A M A I S

The AMES Automatic Inspection Station

Design a robotic gantry vision system for poka yoke to automatically inspect external features of all units prior to paint and pack.  The system will prevent external defects and eliminate the line operator.  Several vision sensors will work simultaneously inspecting.

 

 

 

The line operator is a NVA job or task.  However, once automated and real-time information is presented to Process and Quality Engineers, the task becomes a quantitative value-ad by helping identify failures in processes, equipment and training on the factory lines instantaneously to effect quality the moment the defect is encountered.  Information about a defect will be reported in real-time and to all who need to know.  For example an incorrect bypass valve could be sent to Cell Expert including the operator at the bypass valve assembly station in that particular cell.

 

The AMES Automatic Inspection Station (AMAIS) will automatically inspect for wrong parts, loose parts, missing parts, damaged parts and orientation of parts on both North and South inspection areas and document rejected units in inspection reject log.

 

The system will emulate the line inspector process by checking for presence of pallet fastener and tightening it with a mechanical click wrench.  AMAIS will properly orient the pallet and turn unit to inspect the index face, right face, rear and left face.  At the same time AMAIS will inspect the top face and then pass or fail the unit.

 

The general and specific information in MAPS can be standardized and then drive the instructions for the various vision sensors, end effecter torque tools and various other sensors to perform inspection of each individual unit. AMAIS will fix units with loose parts and then release to CPP.  Units with incorrect parts, damaged parts or wrong orientation will be tagged and released to appropriate Cell.  

 

   

 Cameras inspect from corners (left side and index parts)               Cameras inspect from corners (right side and rear parts)

 

Conceptually Golden Unit Inspection Information (GUII) will be stored in the systems memory and compared to units being inspected by AMAIS.  The RFID pallet tag will trigger the GUII and specific MAPS instructions will be sent to AMAIS while waiting for unit to inspect.

 

Gantries could be fabricated for North and South line or two identical Gantries could be located just south of the blue aisle on CPP line where the North and South conveyors merge.  One Gantry with two identical automated inspection systems could manage each line individually during peak times and operate jointly when one line is slow or down to speed process as shown on drawing below.

 

 

No. & So. Conveyor intersection

 

Original sketch

 

Defects get by line inspectors and CPP. Defects won't get buy AMAIS.  The system is estimated at $50K, which is less than the salaries for 2 FTEs and will eliminate 2 FTE's.  With the first year savings, at the end of the week AMAIS could dispense tokens for all team members of any cell that has zero defects.