Automatic quality control and inspection systems

Supply of a good quality product or a system to the market is the basic aim of the manufacturing industry. The product should satisfy the needs of the customers and it must be reliable. To achieve this important product-parameter during a short lead time is really a challenge to the manufacturing industry. This can be achieved by building up the ‘quality’ right from the product design stage; and maintaining the standards during the ‘production stages’ till the product-delivery to the market.

A number of sensors and systems have been developed that can monitor quality continuously  with or without the assistance of the operator. These technologies include various sensors and data acquisition systems, machine vision systems, metrology instruments such as co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM), optical profilometers, digital calipers and screw gauges etc. Now days the quality control activities are being carried out right from the design stage of product development. Various physics based simulation software is used to predict the performance of the product or the system to be developed. In the manufacture of products such as spacecrafts or airplanes, all the components are being critically monitored by using the digital imaging systems throughout their development.

In the next module we will study the various sensors, signal conditioning devices and data  conversion  devices  which  are  commonly   used  in  mechatronics  and manufacturing automation.

Assignment 1 Visit to your nearby tool room or CNC work shop and prepare a case study on a real life example on tool wear monitoring system employed in the same.

Assignment 2 Differentiate between an FMS and a CIM system. Prepare a report on how automation can enhance the productivity of a mold-making tool room to cater the changing customer demands in terms of shape, size and quality of molds.