with the object being inspected.
The purpose of the probe is to measure or gage the object in
some way.
Contact inspection is usually concerned with some physical
dimension of the part.
These techniques are widely used in the manufacturing
industries, in particular the production of metal parts (metal
working processes)
The principal contact technologies are:
Conventional measuring and gaging instruments, manual
and automated.
Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs)
Stylus type surface texture measuring machines.

Contact Inspection Techniques

Conventional measuring and gaging techniques and coordinate
measuring machines measure dimensions and related
specifications.
Conventional techniques and CMMs compete with each other in
the measurement and inspection of part dimensions. The
general application ranges for the different types are presented
in the PQ chart below

Contact Inspection Techniques

Reasons why contact inspection methods are
technologically and commercially important include
the following:
1. They are the most widely used inspection
technologies today.
2. They are accurate and reliable.
3. In many cases, they represent the only methods
available to accomplish the inspection.

Non-Contact Inspection Techniques

Non-contact inspection methods utilize a sensor located at a
certain distance from the object to measure or gage the desired
features.
The non-contact inspection technologies can be classified into
two categories:
1. Optical inspection
2. Non-optical inspection
Optical inspection technologies make use of light to accomplish
the measurement or gaging cycle. The most important optical
technology is machine vision.
Non-optical inspection technologies utilize energy forms other
than light to perform the inspection: these other energies
include various electrical fields, radiation, and ultrasonics.

Coordinate Measuring Machines

Coordinate metrology is concerned with the
measurement of the actual shape and dimensions of an
object and comparing these with the desired shape and
dimensions.
In this connection, coordinate metrology consists of the
evaluation of the location, orientation, dimensions, and
geometry of the part or object.
A Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is an
electromechanical system designed to perform
coordinate metrology.

Coordinate Measuring Machines

A CMM consists of a constant probe that can be positioned in
3D space relative to the surface of a work part, and the x, y, and
z coordinates of the probe can be accurately and precisely
recorded to obtain dimensional data concerning the part
geometry

Coordinate Measuring Machines

To accomplish measurements in 3D, a basic CMM is
composed of the following components:
Probe head and probe to contact the work part
surface.
Mechanical structure that provides motion of the
probe in three Cartesian axes and displacement
transducers to measure the coordinate values of
each axis.
In addition, many CMM have the following
components:
Drive system and control unit to move each of the
three axes
Digital computer system with application software.

Constructional Details of CMM

The construction of CMM can best be
described with the help of its two basic
components:
(1) Probe and
(2) Mechanical structure.

Probe

The contact probe is an important component of

CMM.
The probe is fastened to mechanical structure that
allows movement of probe relative to the part.
When contact has been made with part surface
during measurement.
The tip of the probe is made of ruby ball. Ruby is a
form of Corundum (aluminum oxide).
High hardness for wear resistance and low density
for minimum inertia are the required
characteristics for the application of ruby in probe.

TYPES OF PROBES

Two general categories

1. Contact

Touch-trigger probe
Analog scanning probe
2. Noncontact
For inspection of printed circuit board,
measuring a clay of wax model, when the
object being measured would be deformed by
the for of stylus
laser probes
video probes

Contact probes
1.

2.

Touch trigger probe

As the sensor makes contact with the part, the
difference in contact resistance indicates that the probe
has been deflected
The computer records this contact point coordinate
space
An LED light and an audible signal usually indicate
contact
Touch probe assemblies consist of three components;
probe head, probe and stylus
Analog scanning probe
Use to measure contour surfaces, complex, irregular
Remains in contact with the surface of the part as it
moves
Improve the speed and accuracy

Non-contact probe
1.

Laser scanning probe

Laser probes project a light beam onto the surface of a

part
When the light beam is triggered, the position of beam
is read by triangulation through a lens in the probe
receptor
Laser tool have a high degree of speed and accuracy
2.

Video probe
The feature are measured by computer count of the

pixels of the electronic image

The camera is capable of generating multitude of
measurements points within a single video frame

Probe head, probes and stylus

Multiple shapes of stylus

Mechanical Structure

In order to achieve the motion of the probe,

various physical components are used.
Mechanical configurations of CMM are
categorized into six types. Each has advantages
and disadvantages associated with them. These
are :

Cantilever type

A vertical probe moves in the z-axis

Carried by a cantilevered arm that
moves in the y-axis
This arm also moves laterally through
the x-axis
Advantage- a fixed table allows good
accessibility to the work piece
Disadvantage- the bending caused by the
cantilever design
The cantilever design offers a long table
with relatively small measuring ranges
in the other two axis.
Suitable for measuring long, thin part

Moving bridge type

Most widely used
Has stationary table to support
work piece to be measured and
a moving bridge
Disadvantage- with this design,
the phenomenon of yawing
(sometimes called walking) can
occur- affect the accuracy
Advantage- reduce bending
effect

Fixed bridge type

In the fixed bridge configuration, the
bridge is rigidly attached to the
machine bed
This design eliminates the
phenomenon of walking and provides
high rigidity

Column type
Often referred to as universal
measuring machine instead of
CMM
The column type CMM
construction provides exceptional
rigidity and accuracy
These machines are usually
reserved for gage rooms rather
than inspection

Horizontal arm type

Unlike the previous machines, the

basic horizontal arm-type CMM
Also referred to as layout machine
Has a moving arm, and the probe is
carried along the y-axis
Advantage- provides a large area,
unobstructed work area
Ideal configuration for measurement
of automobile parts

Gantry type

The support of work piece is

independent of the x and y axes,
both are overhead, supported by
four vertical columns rising from
the floor
This setup allows you to walk
along the work piece with the
probe, which is helpful for
extremely large pieces

Gantry configuration with dual linear motor

drives, laser scales an online compensation

CMM Mechanical Structure

(a) Cantilever

(b) Moving bridge

(c) Fixed bridge

CMM Mechanical Structure

(d) Horizontal Arm

(e) Gantry

(f) Column

CMM Operation and Programming

Positioning the probe relative to the part can be accomplished in
several ways, ranging from manual operation to direct
computer control.
Computer-controlled CMMs operate much like CNC machine
tools, and these machines must be programmed.
CMM Controls

The methods of operating and controlling a CMM can

be classified into four main categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Manual drive,
Manual drive with computer-assisted data processing,
Motor drive with computer-assisted data processing, and
Direct Computer Control with computer-assisted data
processing.

CMM Controls
In manual drive CMM, the human operator physically move the
probe along the machines axes to make contact with the part
and record the measurements.
The measurements are provided by a digital readout, which the
operator can record either manually or with paper print out.
Any calculations on the data must be made by the operator.
A CMM with manual drive and computer-assisted data processing
provides some data processing and computational capability for
performing the calculations required to evaluate a give part
feature.
The types of data processing and computations range from
simple conversioons between units to more complicated
geometry calculations, such as determining the angle between
two planes.

CMM Controls
A motor-driven CMM with computer-assisted data processing uses
electric motors to drive the probe along the machine axes under
operator control.
A joystick or similar device is used as the means of controlling
the motion.
Motor-driven CMMs are generally equipped with data
processing to accomplish the geometric computations required
in feature assessment.
A CMM with direct computer control (DCC) operates like a CNC
machine tool. It is motorized and the movements of the
coordinate axes are controlled by a dedicated computer under
program control.
The computer also performs the various data processing and
calculation functions.
As with a CNC machine tool, the DCC CMM requires part
programming.

DCC CMM Programming

There are twp principle methods of programming a DCC
measuring machine:
1. Manual lead through method.
2. Off-line programming.
In the Manual Lead through method, the operator leads the
CMM probe through the various motions required in the
inspection sequence, indicating the points and surfaces that are
to be measured and recording these into the control memory.
During regular operation, the CMM controller plays back the
program to execute the inspection procedure.
Off-line Programming is accomplished in the manner of
computer-assisted NC part programming, The program is
prepared off-line based on the part drawing and then
downloaded to the CMM controller for execution.