Title: The Evolution of Laser Projection and Automatic Inspection Toward Industry 4.0 Efficiencies

Authors: Scott Blake

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.22.0824

Abstract: Industry 4.0 promises to extend digitalization to smart devices, interconnectivity, and real-time data – all of which raise both the efficiency and quality of manufacturing operations. Industry 4.0 technologies create a conduit that brings virtual CAD/CAM information directly to the factory floor; and returns actual production data to the virtual realm for closed-loop quality improvement. In composites fabrication, laser projection technology has incrementally advanced toward Industry 4.0 performance levels since it was introduced three decades ago. Initially a standalone templating system, its CAD-driven optical aiming system has evolved to aim a high magnification camera system that captures images used to automatically verify and document critical attributes in composite products. The ability to integrate projection, inspection, work instructions and data collection has evolved to support Industry 4.0 in several architectures, ranging from a standalone node on a network to integration with the larger manufacturing operations management (MOM) or manufacturing execution system (MES). This paper traces the evolution of laser projection and automatic inspection, focusing on recent advancements that make it an enabling technology for Industry 4.0 implementation: integration of enhanced functionality into a transparent platform for real-time data generation and access. The paper relates

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Conference: SAMPE 2022

Publication Date: 2022/05/23

SKU: TP22-0000000824

Pages: 13

Price: $26.00