Printed Surface Defect Heatmaps for Color Product Quality Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for visualizing print defects in retail packaging do not provide an intuitive understanding of the quality of the printing job as a whole or clear corrective actions for operators, as they lack the ability to overlay defect information on the actual printed design and do not account for defect severity and frequency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generates a visualization heatmap overlaying defect severity and location on the printed design, allowing operators to quickly identify and address defects by displaying them relative to the actual product and process, using pixel-by-pixel comparisons and database integration for defect tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If defect positions are noted on a virtual roll map without printed designs, then defect locations can be recorded, but operators cannot clearly understand where defects fell on the actual design or identify patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a visual copy of the actual printed design and overlays defect markings directly onto this copy, allowing operators to see defect locations in the context of the real printed patterns rather than abstract coordinates on a virtual roll map
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a one-dimensional virtual roll map to a two-dimensional visual representation that overlays defect information directly onto the printed design image, adding spatial context and enabling pattern recognition
2Loss of information
If all defects are displayed equally without severity differentiation, then complete defect data is provided, but operators cannot prioritize corrective actions or understand defect impact
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different visual properties (colors, intensities, or symbols) to different defects based on their severity and frequency, allowing operators to quickly identify and prioritize the most critical defects that require immediate corrective action
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses color variations to encode defect severity and frequency information, enabling operators to intuitively understand defect impact without needing to interpret numerical data or abstract representations
3Loss of information
If operators manually review defect databases to locate and assess defects, then comprehensive defect analysis is possible, but this process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates visualizations of defect distribution and severity without requiring manual intervention, allowing operators to receive ready-to-analyze visual reports that eliminate time-consuming manual data review processes
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual defect review processes with automated computer-generated visualizations, substituting human manual analysis with algorithmic image processing and automatic defect pattern recognition
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for controlling production of color products includes receiving a reference image for a color product; producing a plurality of color products corresponding to the color product in the reference image; acquiring a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of color products; determining whether an appearance defect exists for each of the plurality of color products by comparing each image of the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of color products to the reference image; for each detected appearance defect, determining a severity of the appearance defect; generating a visualization of appearance defects on an image of the color product based on the severity of the appearance defect and a frequency of occurrence of the appearance defect; and adjusting production of the color product in response to the visualization of appearance defects to reduce the severity or frequency of occurrence of the appearance defect.