Surface Inspection, Retrofit

Inspection of Filter Components

Maddox AI enables reliable and fully automated visual inspection of filter components in high-volume automotive series production. Even defects that are difficult to detect and visually very similar to good parts can be identified precisely — while maintaining extremely short cycle times.

Product

Filter components

Industry

Automotive

Total savings / year​

220-240k €

Customer Request

Our customer manufactures filter components for the automotive industry in very high volumes. With well over one million parts produced per day, quality inspection must maintain extremely short cycle times while also ensuring a detection rate of more than 99.9%.

Image capture is carried out using an industrial camera controller from Keyence. The images are then transferred to the Maddox AI system via FTP. The inspection result must subsequently be transmitted to the PLC so that defective parts can be reliably and automatically removed from the production line.

Before the introduction of Maddox AI, a rule-based image processing system was used. However, due to the high variability among good parts and the sometimes very similar visual appearance of good and defective parts, this system was unable to reliably distinguish between OK and NOK parts.

The result was a high false reject rate: many actually defect-free parts were incorrectly classified as scrap. This led to unnecessary material loss and reduced production efficiency.

The goal was therefore to significantly reduce the false reject rate without affecting the high-speed requirements of production.

Before

Previous Inspection System

After

With Maddox AI

Due to the high variability among good parts, the system was unable to reliably distinguish between OK and NOK parts. Result: High scrap costs

The AI-based inspection reliably distinguishes between real defects and permissible product variations. Result: Significantly reduced material and scrap costs

Several days of maintenance effort per month due to re-calibration of the camera system.

No recalibration effort and no downtime caused by the inspection system.

Before

Previous Inspection System

Due to the high variability among good parts, the system was unable to reliably distinguish between OK and NOK parts. Result: High scrap costs

Several days of maintenance effort per month due to re-calibration of the camera system.

After

With Maddox AI

The AI-based inspection reliably distinguishes between real defects and permissible product variations. Result: Significantly reduced material and scrap costs

No recalibration effort and no downtime caused by the inspection system.

85 %

Less pseudo scrap

40-50 ms

Inference time per part

>1 Mio.

Inspected parts per day

Would you like to learn more about our solution? – Test for free now!

Thanks to Maddox AI’s device and software, incorrectly assembled components and other damages can be detected and tracked to a specific PCB.
Thanks to Maddox AI, the codes and labels on different cartons are reliably recognized, read, matched as well as rejected and re-evaluated in case of discrepancy.
By upgrading to the Maddox AI software, an existing camera system was significantly improved. Pseudo-scrap was drastically reduced, eliminating the need for manual re-inspections and increasing process reliability.