Inline Image Vision Technique for Tires Industry 4.

0:
Quality and Defect Monitoring in Tires Assembly
Alessandro Massaro, Senior Ivano Manfredonia Angelo Galiano Nicola Contuzzi
Member, IEEE Dyrecta Lab IT Research Dyrecta Lab IT Research Dyrecta Lab IT Research
Dyrecta Lab IT Research Institute Institute Institute
Institute Via Vescovo Simplicio n.45 Via Vescovo Simplicio n.45 Via Vescovo Simplicio n.45
Via Vescovo Simplicio n.45 70014 70014 70014
70014 Conversano (BA), Italy Conversano (BA), Italy Conversano (BA), Italy
Conversano (BA), Italy
alessandro.massaro@dyrecta.com

Abstract—This paper analyzes an image vision methodology
suitable for the quality monitoring of the tires assembly process.
The proposed architecture integrates a camera system with a
laser having the function to control the exact tires position on the
platform. The image vision technique provides an automatic tires
classification and important information about possible defects
by analyzing the three-dimensional (3D) tire features. The
proposed model is suitable for Industry 4.0 implementing
internet of things –IoT- devices controlling inline the production
processes. The proposed results have been developed within the
framework of an research industry project.
Keywords—inline image vision, product traceability, image
features extraction, 3D image processing, real time production
monitoring.
I. INTRODUCTION
About tires processing, some researchers have analyzed and
engineered processes to efficiently increase productivity basing
on the concept of Lean Methodology [1],[2],[3] enabling
production processes oriented on defects control. Therefore,
the processes must be designed in order to reduce defects and
in general production errors as much as possible. Observing the
complete production process of the tire [4], it is noted that
visual inspection plays a fundamental role in production
quality monitoring, thus suggesting to introduce an image
vision monitoring tool defecting tire patterns [5]. Some
charts can be designed by recording anomalies and defects,
thus optimizing the quality process according to ISO
9001:2015 standard. The production mapping adds control
points verification facilitating the decrease of defects. In [10]
some researchers proposed, for the identification of the
production defects of a tire moving on a line, an image vision
architecture integrating both IoT sensors and Ethernet network
into an Industry 4.0 scenario. Other authors in [11]-[12] have
shown different image processing algorithms based on optical
detection of tire defects as an optimal non-destructive
inspection methods [11]. The optimum detection condition is
also a function of camera position and orientation with respect
to the tire: a correct positioning could detect defects according
to different points of view [13]. For this reason the it is
important to establish the exact position of the camera into the
production line. In this work is analyzed an example of
architecture suitable for the image vision implementation
improving defect quality monitoring by image processing.
II. INLINE OPTICAL ARCHITECTURE
According with the idea found in the state of the art has been
designed the optical inspection system of Fig. 1 suitable for a
real time and continuous check of the tire defects and of whole
assembly process.
IEEE 1394 Camera

researchers in [6] suggested for the design of new tire

production processes to use process simulations (enabling
technology of Industry 4.0) by means of Ethernet network. It Laser Rotary
is observed that the tire assembly process is only a part of the Encoder

whole process. Data concerning this production step can be Ethernet

Laser control
unit
digitalized and transferred into an unique database system thus line DC motor
improving assembly process and providing simultaneously a
defect control and classification. From an industrial point of Trigger Signal

view, some companies are moving towards Ethernet systems

oriented to the tire industry and the Internet of Things -IoT-
[7]improving production traceability [8]. In order to map the Controller
Module
production processes it is also important to use proper charts as RS232
the fishbone diagram and the roof-shaped L-matrix diagram.
These charts are oriented on the optimization of tire quality, Fig. 1. Image vision architecture monitoring tires during wheel assembly
supporting the mapping of defects [9]. All the diagrams and the process.

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 The architecture of Fig. 1 is composed by:
(a) (b)
1. a PC panel connected by a RS232 port to a controller
module;
2. a controller module having the function to acquire data
from camera system by setting the trigger signal
according with the production line velocity (tires
assembly process);
3. a camera system composed by an high resolution smart
camera detecting images of the whole tire placed on
the rotary encoder (IEEE 1394 protocol);
4. a laser having the function to verify the exact position
of the tire: it checks the relative position of the tire
respect to wheel; the laser is placed at a fixed distance (c) (d)
according with the laser beam focus; the laser is
connected to a processor linked to the PC panel (laser
control unit);
5. an Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) enabling data
transferring into a data base system and real time
remote controlling.
All the components should be optimized according with the
available industry spaces and to the position of the rotary
encoder. (f)
III. PRELIMINARY RESULTS
In Fig. 2 are illustrated different preliminary results of the
proposed image vision system. Specifically in Fig.2 (a) is
plotted an RGB tire image where colors representing different
curvatures and depths of the layout pattern. The same
information is provided by the 3D image of Fig. 2 (b). In Fig. 3 Fig. 3. (a) 2D image recontruction of different part of the tire illustrated in
Fig. 3 (b) representing a 3D reconstruction. (c) Example of OCR reading. (d)
(a) is illustrated the same RGB reconstruction of Fig. 2: the
Geometrical reconstruction and tire/wheel overlapping. (f) Other exampleof
areas of the different colors and the homogeneity of these areas OCR reading.
represent an quantitative indicator of tire quality. In Fig. 3 (b)
is shown the 3D reconstruction of the RGB image of Fig. 3 (a). Focusing the quality check on the tire shoulder, it is possible
The label reading is important in order to classify the tire to to process only the shoulder part which is a critical element of
assembly. In order to enhance the label it is possible to process the production process. A generic check about the performed
the image by proper filters by obtaining the image of Fig. 3 (c) assembly is the verification of the relative position of wheel,
where it is clear also the label direction useful for the wheel of tire shoulder, and of bolts centers. In Fig. 3 (d) is illustrated
junction.
an example of the generic final check. In order to classify and
(a) (b) store automatically into a database the tire information is
exectuted an Optical Character Recognition –OCR- tool
cropping the DOT (Department of Transportation –DOT-)
label area (see Fig. 3 (f)) useful to read the tire age. The
images can be also post-procesed in order to obtain more
information about the color mapping distribution representing
the different element heights of the pattern layout. The post-
processing is adopted also to map defect patterns. Different
graphical modalities could enhance hidden information of the
layout pattern. In this context isolines and dots recontructions
play an inportant role about 3D visualization. In Fig. 4 and
Fig. 5 are illustrated two examples of isolines and dots
reconstruction, respectively, by adopting ImageJ ‘Surface Plot
3D’ function (function which is also adopted in litterature in
order to check morphology of micro and nano-structured
Fig. 2. Example of 3D tire reconstruction. surfaces [14]). The post processing 3D reconstruction could
provide more information about very small defects by
potentially reconstructing the defect pattern trajectory thus

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 supporting defect classification. The possible defects can be
pre-classified and stored into a database system as performed
in [15]. The processing of historic data which are collected
into a database system, can provide a full control of the tire
production process quality.
Fig. 4. ImageJ: isoline 3D post-processing reconstruction.
Fig. 5. ImageJ: dots 3D post-processing reconstruction.
Possible manufacturing defects to detect by the 3D
reconstruction are:
• tread/belt separations;
• accumulation of contaminants in trapped
(moisture, grease, oil, etc.);
• snaked, wavy or off centered steel belts;
• belt edge deformation (due to the anomalous mechanical
stress);
All these defects can be classified by a data mining tools (for
example by applying a K-Means algorithm [16]). The 3D
image can highlight the following features of the classified
defects:
- interrupted layout patterns (cracks identification, tire
stretching);
- swelled layout patters (contaminants accumulation);
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- misaligned patterns;
- added edges on the basic patterns (contaminants
accumulation);
- different height of the elements constituting the patterns;
- writing not correctly printed;
- layout elements unified;
- different agglomerated contaminant materials
(inhomogeneous geometry characterized by different
volumes);
- misalignment between tire and wheel;
- others.
In Fig. 6 is shown an example of 3D identification of a defect
of interrupted layout patterns .
(a) (b)
Pattern
interrupt
Fig. 6. ImageJ: 3D post-processing identifying an interrupt in a tire region.
The K-Means classificator will define the major defect class
and will operate following these data processing phases:
- -fixing of the number K indicating defect clusters
number according with defect classification;
areas
- creation of an initial centroids where a centroid is the
center of a cluster (algorithm initialization);
- all detected defects that are the closest to a centroid
(similarity estimated by the Euclidean distance) will
create a cluster(cluster assignment);
- a centroid’s new value is going to be the mean of all the
examples in a cluster (moving centroid).
IV. CONCLUSION
The work provides preliminary results about image vision
3D reconstruction applied on an inline production assembly
line of tires. The proposed system can be applied in order to
check the correctness of the assembly between tire and wheel,
and potentially to detect defects such as anomalous curvatures,
56
 inhomogeneities and cracks. After a pre-classification of Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering, Vol. 211, No. 1, pp. 79-82 ,
defects the image vision could detect automatically tires 1997.
anomalies thus improving the quality production process. [13] H. Gray, C. Dumont and M. A. Abidi, "Simulation of a tire inspection
system," Proceedings of the 5th Conf. on Quality Control by Artificial
The preliminary study has been discussed within the Vision, Les trois-rivieres, Quebec, Canada, pp. 171-175, May 1999.
framework of an Italian industry project involving Industry 4.0 [14] G. Cicala, A. Massaro, L. Velardi, G. S. Senesi and A. Valentini, “Self-
and IoT facilities. assembled pillar-like structures in nanodiamond layers by pulsed spray
technique,” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 6, No. 23, pp.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT 21101-21109, 2014.
The work has been developed in the frameworks of the [15] A. Massaro, V. Vitti, A. Galiano, “Automatic image processing engine
Italian projects: “Innovazione di processo di assemblaggio oriented on quality control of electronic boards,” Signal & Image
Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.9, No.2, April 2018.
pneumatici e potenziamento dell’ automatismo controllato con
[16] V. Ashok, and D. S., “Using K-Means cluster and fuzzy C Means for
integrazione dell’ image vision per la qualità ‘AUTOMATION defect segmentation in fruits,” International Journal of Computer
AND DIGITAL IMPROVMENTS OF TIRES ASSEMBLY Engineering & Technology (IJET), Vol. 5, No. 9, September 2014.
IN INDUSTRY 4.0’ [Innovation of tire assembly process and
upgrade of the controlled automation with integration of image
vision for quality check ‘AUTOMATION AND DIGITAL
IMPROVEMENTS OF TIRES ASSEMBLY IN INDUSTRY
4.0’]. The authors would like to thank the Dyrecta Lab
researchers C. Antonia, R. Cosmo, V. Custodero, L. D’
Alessandro, M. LeGrottaglie, A. Leogrande, A. Lombardi, V.
Maritati, F. S. Massari, L. Patruno, D. D. Romagno, G. Sicolo,
M. M. Sorbo, D. Suma, E. Valenzano, and V. Vitti. Particular
thanks to Coditech for the images provided during the
feasibility study.
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