Automotive paint quality inspection

• Grant number: 18/26444-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: December 01, 2019 - November 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Manufacturing Processes
• Convênio/Acordo: FINEP - PIPE/PAPPE Grant
• Principal Investigator: Jorge Augusto de Bonfim Gripp
• Grantee: Jorge Augusto de Bonfim Gripp
• Host Company: Autaza Tecnologia S/A
• CNAE: Fabricação de máquinas e equipamentos para uso industrial específico não especificados anteriormente ; Fabricação de automóveis, camionetas e utilitários
• City: São José dos Campos
• Associated researchers: Jorge Augusto de Bonfim Gripp
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/06629-1 - Automotive paint quality inspection, BP.TT; 19/25384-2 - Automotive Paint Quality Inspection, BP.TT

Abstract

The industry considers the appearance of the product as a brand differential to win customers. Particularly on a shiny, reflective surface, such as that of a car, impeccable, high-quality manufacturing is expected. For this reason, the automotive industry does a strict quality control of the painting that covers the body of the automobiles during the manufacture. A smooth surface with no scratches or bubbles suggests the manufacturer's technical superiority over its competitors. Inspection of automotive paint is usually done visually by trained inspectors, who look for paint defects for subsequent rework or polishing. In addition to being an intense, repetitive and time-consuming work for each inspection, this evaluation is subject to the subjectivity of the inspector and has low reproducibility. This project features an automated automotive paint quality inspection solution that will improve the objectivity and reproducibility of the inspection. The product of this project is a Paint Inspection Cell, containing equipment and software to assist the automotive industry to ensure the quality of painting of their products during manufacture. Cameras are used to capture images of the body of the car, which is illuminated with a special pattern of lights that reflects on the body. The software analyzes the integrity and variations in photography light patterns, performs the analysis and creates an automatic report that shows the identified paint defects and their classification using color, facilitating communication for correction teams. By adding automated inspection equipment, factory operators will be able to use all of their time to correct defects without wasting time on the search and inspection of paint irregularities, which makes factory work much more productive. In addition, the system will generate a new amount of quality data, which allows one to track manufacturing issues. The company AUTAZA is a startup in the field of computer vision and quality inspection for the industry, started in 2016 from a project between university (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) and automotive industry (General Motors). In 2017 and 2018 Autaza obtained PIPE Phases 1 and 3 projects for the creation of an equipment for the inspection of kneading in automotive parts. The main differential of its products is to deliver, not only the metrology, but a recommendation of the severity of the defects. (AU)