TEST & MEASUREMENT A
n increasing number of industrial applications require reflective surfaces to be recognised and measured. For example, in electronics manufacturing,
smartphone production and in the automotive industry when producing mirrors or checking for paint defects on finished car bodies. In order to detect a fault or defect on these surfaces, OEMs require high precision measuring systems that detect deviations in the surface structure to sub-micrometer accuracies.
HIGH PRECISION SURFACE SCAN USING DEFLECTOMETRY
For all these fields of application, Micro-Epsilon has developed the reflectCONTROL sensor series, which is based on the deflectometry measuring principle. Here, the sensor displays a sinusoidal striped pattern via a monitor, which is reflected into the sensor’s cameras via the surface of the object being measured, for example, a car body. The resulting phase images can be used to calculate ‘kernel’ images based on the measured variables of base intensity, amplitude and curvature. Deviations on the surface are detected, processed by the software and displayed in the reflectivity and curvature images.
HIGH RESOLUTION MEASURING SYSTEM The reflectCONTROL Automotive measurement system from Micro-Epsilon (also known as PSS 8005-D) has a measurement area of 367.5 mm x 823.4 mm. The sensors measure the smallest of defects at a resolution of 185 µm and operate with a measurement data acquisition time of 400 ms. The supply voltage is 24 V DC with a power consumption of less than 200 W. This high precision, high resolution benefits leading vehicle manufacturers in paint defect inspection. In the past, these companies relied on light tunnels where skilled workers would use fixed lighting systems and cameras to detect defects in the paintwork. Alternatively, systems whereby the car body would move past static sensors on a conveyor belt were also used to detect defects. However, both options are very error-prone for different reasons.
SHORTER CYCLE TIMES
This is why car manufacturers now rely on measuring systems such as reflectCONTROL, where the vehicle chassis is brought into a fixed position. The sensors are attached to robotic arms and move across the bodywork. Micro-Epsilon chose this method because it achieves the lowest error rate and the required cycle times – the time that elapses between the inspection of two vehicles – can be met.
Two to four robot arms, each with an integrated sensor, work at each inspection station – allowing the entire chassis to be measured. For very short cycle times, two stations with four robots each
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HIGH PRECISION INSPECTION OF SURFACE DEFECTS IN AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
3D inspection systems can visualise surfaces down to the smallest detail. In the automotive industry, for example, the smallest paint defects or inclusions in the paint result in costly reworking. Inspection systems are now available that detect defects quickly and reliably, thereby reducing costs, says Glenn Wedgbrow, business development manager at Micro-Epsilon UK.
Spring 2025 UKManufacturing
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