Automatic inspection systems for the flat glass industry

The author presents two types of automatic inspection system (AIS) designed for the glass industry. The first type of system is designed for the dimensional inspection of flat glass pieces. Using a linear scanning system, lighting apparatus, and customized software, the AIS is fully integrated into the control system of the glass plant. Dimensions and tolerances are transmitted by the supervisor units, which adjust the cutting process according to the feedback data such as dimensions, broken corners, and straightness. The second type of system is a turnkey system for three-dimensional inspection of curved glass pieces (side and rear car windows). A variety of leading-edge technologies are implemented to provide a fully noncontact inspection system: vision software, high-speed handling system, metrology algorithms, laser lighting, etc.<>