Computer-Aided Inspection Planning - The state of the art

Computer-Aided Inspection Planning (CAIP) has been a research topic for the past 25 years. Most of the CAIP systems were developed for Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs). The authors reviewed these CAIP systems and categorized them into two groups: tolerance-driven and geometry-based CAIP systems. Compared with CMMs, On-Machine Inspection (OMI) systems provide direct inspection in manufacturing and quality control, which is vital for automated production. Since the early 1990s, new CAIP systems have been developed for OMI systems. New technologies were developed in improving CAIP. New product data standards such as STEP and STEP-NC have been developed to provide standardized and comprehensive data models for machining and inspections. This paper systematically reviewed the recent development of these CAIP systems, new standard and technologies. A new notion of integrating the machining and inspection process planning based on the STEP-NC standard is discussed.