Sciemetric Instruments a pioneer of Industry 4.0 smart technologies used by global manufacturers to increase yield, improve quality and optimize manufacturing processes, has released QualityWorX Vision – a flexible new data management and analytics platform that harnesses machine vision image data to help drive quality and productivity.
Machine vision is a multibillion-dollar market as manufacturers increasingly turn to using this technology for automated quality inspection. With the Industry 4.0 trend towards using data for more than basic traceability, the challenge becomes how best to handle terabytes of images and image datasets in production real time. QualityWorX Vision sets a new standard for managing and using this data, enabling manufacturers to improve and optimize their investments in machine vision inspection.
QualityWorX Vision provides manufacturers with the one of the first comprehensive answers to this challenge. Images and image data can be collected and archived in a centralized database, from either a single station or an entire production line. More importantly, this image data can then be analyzed with the other datasets that pertain to a specific part or assembly. The result is real-time insights that empower smarter decision making.
QualityWorX Vision allows quality and manufacturing engineers to:
- Collect and store images, including image overlay information, along with their scalar data and digital process signatures – no more walking down to the production line with a USB stick to get the data.
- Launch, calibrate and set limits for machine vision stations faster with access to images, SPC histograms and trend data for quick upper and lower specification verification.
- Eliminate silos by collecting data from a single machine vision station, multiple vision stations or all stations on the plant floor (e.g., leak test, fastening systems, in-process test stations, etc.) into one consolidated part history record. No other image data system on the market has this flexibility.
- Collect data from major image vendors such as Cognex and Keyence into one system, with more on the way.
- Carry out selective warranty recalls, faster root cause analysis and issue resolution through advanced data analytics and access to consolidated birth histories with images, scalar data and digital process signatures.
Image data can now be used in tandem with other datasets such as scalars and digital process signatures to drive continuous quality improvements for higher first-time yields, and to reduce scrap and rework rates and warranty claims.
“Forward-thinking manufacturers understand that data is the key to unlocking a truly smart factory that is more efficient and more profitable,” said Mathew Daniel, Sciemetric’s Vice President of Operations. “But this requires user-friendly tools capable of collecting all relevant production data by serial number so it can be retrieved and analyzed as needed to trace and address root cause when problems arise. By adding Vision capability to our QualityWorX platform, we are helping manufacturers optimize their existing machine vision investments and make that data do more.”
