Ceramic Tile Border Defect Detection Algorithms in Automated Visual Inspection System

Automated Visual Inspection Systems (AVIS) are becoming increasingly popular due to low cost maintenance and high accuracy. Ceramic tile factories, for example, are very much interested in these sorts of systems. This paper introduces a different strategy in ceramic tile inspection system to reveal four major problems, namely, edge curvature, thickness, size measuring and edge crack defects. It is believed that this method will cover edge curvature defects and thickness measuring of ceramic tiles in AVIS with recommending an individual algorithm for each defect based on line feature extraction techniques. In addition, it is assumed that our model makes size measuring and edge defects detection easier and more accurate rather than previous approaches. This proposed model will allow ceramic tile companies to perform quality control inspection without costly measuring tools or error-prone inspection by humans. Moreover, factories have to install and apply Flatness Control Machine (FCM) to measure the flatness curvature of ceramic tiles. This machine keeps the ceramic tiles in fixed position to investigate the upper surface only. But our strategy is independent of a specific position through inspection in various angles from top and side views. We hope that our model, which is prominent in low cost implementation, will enable companies to apply this method in different situations in their manufacturing production line systems. Hence, it will assist them to produce not only more accurate reports on defects but also permit improved manufacturing of quality products. [Ehsan Golkar, Ahmed Patel, Leila Yazdi, Anton Satria Prabuwono. Ceramic Tile Border Defect Detection Algorithms in Automated Visual Inspection System. Journal of American Science 2011;7(6):542-550]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org.