100% inspection

Where high standards of quality and process reliability are required, a 100% inspection of the manufactured cold-formed parts may be advisable or necessary. In this process, every single component is inspected automatically and assessed against predefined inspection criteria. Parts that fall outside the specified tolerances are automatically detected and rejected.

MN Kaltformteile employs various automated inspection methods for this purpose. For example, using optoelectronic inspection systems and multi-camera set-ups, dimensions, contours and selected surface features can be checked. 360-degree inspections enable a circumferential optical inspection of the component and can be used in particular to check features that cannot be fully captured from a single camera angle.

Eddy current testing can also be used as a complementary method. This non-destructive electromagnetic testing method can be used to detect certain near-surface defects and material deviations that cannot be detected, or can only be detected to a limited extent, by purely optical inspection. Furthermore, eddy current testing can be used to assess material conditions, for example to verify whether a specified heat treatment has been carried out.

The inspection criteria and methods used depend on the specific component and the requirements of the application. A 100% inspection can be particularly relevant for components used in automated assembly. In such cases, individual defective parts can not only impair the function of the subsequent assembly but also cause malfunctions or interruptions in the assembly process.

The 100% inspection thus complements in-process quality assurance. However, it does not replace a stable manufacturing process; rather, it provides an additional safeguard that allows defined quality characteristics of each individual component to be checked prior to dispatch.