Industrial Tomography for Product Composition Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of effective and systematic methods for checking the composition of industrial products comprising multiple primary parts, including correct positioning, quantity, and integrity, which are crucial for meeting production and packaging specifications, and existing solutions only attempt to improve production lines or conduct posteriori sampling checks.
Innovation Solution
An industrial tomography apparatus and method that uses x-ray computed tomography to create a virtual three-dimensional model of products, allowing for precise assessment of predetermined properties such as position, quantity, dimensions, and integrity of primary parts through segmentation, assessment, and classification steps, with the aid of neural networks for enhanced accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional production line improvements and sampling checks are used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision and reliability of composition verification are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the product into primary parts through virtual segmentation in 3D space. The tomography apparatus creates a three-dimensional virtual model that segments the product into distinct primary parts, allowing individual assessment of each part's properties such as position, quantity, dimensions, and integrity without physical disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a virtual three-dimensional copy of the product through tomography scanning. This virtual model replicates the physical product's internal and external structure, enabling non-destructive inspection and analysis of composition without affecting the actual product.
2Reliability
If comprehensive composition checking is implemented, then product quality reliability is improved, but inspection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous inspection by integrating the tomography apparatus into the production line, allowing products to be inspected continuously as they move through the manufacturing process. This eliminates the need for separate batch sampling and provides real-time quality feedback without stopping production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing composition verification early in the production process rather than as a final check. This allows for early detection of composition deviations, enabling corrective actions to be taken before products proceed further down the production line, thereby reducing waste and rework time.
3Manufacturing precision
If detailed assessment of primary parts is performed, then manufacturing precision verification is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional surface inspection to three-dimensional volumetric analysis. By creating and analyzing a 3D virtual model, the system can assess primary parts' position, orientation, and dimensions throughout the entire product volume, providing comprehensive manufacturing precision verification that goes beyond external surface checks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables systematic and precise verification of industrial products, ensuring compliance with specifications by identifying any deviations in composition, positioning, or integrity, thereby improving production quality and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a tomography scan device (7) configured to perform tomography scans of what is located in the scanning zone (4), and in particular of the industrial products (2)
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial tomography apparatus (1) comprising a tomography scan device (7) configured to perform tomography scans of the products (2) placed in a scanning zone (4), and an electronic processing unit operatively connected to the tomography scan device (7) for receiving from it digital data about the tomography scans performed by the tomography scan device (7), and programmed to generate, using that digital data, a virtual three-dimensional tomography model (8) of a product (2) scanned by the tomography scan device (7), the virtual three-dimensional tomography model (8) being constituted of a plurality of voxels each of which has its own constant density. In accordance with the method for checking the composition of the products (2), the following are performed: a tomography scan step by means of the tomography apparatus (1) inserted in a production line (15), and a step of computerised analysis of the virtual three-dimensional tomography model (8), wherein there is assessment of predetermined properties of the primary parts of the product (2) to which the virtual three-dimensional tomography model (8) corresponds.