New perspectives in surface inspection
The high-precision ZEISS ABIS II surface inspection system opens up new frontiers in quality assurance. The surface quality of a product – particularly in the automotive industry – constitutes an important criterion for customers and is generally associated with the quality and value of the entire vehicle, making the timely detection and objective classification of defects all the more important. This is where the ZEISS ABIS II comes into play by ensuring cost-saving and resource-reducing production processes in the medium term.
The majority of defects which can occur during the production process are 'invisible' at the early stages of manufacture. These defects only become visually perceptible later once subsequent processing steps such as paint work have been completed. "Reworking these defects which are reproduced across the entire process requires a considerable amount of manpower and time. This may significantly affect the manufacturing process," says Hubert Lechner, Account Manager in the Surface Inspection department at the ZEISS Industrial Metrology business group. The costs of correcting these defects increase drastically with each subsequent stage in the production cycle: from the press shop to the body and paint shop all the way to final assembly. "With the ZEISS ABIS II systems, surface defects can be identified directly at the production step where they occur," explains Lechner.
ZEISS ABIS systems can be used with various upgrades and in different ambient conditions. These systems capture defects on the component quickly, reliably and with great precision, keeping laborious reworking to a minimum in process stages, such as on the finish band. Numerous renowned automotive manufacturers and suppliers are successfully using the ZEISS ABIS II surface inspection system with a wide range of configurations. The system's areas of application includes routine off-line auditing at regular intervals and the fully automated in-line inspection of parts at the end of a press line.
"Our customers have found the ZEISS ABIS surface inspection system to be an efficient measurement tool in press shops and for car body construction. They are impressed by the repeatability and objectivity of the inspection results, the extremely short inspection times as compared to manual audits and the system's uptime, even with design-oriented, complex surface runs," says Hubert Lechner.
Quality assurance with the ZEISS ABIS II significantly optimizes the sustainability of production processes through significant savings in work resources and raw materials.