- Contribution to Achieving “Zero Defect” with Full Inspection to Satisfy Quality Requirements of Automotive Industry -

OMRON Corporation based in Kyoto announced the global release in December 2018 of the automation industry’s first "VT-M121: 2D dimension and visual inspection machine” that performs simultaneously dimension and visual inspection to detect scratches and cracks on products.

VT-M121 demonstrates the feasible full inspection to meet the required quality standard of the automotive industry in full cooperation with SIIX Corporation that is the nation’s largest provider of EMS (*1) and works to improve the production quality of electronics components and to increase their reliability. Instead of the inspection process of the sampling inspection by operators, VT-M121 enables full inspection automatically in the production line and contributes to achieving “zero defect” in automotive electronics which are required to have high quality and high reliability.

(*1) EMS: electronics manufacturing service

Image: VT-M121 2D dimension and visual inspection machine

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201812121336-O1-lCP1vxbI

Along with the progress in the development of automotive technology such as ADAS (advanced driver-assistance system), self-driving, and EVs (electric vehicles), the installation rates of important electrical safety components have been increasing, such as millimeter-wave radar to detect vehicles and pedestrians with wireless connection, the electronics mirror that is mounted as replacement of the current sideview mirror and inside rearview mirror, and LED headlamps. However, these high-density and miniaturized automobile electric components require time to conduct visual inspection. Therefore, their current inspection process is the sampling inspection in each unit. To improve the quality and reliability of these important safety components, full inspection and the automation process are in urgent need.

VT-M121 enables the detection of defects like or even more precisely than the human eye by using the sophisticated image-processing system “FH series” with the illumination pattern of the MDMC Light that can flexibly change the illumination color and the angle. Thanks to “NJ damping control” that integrates the sequence control and motion control, it can also minimize the camera vibration and realize high-speed and high-accuracy inspection. By the simultaneous dimension and visual inspection, the machine has reduced the inspection time and improved the dimension and inspection performance with “the repeat accuracy 10 um (*2).”

VT-M121 contributes to the safety and reliability of automobile manufacturing by achieving customers’ “zero defect” through full-scale guarantee and accumulation and management of inspection data in place of on-the-spot inspections.

(*2) Reference value

Specifications

Item                                   Description

Dimension                           910（W）×1233（D）×1600（H）mm

Weight                                Approx. 500kg

Power rating                        AC200-240V (single-phase)

voltage fluctuation range plus or minus 10%

Transfer height                     900m plus or minus 20mm

Usage air pressure                0.3-0.6MPa

Features

Please refer to the following video for more information.

https://www.omron.co.jp/redirect/to_youtube/vt-m12_e.html

Collaboration with SIIX Corporation

The development of VT-M121 has been started to achieve “zero defect” in components related to the self-driving and ADAS. SIIX Corporation that has significant experience as an automotive component manufacturer and OMRON have had the collaborative partnership to focus on improvement in the quality performance. Through this corporation and based on technical know-how of SIIX Corporation, the duo found out three requirements: repeat accuracy of the dimension (repeat accuracy 10 um) / simultaneous dimension and visual inspection / full inspection in the production line. Then the two companies achieved a full automation system of PCB dimension inspection (repeat accuracy 10 um (*3)) and visual inspection in the production line of SIIX Corporation.

(*3) reference value of verification by SIIX Corporation

Please visit SIIX’s website: http://www.siix.co.jp/eg/

NEPCON JAPAN 2019 (ELECTROTEST JAPAN)

VT-M121 will be exhibited at the trade fair. The dimension and visual inspection of PCB and components will be demonstrated at OMRON’s booth.

- Dates: January 16 (Wed.) -18 (Fri.)

- Venue: Tokyo Big Sight

- Booth No: East 3 hall E19-48

- Presentation (East-A): January 18 (Fri.), 11:00-12:00

For more details, please visit:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M102197/201812121336/_prw_OR1fl_mv1anAbr.pdf

Source: OMRON Corporation