Testing & Vision Systems
With over 40 years of experience, the customer specializes in designing and manufacturing fully integrated automated systems, stand-alone assembly machines, specialized machinery, and automated secondary equipment. Their equipment offerings are tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.
The goal was to design a compact, stand-alone vision inspection machine for a leading automotive manufacturer. The machine needed to inspect clips mounted on two variants of a car spoiler.
The client requested the use of collaborative robots (Cobots) for flexibility and safety. The system had to comply with industrial safety standards.
Our team began by thoroughly researching the client's requirements and evaluating the production constraints. With our experience in industrial automation and its applications in vision and testing machines, we explored several solutions to create a compact, reliable and safe inspection system that could handle two spoiler variants without affecting accuracy or surface quality.
Our solution included five stages:
To address the space limitations, we designed a stand-alone machine with a compact footprint. The collaborative robot (Cobot) and the fixture assembly were mounted on a common base frame, ensuring structural rigidity and ease of movement.
This compact setup made the machine ideal for integration into existing lines without the need for layout changes.
Each spoiler variant required a different mounting approach for accurate inspection. To manage this, we designed dedicated fixed nests, one for each variant. These nests ensured that the spoilers were always placed in the exact same position, allowing the vision system to inspect them with high repeatability.
To protect the painted surfaces of the spoilers, we selected pattern plank material for the nest blocks. It’s a high-density, soft-touch material that prevents scratches or scuffs during loading and unloading. For secure positioning, each nest included four precision clamping units, which would gently grip the spoiler without causing any deformation or surface damage.
The core of the system was a high-resolution vision camera mounted on the Cobot’s end-of-arm tool (EOAT). The robot followed a preprogrammed path to scan all critical clip locations on the spoiler, capturing detailed images for real-time analysis. Our engineers developed a custom offline image processing program to detect clip presence, alignment, and orientation with high accuracy.
In addition, photoelectric sensors were installed to confirm whether the correct spoiler variant was seated and properly clamped before starting the inspection. This added an extra layer of reliability to the process.
Although cobots are designed for safe human interaction, we took extra steps to meet key safety standards like ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066, and ANSI/RIA R15.06. For the electrical side, we followed NFPA 79 and IEEE 315 to ensure safe wiring practices and standardized, easy-to-understand documentation.
To protect operators during inspection, light curtains were installed on the open sides. These act like invisible safety barriers that stop the machine if someone enters the area. We also incorporated a maintenance access door equipped with a safety interlock to prevent access while the machine is running.
All these safety features worked together to make the machine safe and easy to use every day on the shop floor.
To ensure long-term reliability, our Controls Engineering team conducted a full Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA). This helped us identify and address potential failure points before fabrication. Every component, from the vision system to the clamping mechanism, was chosen with both performance and durability in mind.
The vision inspection system improved the accuracy of checking both spoiler types with reliable and consistent automated inspections.
The test equipment can handle different parts with varying shapes all at once, giving it great flexibility.
The design allows easy future updates or changes without causing major downtime.
The machine is compact and standalone, saving valuable floor space and can be added anywhere on the production line.
Safety features like light curtains and safety locks protect workers and meet important industry safety standards.
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