README

The examples shown in this section of the website are intended to provide a sense of the range of manufacturing problems that can be addressed using IOMS non-contact laser scanning inspection technology. While other inspection methods exist for inspecting manufactured parts, some reasons for investigating IOMS technology could be improved resolution, increased measurement speed or desire to convert from a system based on human inspectors to a partially or fully automated inspection system.

Your particular quality or inspection problems may not be listed here, but the means to address your problems may be found in one or more of the application examples.

IOMS develops the probes that scan and collect data from part surfaces as well as the software needed to operate the probes and analyze the data. The instrumentation and software we develop can be incorporated into factory automation systems that interface with manufacturing production lines. IOMS partners with factory automation suppliers to provide complete turnkey solutions for manufacturers. We are also willing to license the manufacture and servicing of our inspection systems to companies capable of supplying larger markets after IOMS has completed development work on a particular product.

IOMS has developed two general classes of probes – probes that detect focused laser signals reflected from a part surface and probes that detect laser signals scattered from a part surface. We also have probes that combine reflective and scattered light measurements taken simultaneously from the same part surface location.

Reflective probe measurements generate a two-dimensional image of the part surface, whereas an image in scattered light can produce either a two-dimensional image of the surface or a surface profile showing variation in depth of surface features. Measurements of the inside surfaces of cylinders with small diameter holes (from 5 mm to about 40 mm in diameter) must be made with reflected light. The inside surfaces of larger diameter cylinders or the outside surface of a part, such as a gear, disk or sphere, can be inspected with either reflected or scattered light.

To obtain a two or three dimensional scan of the inside surface of a cylinder, the probe rotates as it proceeds through the cylinder. To obtain images of the outside surfaces of cylindrical objects, such as gears or the surfaces of disks or spheres, the part must rotate to obtain a scan while the probe can be stationary or move along a linear trajectory. Line scans of a surface do not require part or probe rotation.

Depending on the surface area to be scanned and the resolution desired, measurement time for a part in a factory production system would typically be in the range of 1 to 10 seconds.

Images of inspected part surfaces can be displayed in gray scale or false color. Gray scale tends to be more easily interpreted for images of parts with large part to part variations, and false color scale tends to be preferable when many identical parts are being manufactured, since humans can identify small color scale variations more easily than small gray scale variations.

Automated judgment software does not analyze part images, but the data files from which the images are created. Therefore, the choice of gray or color scale is irrelevant to automated analysis software. Analysis software needs to be customized to incorporate the pass/fail criteria for a particular customer's problems.

Contact IOMS by phone or e-mail to discuss your particular inspection requirements.