Automatic Weld Seam Inspection

Background

The vehicle shell consists of two parts on each side, assembled using laser welding. Defects can appear near the welds, and some of these defects are small holes generated along the weld bead, less than 0.3mm, making them difficult to detect. If these small holes are not identified at the end of the production line or if the parts are not removed, cracks may develop during the forming process. If these faults are not detected before the vehicle assembly, the final result might lead to scrapping the entire vehicle shell. Utilizing a vision system allows for reliable welding inspection, quickly identifying faulty parts and removing them at the end of the stamping production line.

 

System Overview

The system employs a Cognex In-Sight camera with a high-angle annular light source. It combines the entire vision system with a linear motion mechanism to scan the entire weld area, performing high-precision step-by-step inspections of each weld area. It can inspect an area of 100cm * 3cm per minute

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Work Results

Since the system has been in operation, the normal working rate has reached over 99.3%, and the detection efficiency reaches 80 per minute. This inspection system in the automotive vehicle shell welding process has achieved good results, eliminating previous product misjudgments caused by visual fatigue of production workers. It has significantly reduced the labor intensity of production workers and improved production reliability.

 

Application Area

Product surface quality inspection, welding quality inspection.