‘’Some newer systems have reached positive detection rates as high as 95-99.9% across multiple colors and body types. The result is highly precise defect data, including type and location, which can then be automatically assigned to different robots based on their optimal position and availability’’- 3M
Introduction to new technologies
Continuous improvement in manufacturing technologies and processes is one of the keys to being able to adapt to a world where speed and flexibility in manufacturing is becoming an increasingly indispensable requirement. We live in a world where we want everything as digitised as possible and we want it fast. The automotive industry is not exempt from this. And just like other industries it has an elaborate branch of phases that must be fulfilled with qualities that, as we at Eines Vision Systems like to say, reach the State-of-Art.
We know that it takes 6 hours, 200 robots and around 2000 workers approximately to be able to carry out this laborious task – according to an article in Soy moto, 2020 -. So, bearing in mind that the painthsop phase is so hard and complex, are we going to waste the opportunity to be able to detect and repair collateral damages in an efficient and reliable manner in order to not decrease our quality? Why keep vision technologies and automated autorepair systems on the back burner after spending so many hours on the visible face of the car?
Correct detection at the right time is what determines efficiency in manufacturing plants. What options do we have for this painting process? Our friends at 3M have given us the possibility to join forces and not only use our vision systems for the detection of these processes but also to put their Autorrepair systems together to keep the standard of quality as higher as we can.
Eines Quality Inspector
So let’s take it one step at a time. Once the car is painted and the painting phase is finished, it would pass through a conveyor and in motion through our inspection tunnel. Our tunnel consists of high-resolution cameras and LED lights that reflect all the small details to be checked and that, with the movement of the car itself, are seen. Simultaneously, thousands of images per second are taken, which will later be used to keep a record of the car’s history. Thanks to our software and the use of artificial intelligence, we detect and classify the defects, which are then sent to subsequent processes to repair these defects. These inspections will be reflected in reports and graphs – at the customer’s request – to measure performance and detection capability.
3M Autorepair
Now we get to the repair process. In addition to resolving a great deal of the complexity associated with automation issues, 3M has outperformed manual procedures in terms of defect remediation. Where a manual repair is prone to factors such as human mistake, which can lead to the formation of secondary flaws, its automated system relies on accurate and active speed management to accomplish better and better repairs. In addition to being able to carry out repairs reliably, the robots can also adapt their methods according to the features of the defect or kind of substrate, and they can even carry out sophisticated repairs that are typically impossible for a manual operation to carry out consistently
Customization
Which brings us to the customisation part. Both systems have the possibility of customisation to suit the customer’s needs. We know that no two plants are the same and that processes vary from plant to plant. For this reason, specifications and good advice are essential to reach the state-of-art.
Webinar invitation
But as it is better to see it than to tell it, we invite you to our webinar on 25th September where you can find out more about the new emerging technologies and you can also ask us questions and see who is behind all these systems.
Are you ready to make your plant smart?
We leave you the link here for registration: Revolutionizing Automotive Paint Quality: Automated Defect Detection Tunnel and Robotic Paint Repair Solutions
EXCLUSIVE FOR AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS!