Traditional Metrology Solutions
Metrology has been our good ally for a long time. Helping us measure the way we produce car bodies and making possible for us to achieve high quality standards. The first metrology systems installed by Eines go back to 2005, installing robotic systems to measure Gap and Flush in Body in White as well as in Final Assembly with laser sensors. It was a new technology at the time, and it has been helping us for a long time.
Modern Metrology Solutions
As quality standards get better and better, also quality check solutions need to improve along with production processes. What was good a few years ago can be still applied, however it might not be the best choice of today. Industry is a complex system, with many parts involver, and it is normally accepted that solutions that work today will work always, and we are already used to them, so why won´t keep applying them. This reasoning makes sense, but it will keep us doing things the same way all our lives, and holding us back for improvement, and this is something we have to try avoid.
Specular Vision
Specular vision is a wonderful technique, even though the term is new, and we are not so familiarized with it. The theory is the following: By inspecting 1 same point with 2 different sensors, and located all parts in a 3D environment, we will be able to refer all the items in a known coordinate system. While this definition might be correct, it might not be the best way to grasp the essence of it.
Whenever I try to explain this technology, I keep it easy, and use the help of two terms that are much familiar to all of us: Triangulation and Land Surveying.Triangulation: In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by forming triangles to the point from known points.
Land Surveying:
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them.
So, now we easily understood the concept. The theory is related to triangulation, something that we all study in elemental degrees.
And the practical side we have seen it innumerable times, every time we pass through a construction site, and we see a land surveyor with his machine. The land surveyor is moving from point to point to be able to catch the same target point under different angles “Voila!”, exactly the same we are doing, but instead of having someone move, we have 2 cameras in 2 different positions per each point we want to inspect.
Black Magic: Busted!
“That sounds to me like black magic”. I’ve been told this several times, as skeptic engineers were trying to deal with their stereotypes (Again our friend “stereo” helping us). It just took a bit of patience and good discussion to reach an agreement point. I don’t blame anyone for being skeptical towards new technology, it is the correct way of thinking. And only the bravest ones will be the early implementers of new technology. And the same early implementers will be acknowledged by everyone when the new technology works and makes the difference. So, let’s get a grip of new technology, let us be brave and let us be the ones to make the difference!
