FEATURE Automated warehousing


The secret lives of manufacturing defects


Year 2023 saw a number of high-profile recalls linked to manufacturing defects. Despite technological improvements in quality inspection, many safety-critical industries witnessed an increase in the number of defects and recalls. Here, Zohar Kantor, Chief Revenue Officer at quality inspection company QualiSense, traces how defects enter the manufacturing process and avoid detection


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t is now over a decade since the largest recall in the history of the automotive industry. In 2013, several auto makers began major recalls because of defective Takata airbags. In 2017, the Japanese parts manufacturer  the amount of compensation money was greater than that required for its survival. Despite the costs of recalls and the


 and other production professionals, manufacturing defects are still wreaking havoc a decade on. In May 2023, for example, over 30 million cars were included in an airbag recall issued by


20 May 2024 | Automation


 Administration.


 made by manufacturers to detect them, how can so many defects escape detection?


The limits of manual inspection Defects can begin at any stage of the manufacturing process due to many factors. It is generally unusual for a defect to be detected at source; instead, defective parts are only spotted at the end of the production line where, in many cases, they are extremely challenging to spot. Despite modern developments in machine vision and AI, many


manufacturers still rely on human inspection. Manual inspectors have to work at incredible speed and under continuous pressure. The human eye is remarkable, one of the most complex and sophisticated organs evolved. However, human beings are not immune to tiredness, lack of concentration or cognitive bias, and a proportion of defective parts inevitably escapes capture at this critical stage. Estimates vary, but most research places the mistake rate anywhere between 10% and 20% when using manual inspection.  inspection methods are used. If only


automationmagazine.co.uk


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