XRHRobotStar: High-volume in-line inspection

The XRHRobotStar is a digital X-ray robot-system that allows an ultra-fast in-line inspection. The innovative Automated Defect Recognition (ADR) and optimized process make it the fasted in-line system worldwide. The throughput can be increased by using a cluster of several systems.

The underlying principle is that a loading robot on the outside handles the incoming parts and distributes the inspected parts, while the robot on the inside has a C-Arm with mounted X-ray components. The acquired images are automatically processed by the in-house developed ADR and checked for critical defects or other user defined criteria. The patented system is Industry 4.0 ready and used mainly by automotive suppliers with high production volume.

This system is innovative in many different ways. First of all, VisiConsult was granted a patent for its novel operation principle. The highly parallelized setup allows shortest cycle times. As an example: A medium sized casting part of roughly 500 mm has a total cycle time of 16 seconds with a total amount of 10 test positions. VisiConsult as a solution provider for customized X-ray systems adapts the system directly on the existing manufacturing line for every customer. Below are the main innovation areas:

Flexibility: VisiConsult just registered a patent for the revolutionary concept of combining a 3D stereo-camera with an automated X-ray system. The camera notes the offset towards the reference position for every part and allows the robot to automatically track the part. Combined with a novel image registration and robust ADR algorithms this innovation eliminates the need for expensive and inflexible part holders.

Industry 4.0: The system is fully interconnected and embedded to the ERP/MES systems of the customer. With single part traceability the system is therefore even fulfilling demanding automotive or aerospace standards. Operators can pull up specific images at any time. Inspection data can also be used for process optimization. The knowledge of specific defect distribution is a valuable insight, which can be used by process engineers.

Automation: Of course, physically the system is completely automated and designed to run 24/7 without human interaction. But more important is the digital side of the system. The in-house developed Automated Defect Recognition (ADR) is able to fully evaluate the acquired images. Typical casting defects like porosities, inclusions and geometry deviations are detected and measured. A broad variety of criteria, which can be defined by the user, can be used as a threshold.