FEATURE Machine Vision Systems
Autonomous machine vision solution inspects FFP2 face masks
A manufacturer based in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, recently installed the INSPEKTO S70 autonomous machine-vision system for quality inspection of FFP2 face masks
T
o help in the fi ght against COVID-19, Inspekto, the German-Israeli pioneer of Autonomous Machine Vision,
made its signature product available to Univent Medical in Germany, a face mask manufacturer based in Baden- Württemberg, who recently established a new production line to respond to the pressing market demand for emergency supplies.
The INSPEKTO S70 is the fi rst self-contained, out-of-the-box vision inspection system for industrial quality assurance. Unlike traditional machine- vision solutions, which are custom- built and require a complex, long and time-consuming integration process, the INSPEKTO S70 is a fully-confi gured device that comes ready to use, only requiring fi nal integration on the production line. This makes it ideal for manufacturers who need reliable quality assurance fast, eliminating the need to wait for the lead times of traditional machine-vision projects, which require several weeks or even months to be developed and integrated.
Inspekto quality checking The INSPEKTO S70 has recently been installed for the quality inspection of FFP2 face masks. In particular, the system is expected to detect defects in the masks’ ultrasonic soldering, metal nose holder, straps soldering, and company and CE
logos. Inspection of the metal nose holder is of critical importance, as defective metal strips could permanently damage the cutting machine on the production line.
The results of the installation have been very positive, as the system performed accurate and reliable quality assurance, fl agging up masks that presented defects in the designated areas, as well as metal strips that could damage equipment. “Manual inspection carries a very high error rate, and we can’t allow that to happen when producing critical emergency supplies, such as face masks,” said Jürgen Eichinger, operations manager at Univent Medical. “Quality is at the core of all our operations, which is why we needed a fl exible machine-vision solution that would be quick to set up and easy to operate. We found the ideal partner in Inspekto.”
The INSPEKTO S70 is not product-
specifi c. It autonomously learns the characteristics of any new product in about an hour, from just 20 good samples, then fl ags up any abnormalities during inspection. This means that it can be used to inspect a huge variety of diff erent items.
“The face mask production line didn’t even exist until a couple of months ago,” she continued. “It has been developed through funds from the German government to help manufacturers adapt their production lines to make emergency
The INSPEKTO S70 inspecting FFP2 face masks
supplies. The INSPEKTO S70 quickly learned the characteristics of FFP2 masks, but if the plant managers decide to switch production again in the future, they can use the exact same system to inspect a completely diff erent product,” said Vanessa Pfau, Manager for Germany at Inspekto, who also remarked that the fl exibility of Inspekto’s systems will be essential to support manufacturers in the post-pandemic scene. “We are very proud to be part of the
eff ort to meet the huge demand for high-quality masks in these turbulent times,” said Ofer Nir, Inspekto CEO. “One of Inspekto’s goals is to allow all manufacturers, small or large, to deploy top notch automated quality assurance. We realised early on that manufacturers need a fl exible and cost-eff ective option to inspect their products, and that this need would become critical at some point. Now the moment has come and we are ready to help.”
FFP2 face masks on Inspekto screen
CONTACT:
Inspekto
www.inspekto.com
26 April 2021 | Automation
automationmagazine.co.uk
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