Quality assurance in foundries using automated visual inspection techniques

An important aim of automation is to increase productivity and to decrease costs. In the past automation was mainly focused on steering and controlling motions and operation sequences. In many cases the sensory capabilities of automated production systems are underdeveloped and quality inspection is still carried out manually and visually. By using automated visual inspection systems and digital image processing techniques it is possible to detect defects and deviations at an early stage of the value creation chain. Thus, the high productivity of an automated production system can be enhanced reasonably by a 100 % monitoring whether the goods produced achieve the required quality level. This paper is concerned with automated visual inspection systems for core shops and foundries. A number of different application examples are discussed and the key ideas are explained. They all are based on sophisticated illumination techniques and elaborated optical front ends – the most important prerequisites for powerful inspection systems.