Unit 4

Computer-Aided Quality Control

Pradeep Patil
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Mechanical Engg..
GST, GITAM Deemed to be University
Bengaluru
 Computer-Aided Quality
Control

OUTLINE:
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES OF CAQC
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY CONTROL
THE COMPUTER IN QC
CONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
COMPUTER-AIDED TESTING
INTEGRATION OF CAQC WITH CAD/CAM
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
INTRODUCTION

The quality control (QC)

function has traditionally been
performed using
1. Manual inspection methods
and
2. Statistical sampling
procedures.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
OBJECTIVES

The objectives of computer-aided

quality control are ambitious, yet
straight forward. They are:
1. To improve product quality
2. To increase productivity in the
inspection process
3. To increase productivity and reduce
lead times in manufacturing
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
1. Quality in a manufacturing context can be defined as the degree to which a
product or its components conform to certain standards that have been specified
by the designer. The design standards generally relate to the materials,
dimensions and tolerances, appearance, performance, reliability, and any other
measurable characteristic of the product.
2. Quality assurance (QA) is concerned with those activities which will maximize
the probability that the product and its components will be manufactured within
the design specifications. These activities should start in the product design area,
where the designer can make decisions among alternatives that might have
quality consequences. QA activities continue in manufacturing planning, where
decisions relative to production equipment, tooling, methods, and motivation of
employees will all have an influence on quality.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
3. Quality control is concerned with those activities related to inspection of product and component
quality, detection of poor quality, and corrective action necessary to eliminate poor quality. These
activities also involve the planning of inspection procedures and the specification of the gages and
measuring instruments needed to perform the inspections.
4. Statistical QC is generally divided into two categories:
acceptance sampling and control charts.
Acceptance sampling is a procedure in which a sample is drawn from a batch of parts in order to
assess the quality level of the batch and to determine whether the batch should be accepted
or rejected. Acceptance sampling is based on the statistical notion that the quality of a
random sample drawn from a larger population will be representative of the quality of that
population.
Control charts are used to keep a record over time of certain measured data collected from a
process. A company would use control charts to monitor its own production processes. The
central line indicates the expected quality level of the process. The upper and lower control
limits (UCL and LCL) are statistical measures of the variation in the process which would
be tolerated without concluding that the process has erred. when these limits are exceeded,
it usually means that something has changed the process, and an investigation should be
initiated to deteimine the cause
Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
Both acceptance sampling and control charts can be applied to
two situations in quality control: fraction defects and
measured variables.
In the fraction-defect case, the objective is to determine what
proportion of the sample (and the population from which it came)
are defective. This is often accomplished by a go/no go gage, which
can quickly determine whether a part is within specification or not.
In the measured-variable case, the object is to determine the value
of the quality characteristic of interest (e.g., dimension, resistance,
hardness, etc.). This requires the use of a measuring instrument of
some kind (e.g., micrometer, ohmeter, hardness tester, etc.) and is
normally a more time-consuming manual process than the go/no go
case.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
5. Inspection is normally used to examine a
component of a product in relation to the
design standards specified for it. For a
mechanical component, this would probably
be concerned with the dimensions of the
part. These might be checked with several
go/no go gages or they might be measured
with a micro meter and other instruments.
The corfion situations that warrant
inspection are:
 Incoming raw materials
 At various stages during manufacturing (e.g.,
when the parts are moved from one
production department to another)
 At the completion of processing on the parts
 Before shipping the final assembled product
to the customer
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
TERMINOLOGY IN QUALITY
CONTROL
6. Testing, on the other hand, is normally associated with the
functional aspects of the item, and it is often directed at
the final product rather than its components. In this usage,
testing consists of the observation of the final product
during operation under actual or simulated conditions. If
the product passes the test, it is deemed suitable for sale.
Several categories of tests used for final product
evaluation:
 Simple functional tests under normal or simulated normal
operating conditions
 Functional tests in which the product is tested under extreme
(usually adverse conditions)
 Fatigue or wear tests to determine how long the product will
function until Failure.
 Overload tests to determine the level of safety factor built into
the product
 Environmental testing to determine how well the product will
perform under different environments (e.g., humidity,
temperature)
Computer-Aided Quality Control
THE COMPUTER IN
QC
 CAI and CAT are performed automatically using
the latest comp
 The automated methods of CAQC will result in
significant changes from the traditional concepts
and methods. The following list will summarize
the important effects likely to result from CAQC.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
THE COMPUTER IN
 TheQC
following list will summarize the important effects
likely to result from CAQC.

1. With CAI and CAT, inspection and testing will typically be

accomplished on a 100% basis rather than by the sampling
procedures normally used in traditional QC.
2. Inspection during production will be integrated into the
manufacturing process rather than requiring that the parts
be taken to some inspection area. This will help to reduce
the elapsed time to complete the parts. On line will have to
be accomplished in much less time than with current
manual techniques.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
THE COMPUTER IN
QC list will summarize the important effects likely to result from CAQC.
 The following

3. The use of noncontact sensors will become much more widely used with computer-
aided inspection. With contact inspection devices, the part must usually be stopped
and often repositioned to allow the inspection device to be applied properly. With
noncontact sensor devices, the part can often be inspected "on the fly." These
devices, driven by the high-speed data processing capability of the computer, can
complete the inspection in a small fraction of a second.
4. The on-line noncontact sensors will be utilized as the measurement component of
computerized feedback control systems. These systems will be capable of making
adjustments to the process variables based on analysis of the data collected by the
sensors. Data would be plotted. This would not only allow out of tolerance
conditions to be identified, but gradual shifts in the process could also be uncovered
and corrective action taken. By regulating the process in this manner, parts will be
made much closer to the desired nominal dimension rather than merely within
tolerance. Quality feedback control systems will help to reduce scrap losses and
improve product quality.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
THE COMPUTER IN
 TheQC
following list will summarize the important effects likely to
result from CAQC.

5. With computer-aided inspection technology, it may no longer be

necessary to settle for less than perfection.
6. Robots will be used increasingly in future inspection applications
7. There will also be applications for the computer in quality assurance as
well as QC. The CAD/CAM data base will be used to derive these
various quality applications,
8. There will be CAI and CAT take its place, manual inspection activity
will be reduced. Quality control personnel will have to become more
computer-wise and technologically sophisticated to operate the more
complex inspection and testing equipment and to manage the information
that will result from these more automated methods.
Computer-Aided Quality Control
CONTACT INSPECTION
METHODS
The contact methods
usually involve the use
of coordinate measuring
machines (CMM). Most
of these machines today
are either controlled by
NC or computers. The
coordinate measuring
machine (CMM) is the
most prominent example
of the equipment used
for contact inspection of
workparts.
Computer-Aided Quality Control
CONTACT INSPECTION
METHODS
Computer-Aided Quality Control
CONTACT INSPECTION
METHODS
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
The noncontact methods are divided into two categories for
our purposes:
1. Optical
a) Machine vision
b) Scanning laser beam devices
c) Photogrammetry
2. Non Optical
a) Electric Fiel techniques
b) Radiation techniques
c) Ultrasonics
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
1. Optical
Machine vision
Other names given to these systems include microprocessor-based television and computer vision.
The typical machine vision system consists of a TV camera, a digital computer, and an interface
between them that functions as a pre processor.
The combination of system hardware and software digitizes the picture and analyzes the image by
comparing it with data stored in memory.
The data are often in the form of a limited number of models of the objects which are to be inspected.
There are several limitations of machine vision;
 The first limitation is concerned with the problem of dividing the picture into picture elements. This
is very similar to the problem encountered in the development of graphics terminals for computer-
aided design.
 A second limitation is that the object in front of the camera must be capable of being divided into
areas of contrasting lightness and darkness.
 Third limitations is on the capability of machine vision systems recognize the object in the viewing
area.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
Machine vision
Machine vision
inspection problems
can be divided into
two categories:
Noncontact gaging
of dimensions
Inspection based on
pattern recognition
of object features
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
B) Scanning laser beam devices
The scanning laser beam device relies on the
measurement of time rather than light, although
a light sensor is required in its operation.
The schematic diagram of its operation is pictured in
Figure.
A laser is used to project a continuous thin beam of
light. A rotating mirror deflects the beam so that
it sweeps across the object to be measured.
The light sensor is located at the focal point of the lens
system to detect the interruption of the light
beam as it is blocked by the object.
The time lapse corresponding to the interruption of the
light beam is measured to determine the desired
dimension of the part.
Typically, a microprocessor is programmed to make
the conversion of the time lapse into a
dimensional value and to perform other
functions, such as signaling an automatic parts-
rejection mechanism to eject a defective part
Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS

1. Optical
Scanning laser beam
devices
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
1. Optical
C) Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry involves the extraction of three-dimensional data from a pair
of photographs taken at different angles.
The two photographs can be combined much in the way that a stereoscope uses
a pair of photographs to form a three-dimensional image for the viewer.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION METHODS
1. Optical
C) Photogrammetry
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION
METHODS
NONOPTICAL

A) Electric Field techniques

Various types of electrical field techniques can be applied to noncontact inspection. Three types of
electrical fields are employed:
 Reluctance- The reluctance transducers are proximity devices that indicate the presence
and distance from the probe of a ferromagnetic substance. The obvious limitation of the
device is that the object being inspected must be electromagnetic.
 Capacitance - A capacitance-based transducer can also be used to measure the distance of
an object from the face of a probe. The measurement is based on the variable capacitance
from part/probe coupling. This capacitance is inversely proportional to the distance
between the probe face and the part, and thus the distance can be calculated. The
capacitance transducer can be used to detect a variety of materials. The material must be an
electrical conductor
 Inductance - Inductance systems operate by subjecting the object to an alternating
magnetic field by means of an electromagnetic coil. The result is that small circulating
currents (eddy currents) are generated in the object. These eddy currents, in turn, create
their own magnetic field, which interacts with the primary field. This interaction affects the
impedance of the coil, which an be measured and analyzed to determine certain
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION
METHODS
NONOPTICAL
B) Radiation Techniques
X-ray radiation techniques are employed for purposes of
noncontact inspection in the metals and metalworking
industry. The amount of radiation absorbed by a material can
be used to measure its thickness and other quality
characteristics. In a typical application in a rolling mill, an X-
ray scanning unit measure the thickness of the plates or strips
going through the rolls so that the proper adjustments can be
made in the rollers. X-ray techniques are also used to inspect
weld quality in fabricated steel and aluminum pressure
vessels and pipes. In this case the radiation can be used to
detect flaws and voids in the weld.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
NONCONTACT INSPECTION
METHODS
NONOPTICAL
C) Ultrasonics
 Ultrasonics in inspection work involves the use of very high frequency (above
20,000 Hz) sound waves to indicate quality. A principal application is in
nondestructive testing of materials. Ultrasonic techniques can also be applied
to the problem of determining dimensional features of workparts. One
approach, called acoustical phase monitoring, involves the analysis of sound
waves reflected from the surface of an object. The sound waves are produced
by an emitter and directed against the object. Assuming that all else remains
constant, the reflected sound pattern from the object should always be the
same. During inspection, the sound pattern from the part is analyzed by a
computer program and compared to the pattern of a standard part, one that is
known to be of acceptable quality. If the pattern of the test part differs
significantly from that of the standard, it is rejected.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
COMPUTER-AIDED TESTING
computer-aided testing (CAT) The application of computers to control either
analog or digital test techniques in order to evaluate the quality of
components and products. Computer-aided testing is used to check that the
component parts, subassemblies, and full systems are within specified
tolerances and also perform up to specification. Note that performance to
specification may require that the unit or system operates under stressful
conditions that would not be encountered in normal use. The parameters
(test criteria) for computer-aided testing are often derived from computer-
aided design and computer-aided manufacturing systems.
 Examples include automobile engines, aircraft engines, and electronic
integrated circuits. Advantages of these cells include higher throughput
rates, greater consistency in the test procedure, and less floor space
occupied by the automated cell As compared to a manual facility of similar
capacity.
 Computer-Aided Quality Control
INTEGRATION OF CAQC WITH
CAD/CAM
Although many important benefits result from the use of computer-aided quality control, additional
benefits can be obtained by integrating CAQC with CAD/CAM.
1. The design department creates the product definition and the manufacturing department
makes use of and supplements this definition to develop the manufacturing plan. It is
important to add the QC connection to the CAD/CAM framework.
2. The quality control department must use the same CAD/CAM data base to perform its
function. These quality standards are all contained in the CAD/CAM data base, available for
QC to use.
3. One way in which the data base can be used is to develop the NC programs to operate the
tape-controlled or computer-controlled coordinate measuring machines. These programs can
be generated automatically.
4. These programs would then be down loaded to the CMM through a DNC link from the
central computer to the controller unit for the CMM. The same sort of downloading process
is possible for some of the noncontact inspection methods.
5. Another way in which a common data base is helpful to QC is when engineering changes are
made to the product. It is helpful for any changes to be recorded in a common data file for all
departments, including QC, to use.
6. Another area where CAD/CAM benefits the QC function is in computer production
monitoring. The types of production records that are generated during computer monitoring are sometimes useful to
Coordinate Measuring
Machine
(CMM)
Overview
 Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are
extremely powerful metrological instrument

 It is a device for measuring the physical

geometrical characteristics of an object

 This machine may be manually controlled by an

operator or it may be computer controlled.

 Measurements are defined by a probe attached to

the third moving axis of this machine

 This probe touches the part of interest and allows

collecting discrete points on the object's surface.
Measuring using CMM
 THE ROLE OF COORDINATE
MEASURING MACHINES
 CMMs play an important role in a large
number of industries, including;
 Aerospace
 Automotive
 Food processing
 Health care
 Paper
 Pharmaceuticals
 Plastics
 Research and development
 Semiconductor
Short run
  We may be producing hundreds or even
thousands of part, but the production run is
not sufficient to justify the cost of
production inspection tooling
Multiple features
 When we have a number of
features- both dimensional and
geometric- to control, CMM is the
instrument that makes control easy
and economical
Flexibility
  Because we can choose the application of
the CMM system, we can also do short
runs and measure multiple features
High unit cost
  Because reworking or scrapping is costly,
CMM systems significantly increase the
production of acceptable parts
Production interruption
  Whenever you have to inspect and pass
one part before you can start machining on
the next part, a machining center may
actually be able to help a manufacturer
save more money by reducing downtime
than would be save by inspection
Comparison between conventional and
coordinate measuring technology
 CONVENTI
ONAL
COORDINATE
METROLOG
Y
METROLOGY
 Manual, time
consuming alignment
ofAlignment of the
the test piece
test piece not
necessary
 Single purpose and
multi-point measuring
Simple adaptation to
the measuring
instruments test itby
making
software
hard to adapt to
changing measuring
task
Comparison of
measurement with of
 Comparison
mathematical or
measurement
numerical valuewith
TYPES OF CMMs
 The basic CMM has three perpendicular axis; x,y,z
  The physical configuration of CMMs vary widely, but
they all provide a way to move a probe in three axes with
 respect to workpiece
 Five basic configurations that are used more
frequently


1. Cantilever
Moving bridge
2. Bridge
3. Column Fixed bridge
4. Horizontal arm
5. Gantry
Cantilever type
 A vertical probe moves in the z-axis
  Carried by a cantilevered arm that
 moves in the y-axis
 This arm also moves laterally through the x-
 axis
 Advantage- a fixed table allows good
 accessibility to the workpiece
 Disadvantage- the bending caused by the
 cantilever design
 The cantilever design offers a long table with
 relatively small measuring ranges in the other
two axis.
 Suitable for measuring long, thin part

Moving bridge type
 Most widely used
 Has stationary table to support

workpiece to be measured and a

moving bridge
 Disadvantage- with this design,

the phenomenon of yawing

(sometimes called walking) can
occur- affect the accuracy
 Advantage- reduce bending

effect
Fixed bridge type
 In the fixed bridge configuration,
the bridge is rigidly attached to the
machine bed
 This design eliminates the

phenomenon of walking and

provides high rigidity
Column type
 Often referred to as universal
measuring machine instead of
CMM
 The column type CMM

construction provides exceptional

rigidity and accuracy
 These machines are usually

reserved for gage rooms rather

than inspection
Horizontal arm type
 Unlike the previous machines, the
basic horizontal arm-type CMM
 Also referred to as layout

machine
 Has a moving arm, and the probe is

carried along the y-axis

 Advantage- provides a large area,

unobstructed work area

 Ideal configuration for measurement
of automobile parts
 Gantry type
 The support of workpiece is
independent of the x and y axes,
both are overhead, supported by
four vertical columns rising from the
floor
 This setup allows you to walk along
the workpiece with the probe, which
is helpful for extremely large pieces
 Gantry configuration with dual
linear motor drives, laser scales
an online compensation
Other configuration
MODES OF OPERATION
 Manual
 Manual computer assisted

 Motorized computer assisted

 Direct computer controlled

Manual
  CMM has a free floating probe that
operator move along the machine’s three
axes to establish contact with the part
feature that accessing
  The differences among the contact
positions are the measurements
Manual computer assisted
  Add electronic digital displays for these
machines, making zero setting, changing
sign, converting unit, and printing out data
easy and practical
  Advantage- save time, minimize
calculation, reduce error
Motorized computer assisted
  Uses a joystick to drive the machine axes
  The operator manipulates the joysticks
to bring the probe sensor into contact
with the workpiece
Direct computer controlled (DCC)
 Fully programmable
 Use CAD data to determine where the probe sensor
contacts the workpiece, collecting measurement data
 The fully automated CMM allows operator to place the
workpiece in a fixture/ worktable, run a stored
program, collect the data points and generate the
output report
 Measurement reports can be saved in the computer to
compile a historical record for SPC.
 A program of DCC machine has three components:
1. Movement commands – direct the probe to the data
collection points
2. Measurement command – compare the distance traveled
with the standard built into the machine for that axis
3. Formatting command- translate the data into a form for
display or print out
TYPES OF PROBES
 Two general categories
1. Contact (see figure)
 Touch-trigger probe
 Analog scanning probe
1. Noncontact
For inspection of printed circuit
board, measuring a clay of wax
model, when the object being
measured would be deformed by
the for of stylus
 laser probes
 video
probes
Contact probes
1. Touch trigger probe
 As the sensor makes contact with the part, the
difference in contact resistance indicates that the
probe has been deflected
 The computer records this contact point coordinate

space
 An LED light and an audible signal usually indicate

contact
 Touch probe assemblies consist of three

components; probe head, probe and stylus

1. Analog scanning probe
 Use to measure contour surfaces, complex,
irregular
 Remains in contact with the surface of the part as it

moves
 Improve the speed and accuracy
Non-contact probe
1. Laserscanning
Laser probes project
probe a light beam
 onto the surface of a part
When the light beam is triggered, the
 position of beam is read by triangulation
through a lens in the probe receptor
Laser tool have a high degree of speed
 and accuracy

1. Video probe
 The feature are measured by computer ‘count’ of
the pixels of the electronic image
 The camera is capable of generating multitude of
measurements points within a single video
frame
Probe head, probes and stylus
Multiple shapes of sylus
CMM software
 The programming of the machine or the
software of the system enables the CMM
to reach its full potential for accuracy,
precision and speed
 Contour programs allow the CMM to
quickly define detailed, complex non-
geometric shapes such as gear, cams,
and injection molds
 These programs also can be used to
compare the measurement data with a
computer assisted drafting (CAD) model
CMM software (cont’)
 Generally software packages contains some or all
of the following capabilities:
 Resolution selection
 Conversion between SI and English (mm and inch)
 Conversion of rectangular coordinates to polar
coordinates
 Axis scaling
 Datum selection and reset
 Circle center and diameter solution
 Bolt-circle center and diameter
 Save and recall previous datum
 Nominal and tolerance entry
 Out-of tolerance computation
Coordinate System
 A coordinate allows the CMM to locate
features on a workpiece relative to other
features
 The coordinate system is similar to a
three-dimensional map, providing
direction and location
 Each machine has a ‘home’ position (an
origin) and x, y and z axes identify
location that represents the machine
coordinate system (MCS)
 A manufactured past can also have a part
coordinate system (PCS)
References
 Text book
 Bosch, J.A., Coordinate Measuring

Machines and System