Frequently Asked Questions

This page collects the questions customers ask most often during the selection stage. Each answer below comes from the actual Q&A on our industry pages and can be used directly as a selection reference.

If your question is not among them, feel free to send us photos of the workpiece and defect samples; we will give a judgement based on the specific imaging conditions rather than applying a generic conclusion.

First, Determine Whether It Can Be Done

How do we judge whether our product is suitable for visual inspection?

Please provide workpiece photos for each vehicle model, the list of parts that should be installed and the required line cycle time, and our engineers will evaluate the recipe switching and optical configuration. Generally, as long as the criteria can be stated clearly, defects can image clearly and consistently, and the cycle time matches the field of view, the project is feasible.

How Do We Verify That Our Product Can Be Detected?

Please provide real samples with screws installed and with screws missing (several of each), and our engineers will verify how distinguishable the head features are under those optical conditions.

Can this solution replace manual labor?

What visual inspection replaces is repetitive visual judgement, not all manual labour. A typical division of work is: vision performs 100% inspection and judgement piece by piece, while people handle re-judgement of edge samples, model changeovers and anomalies, and maintenance of optics and tooling. How many people are actually needed to support it depends on the degree of automation and the re-judgement strategy.

Accuracy and Inspection Capability

What inspection accuracy can be achieved?

Accuracy is not a fixed value that holds regardless of conditions. To be added — the minimum detectable size depends on the combination of field of view and camera resolution, and is also affected by illumination, lens and algorithm; the configuration must be derived from your minimum defect size and validated by measurement.

Is 5 MP enough for presence/absence inspection?

Whether it is "enough" depends on how many pixels the smallest inspection target occupies, not on the total pixel count. The equipment resolution is 2592 × 1944; with lenses of different focal lengths you can obtain different fields of view and per-pixel sampling capability. When selecting, please first provide the maximum field of view and the minimum inspection target size; these two values determine whether the configuration is feasible. If the target is too small, use a longer-focal-length lens or reduce the field of view.

Can overlapping parts be counted accurately?

Overlap significantly increases the difficulty of counting. There are two workable paths: first, improve the tooling or the way parts are tipped out so that parts overlap as little as possible; second, accept that "overlapping areas cannot be judged" and convert them into an alarm or manual review. We do not recommend promising exact counts directly in scenarios with severe overlap.

Can Transparent Adhesive Be Detected?

The visibility of transparent adhesive depends on reflection conditions, and special illumination (low-angle side light, polarization, dark field) is usually needed to make the adhesive outline stand out. Whether it can be imaged consistently must be validated on the actual workpiece and adhesive type, and differences between adhesive batches must also be checked.

Sample and Document Preparation

What samples are needed to develop a solution?

Recommended to provide several OK and NG samples in different colors and different surface states (top grain / split / suede), together with your acceptance standard for defects (how large a scar counts as NG), the loading orientation and the production line cycle time.

What Information Do You Need to Provide?

Recommended to provide: OK and NG cut-piece samples for each series, single-piece dimensions and area range, expected cycle time, quantitative defect standards (how large a stain counts as NG), loading posture and tooling conditions, and the site PLC and communication method.

How Many Samples Does AI Visual Inspection Need?

This equipment follows a few-shot approach: training can start from a single sample, training runs on the machine itself and, under certain conditions, takes as little as about 30 seconds. The actual number of samples required depends on the inspection items; state-type judgements (presence/absence, missing part) usually need few samples, while for classification tasks that must distinguish several similar models, the more typical the samples, the more stable the result. We recommend testing with real samples before finalizing the sample plan.

Production Line Integration and Data

Can It Be Integrated Into an Existing Production Line?

Yes. It interacts with the PLC through common methods such as I/O, TCP, RS485, Modbus, S7 and Profinet and outputs OK/NG to trigger rejection or sorting; the specific protocol is subject to the site.

How does the inspection result interlock with the production line?

Interlocking usually needs to distinguish two types of signal: single-piece defects and consecutive defects. The former can simply be rejected, while the latter should trigger a line stop or alarm to avoid continued production of defects. Where traceability requirements are high, we recommend binding the inspection result to the vehicle / workpiece ID and feeding it back, for easy later querying.

How does presence/absence inspection connect to a PLC?

The equipment supports communication with PLCs and control systems via I/O, TCP, RS485, Modbus, S7, Profinet and other methods. A common combination is: use I/O to output the OK / NG trigger signal, with the PLC side performing release or rejection; at the same time use TCP or a fieldbus to pass inspection results and data to the host system for recording and traceability. Which one to use depends on the on-site PLC model and the production line control method.

Can inspection data go into MES?

Yes. After machining, the part is picked automatically and enters the inspection step, and is routed automatically according to the judgement result; inspection data is sent back to MES for quality traceability. The inspection step can be configured in combination with visual inspection, dimensional inspection, and appearance inspection.

Are results traceable?

Yes. Individual part defects and images are archived.

Equipment Configuration and Cycle Time

What Equipment Configuration Does This Type of Inspection Generally Require?

Common forms include: "EEK-SV5205C industrial vision presence/absence inspection equipment", "inline inspection station (combined with a retrofit of the existing production line)" and "multi-camera configuration (for multi-face or long-distance scenarios)". The specific machine model and quantity depend on the inspection area, the minimum defect size and the line cycle time, and must be confirmed according to site conditions.

Cycle time is very fast, can it keep up?

Imaging and processing time must match the cycle time. The usual approach is to place processing in the gaps of the cycle, or to spread the task across multiple cameras working in parallel. The actual limit should be validated on site with the real cycle time.

Can Equipment Inspection Speed Match the Production Line Cycle Time?

It must be evaluated against your actual cycle time and single-piece inspection time. To be added. The area, camera configuration and algorithm complexity usually have to be defined first before a credible cycle time conclusion can be given.

Selection and Budget

How do you choose a lens for visual inspection equipment?

Determine the field of view and working distance first, then choose the focal length: for a large field of view at a short distance, choose a short focal length (8 mm); when both field of view and accuracy must be balanced, choose 12 / 16 mm; for inspecting small targets, choose 25 mm. Installation space and the way workpieces pass through must also be considered — working distance is often limited by equipment structure and site position, so the specification table alone is not enough.

What Is the Approximate Equipment Price?

To be added. The price depends on the inspection area, the number of cameras and the production line integration method, and must be evaluated according to the leather and site conditions.

Further Reading

The sections below present the same methodology from different angles; you can read the method first and then return to specific objects:

• Technical Guides: camera and lens selection, illumination method, accuracy conversion, sample threshold, PLC integration, and how to write the acceptance criteria.
• Inspection Objects: the judgement basis for presence/absence inspection is explained by part type (screws, labels, connectors, PCB components, etc.).
• Defect Types: the detection approach and illumination points are explained by defect form (scratches, dirt, burrs, missing parts, etc.).
• Industries: which stations are most worth equipping with visual inspection is explained by industry (automotive, 3C, new energy, medical, etc.).
• Solutions: a complete solution page covering configuration, cycle time and integration methods.
• Visual Inspection Glossary: explains each technical term used in this article.

You Can Also Contact Us Directly

Send us photos of the workpiece, defect sample images and the current cycle time, or call 13913763268 to discuss. If you would like us to run small-batch imaging and judgement tests, you can use Complete Requirement Assessment Submit sample information.