In the case of the widely used manual inspection, the quality of the inspection depends strongly on the personnel and the environmental conditions; this fact concerns the inspection of small components in production as well as the maintenance inspections of large industrial structures. The adequate interpretation of the measured values and the thorough coverage of the inspection area require a high degree of personal expertise.
In addition, companies face considerable challenges with regard to documentation. Often, inspection reports are drawn up by hand and any peculiar observations are marked on the components themselves. A digital link between the specimen and the documentation is not established. If inspections take several hours or days, errors and incomplete documentation can occur, leading to negative consequences for subsequent processes.
To solve this topic, Fraunhofer IZFP has developed the optical tracking system “3D SmartInspect“, an assistance system for manual inspections based on cognitive signal evaluation.
The system allows:
- Digital recording of the manual inspection process by cameras
- Tracking of the probe position
- Automated evaluation of the measured signals
- Automated compilation of a digital inspection protocol
Thus, this assistance system clearly relieves the processing, analysis, and control of the manual inspection: First, before the inspection the camera system is placed in a position with a good overview of the inspection area. Afterwards, the inspection personnel can start the inspection. The tracking module detects and tracks the movement of the probe and logs inspection positions and measured signals. The signals are automatically evaluated and merged with spatial coordinates for the live image. The inspected areas as well as the recorded defect indications are displayed on a control screen (notebook, tablet). Optionally, an Augmented Reality (AR) Software enables the visualization with a HoloLense. Finally, the result can be digitally transferred to a server or a data center.
Benefits
- Interactive support of the inspection personnel in the manual inspection process
- Complete scanning of the test area
- Automatic documentation of test results as proof of correct inspection performance in accordance with quality assurance requirements, transmission, and storage of evaluated material data
- Combination with collaborative robotics
- Adaptation to customer-specific requirements through the option of integrating additional sensors on the basis of further inspection principles
3D SmartInspect provides unique options for objectifying and quantifying the inspection of large and/or safety-relevant industrial structures (“NDT 4.0“) with regard to the continuous digitization of industrial working environments (“Industry 4.0“).
The 3D SmartInspect assistance system is suited for all fields of applications of manual inspection, a.o. aerospace, energy plants, large-scale equipment construction, etc.