Image Processing - A New Tool For Quality Control

The application of image processing technology in production situations is now practicable. This is due to the availability of low cost computing and sensing devices with which to exploit the considerable body of techniques which have been demonstrated. The most obvious and probably profitable use of such technology is in providing reliable inspection and visual monitoring devices where existing manual methods are unreliable and expensive. The cost-of-quality in manufacturing industry is UK alone runs into hundreds of millions of pounds and novel methods are required to augment existing methods of quality control in order to reduce this cost. Image processing techniques offer new tools for use in quality assurance with properties not available with more conventional techniques. These include tolerance of misalignment and no mechanical contact with objects under inspection, and an ability to inspect several parts per second making economically possible 100% inspection of parts. This is significant if such parts are to be assembled automatically.