Overview on how the machine vision approaches could contribute in enhancing of the

reliability of NDI processes in ship fabrication and maintenance industries

Nimmal A/L Gunasekaran, (ME099467)

NDT Assignment 1, (Section 01)

Abstract

In this current era, visual inspection is on of the most commonly and widely used
nondestructive testing techniques. But due to progress of time and the ever increasing
demand, machine vision is becoming more common as well due to it’s certain advantages
over visual inspection method. Machine vision technology uses an imaging system and a
computer to analyze an image and to decisions are made based on that analysis. This paper
will discuss on how the machine vision approaches could contribute in enhancing of the
reliability of NDI processes in ship fabrication and maintenance industries.

Keywords: Visual Inspection; Machine Vision; Ship Fabrication; Industries; Improvement

1. Introduction

Inspection can be described as the act of looking at something carefully or examining

something in order to identify any flaws or to ensure if a particular product or process is
functioning as intended. Thus, visual inspection can be defined as inspection carried out via
the use of all or raw human senses such as vision, hearing, touch and smell or any non-
specialized equipment. It is considered as the original and the most common method of
nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques and it is usually the first step in examination process
to inspect a variety of product forms such as castings, forgings, weld elements in the current
industry.

Visual inspection is applicable to a wide range of material types and as well as

product forms to determine characteristics such as dimensional conformance, presence of
discontinuities, general fit and wear, and simple cosmetic compliance. Thus, it is a very
effective method in terms of both cost and application and therefore should be the primary
method in any effective quality control program. The quality of visual inspection is primarily
affected by four factors which are the quality of the detector, lighting conditions, the
capability to process the visual data and the level of training and attention to detail.
 In this current era, most of the visual inspections are done by an inspector, but as time
goes on machine vision is becoming more commonly used as well. Machine vision
technology uses an imaging system and a computer to analyze an image and to decisions are
made based on that analysis. Machine vision is used due to it’s ability to make very
consistent and rapid inspections of specific details of a component. Furthermore, it can help
to eliminate human factor errors as well. It is widely utilized in mass production applications
whereby the inspection conditions can be controlled. This paper will discuss on how the
machine vision approaches could contribute in enhancing of the reliability of NDI processes
in ship fabrication and maintenance industries.

2.0 A vision-based system for monitoring block assembly in shipbuilding

The following article is based upon on the application of a vision-based monitoring

system for monitoring block assembly in ship fabrication industry. Generally, ships are
constructed using blocks, whereby each block is designed individually and welded together to
create the final form of a ship. Thus, inspection is crucial in order to ensure the timely
delivery of the ship. Currently, the inspection is carried out by human workers who determine
the status of assembly based on their experience and therefore the efficiency of their work
cannot be guaranteed as it may vary based on their experience. The two major problems faced
are, a quantitative measure of the assembly progress is not objectively determined as the
progress is evaluated based on the experience of the particular individual. Secondly, manual
inspection of all blocks requires a lot of time to be done due to the fact that a worker must
travel over a large area and the maximum number of blocks can reach up to 30. Additional
workers can solve this issue, but it will be not a cost-effective method as the company will be
required to pay more in terms of salary.

In order to overcome this issue and as well as to avoid any major overhaul in the
current assembly system a vision-based approach is considered. In this approach, digital
cameras are used to capture images of the current assembly which will be then assessed.
Then, the images are processed to extract the information required whereby the only
hardware required will be the camera. The cameras used are six full HD dome digital cameras
which were calibrated in order to avoid any image distortion. In order to validate the
proposed method, necessary steps were carried out as well. Overall by applying the machine
vision approach, the entire assembly process was way more efficient in terms of cost as well
as time required as well. The following diagram below summarizes and explains the method
proposed via machine vision approach. [1]

3.0 A Review on Applications of Machine Vision Systems in Industries

This article discusses regarding the current review on the applications of machine
vision technology in various industries such as food, textile, PCB and tile industry. The
introduction chapter of this article discusses regarding the explanation of visual inspection
and its advantages. Among the components of a machine vision systems are a camera, frame
grabber, light source, a processor and a controller. The first step in machine vision will be to
capture the image using a primary input device. This step has to be done as efficiently as
possible to eliminate the need for processing steps such as enhancement, editing and so on.
The following diagram summarizes the entire steps involved in machine vision.
In food industry, machine vision is used to assure the quality of the final products. This
allows to reduce human interaction with the examined goods, thus speeding up the testing
process and making sure the process is reliable as well. The main parameters observed were
the coloring, shape, angle and the size depending on the food products. As for textile
industry, machine vision is used to detect the fabric printing quality with the help of JSEG
algorithm proposed in, which takes into account both color information and spatial
information. This solves the main issue faced by the manufacturers who were unable to
maintain the quality of textile via conventional methods due to ever advancing of the intricate
designs. In printed circuit board industry, (PCB) machine vision is used to detect any defects
and as well as distinguish and differentiate different types of PCB. Furthermore, machine
vision is also used in depaneling of PCB. Overall, all the industries benefit greatly due to the
application of machine vision as it increases productivity, reduces the time taken and very
cost-effective as well. [2]

3.0 Strategies For Improving Visual Inspection Performance

The following article is written regarding on how the current performance of visual
inspection can be improved. Studies were initially done throughout certain industries to
analyze the current practice. First of all, the causes of unsatisfactory inspector performance
were identified. The main three areas which were investigated were, insufficient training or
motivation of the inspector. Secondly, an inherent inability of the inspector to sense the
information necessary to classify a product is good or not. Finally, it would be a vigilance
decrement of the inspector as a function of the inspection task time interval. It was observed
that the main issue was lack of training given to the inspectors. Thus, proper training has to
be given to inspectors before hiring them for work. Once the issue with lack of training is
solved, the next step will be to use the experiment model developed to date for dynamic
visual inspection tasks and study the variables such as contrast between defect to be detected
and background of item, illumination of items being inspected, time taken to view the item,
angular velocity of item as it passed before the inspector and finally the rate of change of the
visual angle as the item passes by the inspector. [3]

4.0 Design and application of industrial machine vision systems

The following paper discusses the role and importance of the machine vision systems
in industrial applications. Although, human workers have been performing well so far, due to
the ever rapid growing demand and need for higher quality, it is necessary to apply machine
vision technique to improve inspection process. As explained in the articles above, this paper
too discusses regarding the introduction and how the machine vision functions as one system
as well. In this article, they too have come up with a simple block diagram for a typical vision
system operation. The big rectangle shows the sub-systems while the parts for gathering
information are presented as small rectangles.

In terms of industrial applications, four categories of visual inspection is considered which

are process control, parts identification, and robotic guidance and control mechanisms.
Furthermore, among the key points in machine vision design are scene consideration,
systematic consideration, application justification, image processing, image pre-processing
and image acquisition. Finally, the new generation machine visions must satisfy the two key
points: the first is the determination of a better geometric correspondence between the points
in the scene and the points in the captured image. Thus, a suitable choice of the algorithms
and computational methods and proper implementation is very crucial. [4]

5.0 Visual Inspection Process-Structure And Effectiveness

The structure of the visual inspection process is one of the most important features
that influences its effectiveness. According to Fox , from the work process perspective visual
inspection consists of several stages:

 visual “screening”/search for potential defects

 finding a defect (“detection”),
 defect classification,
 decision that classifies a component, product or service.
Each of the stages has an impact on the effectiveness of inspection. The first stage, when an
object is visually examined by a man, requires vigilance, heightened sensitivity of sight to
detect potential errors. In the first and second stage of inspection, when the level of
inspector’s perception is of particular significance, appropriate working conditions and
inspector’s knowledge about potential defects are absolutely required [5]. In the third stage,
based on his knowledge about the defects and classification criteria, the inspector makes the
decision on the type of defect detected in the product. In the final part of the inspection
process the inspector decides if the product may be forwarded to further steps of the process,
or if it should be separated from good quality products.

6.0 Conclusion

Overall, based on the studies and research done, it can be seen that if machine vision
technique is implemented efficiently, it reduces time, speeds up the process and causes less
error compared to visual inspection. However, visual inspection too can be improved as well
if the inspectors are provided with the right amount of training and a proper environment is
required as well.

References

1. Kim, M., Choi Woosung, & Byung-Chul Kim. (2014). A vision-based system for
monitoring block assembly in shipbuilding. Computer-Aided Design, 98-108.

2. V.Nandini, Vishal, D., & Prakash, A. (2016). A Review on Applications of Machine.

Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 5

3. S.Jerry ,L. Purswell Laverne ,L. Hoag, Strategies For Improving Visual Inspection
Performance; School of Industrial Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

4. Golnabi, H. (2007). Design and application of industrial machine vision systems. Robotics
and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 630–637.

5. Hoag, L. L., Cochran, D. J. and Oates, C. L. Evaluation of Inspection Techniques and

Equipment. Final Report on DOD Contract NO. DAM-09-70-C-0433, 1971.