INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IDS: Trained quickly, inspected swiftly

Careful quality control is essential to ensure that only flawless indexable inserts leave production and meet high durability and reliability requirements. A flagship project by automation and measurement technology specialists Xactools and IDS Imaging Development Systems demonstrates how AI can help visual inspection make quantum leaps. The companies developed a fully automated handling and inspection system for a global manufacturer of indexable inserts based in Scandinavia.

A total of eight high-resolution industrial cameras and two spider robots handle and inspect the indexable inserts for defects, which monitor and load three rotary table nests and one pin pallet each. DENKnet’s AI forms the heart of the complex image processing system between cameras, robots and a multi-GPU computing rack to help drive zero-defect production.

The indexable insert manufacturer has around 2800 products in its portfolio, divided into almost 100 geometry families. The aim was to automate handling and defect inspection for them all.

The first challenge resulted from the numerous colours, whereby the AI required extreme training to variations and lighting conditions. But in addition to visual appearance, it is also about insert geometry. Categories such as triangle, rectangle, rhombus and square can be found in countless variations. Around 20 to 30 images were needed to teach each geometry family.

The team integrated AI into the production line in just a few months, achieving almost perfectly reliable AI results for checking right from the start.

“Indexable inserts identified as defective are sorted and grouped according to the size and position of the defect,” says Daniel Routschka, sales manager – AI at IDS Imaging Development Systems. “The AI image analysis detects more than 99% of production errors.”

More information https://en.ids-imaging.com

Decent year for tooling specialist

Cutting tool manufacturer Mapal was able to increase its group turnover in the 2023
financial year. At €588m, this represents an increase of 5.5% year-on-year. Dr Jochen Kress,
president of the Mapal Group, considers this a validation: “The fact that we were able to
achieve our planned growth despite considerable economic fluctuations over the course of
the year makes us optimistic that we have charted the correct course”.
The company expects turnover to stagnate overall in 2024. “The economy grew slower than
expected in the first half of the year,” says Kress. “However, there are more signs that the
second half will be more positive, which is reflected in our forecasts. We are now
concentrating on remaining in line with these despite the economic challenges.”
More information www.mapal.com

Record submissions for ADIPEC Conference

The ADIPEC 2024 Technical Conference has received a record 5977 submissions, a 16%
increase over last year, with major submission growth seen in categories such as AI/digital
transformation and energy transition/decarbonisation. There is also an increased level of
submissions from African and Arab states.


The Technical Conference is a key part of ADIPEC, the world’s largest energy event, which
takes place in Abu Dhabi on 4-7 November 2024. This year, the conference will feature 159
sessions across 12 categories, for which energy experts and engineers from around the
world submit their work for consideration as a presentation. The ADIPEC Technical
Conference is renowned for bringing together the brightest minds and technical experts
from across the energy value chain.
More information www.adipec.com

Hexagon’s first handheld 3D scanners

Hexagon’s first handheld 3D scanning devices enable engineers and manufacturing
personnel to scan what they need in a wide range of environments, inside and outside
factory walls. Two new portable devices, the AtlaScan Max and MarvelScan are for
measuring parts in a broad spread of inspection environments that include applications in
automotive, rail, industrial equipment and general manufacturing, as well as heritage and
restoration projects.
“Today, manufacturing and engineering teams recognise the value of up-to-date 3D scans
throughout the product lifecycle,” says Pirmin Bitzi, general manager for portable measuring
devices at Hexagon. “Almost anyone might need to perform a metrology-grade scan of a
part regardless of their location. Our first handheld 3D scanners enable customers to
digitalise parts without worrying about fixturing or environmental conditions, and
MarvelScan’s integrated photogrammetry system aligns to reference targets without the
need for stickering. Wireless and ergonomic, the scanners provide a seamless, instant
scanning experience from the shop floor to the shipyard.”
AtlaScan Max and MarvelScan users can adapt workflows on the fly using ergonomic,
thumb-operated controls that streamline 3D scanning processes in confined spaces and
rugged or outdoor environments. Eliminating the need to access a control PC during
measurement, this multi-mode scanning enables the efficient measurement of different
feature types and surfaces. For example, users can scan open surfaces in Standard mode,
then quickly switch to Fine mode using the on-device controls for higher resolution on
intricate features. Crucially, the data collected under these different modes are
automatically combined into a single, workable point cloud.
The new devices also eliminate the need to fixture parts prior to measurement, which
contributes to significant time savings and allows greater measurement flexibility.
More information www.hexagon.com

Huge Grob showcase

Grob-Werke will be showcasing a vast product range at the forthcoming AMB 2024 exhibition in Stuttgart (10-14 September). For instance, visitors to stand B12 in hall 10 can look forward to seeing the company’sG350 five-axis universal machining centre in combination with the Grob GRC-R60 robot cell and G550T five-axis mill-turn centre.Moreover, the Grob G920F5 machining centre for mega and giga machining operations will be present at an exhibitionfor the first time. 3D printing enthusiasts can also look forward to the presentation of the Grob GMP300metal printing machine.

More information www.grobgroup.com