Automated Product Inspection in Industry 4.0 Environment

Abstract

The emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies demands new techniques of measurement which would facilitate seamless integration with other devices in the wireless IoT network. Many of the existing product inspection methods cannot be deployed directly in the IoT environment. Thus, there is a need for innovative inspection techniques in the Industry 4.0 environment. In this context, the proposed inspection technique assumes special significance. Surface irregularities observed in product manufacturing can be due to chatter, vibration, worn-out cutting tools, condition of the machine tools, etc. Evaluation of surface texture helps in predicting a product’s functionality. In this work, an attempt has been made to identify the surface texture images acquired from Shaping, Milling, Electric discharge machining (E.D.M.) and Sand Blasting processes during online inspection. In addition to surface texture identification, the proposed method will also measure surface roughness and component dimensions. Thus, entire product inspection can be done online, and in a single setup. This is also an 100% online inspection method. The main contribution of this proposed research work is that all types of inspection are completed in a single set up, resulting in significant savings.