“How does your company differentiate itself?
”We stand out from the competition when it comes to designing automated inspection systems. These are systems that touch several categories of technology. We master optics, photonics and imaging. We also work on these components: automation, software, algorithms and artificial intelligence. We have to master these aspects to be able to deliver automated inspection systems that will stand out.
“How do your systems add value for your customers?
“What makes us different is that we tackle projects that are more complex. Projects that can’t just be handled by the technologies that are available. They require integration and development to achieve the expected result. In other words, we will automate the visual inspection process that is often done manually in the plants. Our systems allow uniformity and objectivity in the detection of imperfections on products. Finally, these systems are very powerful and can operate continuously 24/7 at full speed.
“How can a plant manager see the added value of your product?
”One of the added values is the digitization of the results. Our system will provide digital data with pictures. This data allows the plant manager or the quality manager to do data mining which means that he can see in real time, today or in the last hour, what are the rejection levels, what are the quality problems, etc. Eventually, this can allow performance reviews of the manufacturing processes and to dig into the different types of defects that are repeated the most. It is possible to go and look at the picture to understand what happened. The second added value is the quick, almost instantaneous result. The quick feedback allows the optimization of the production process and therefore an adjustment in efficiency. It can also reduce the number of rejected items at the end of the production line.
“What would you like to say to managers who are still hesitant to use your systems?
“The major benefits that a system like this will bring are in the objectivity of the inspection. We ensure consistency in the results. Then there is the important contribution of the digitization of all the results. These data can greatly help decision makers in the pursuit of their objectives. The least talked about aspect is that it provides a really important tool for the operators, for the people who work on the floor. Let’s take the example of our tire inspection system. It’s a very tedious, time-consuming job. It can easily take one to two hours to inspect a tire because the operator has to check each character and logo to make sure they are all there and in order. In addition, looking at everything on the front of a tire takes a lot of time. Secondly, it’s more practical to look at high-resolution pictures rather than small black-on-black characters. That’s why the system is more convenient to use compared to a manual inspection. In addition, productivity is increased since the inspection is done within 15 minutes compared to a few hours, time that can be put to better use. The quick validation of the first item off the production line allows the presses to be restarted a faster.”