Konica Minolta Visual Quality Inspection

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• What is the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Video analytics (terms, applications, technologies)

2021: Running Visual Quality Inspection

Konica Minolta on December 13, 2021 announced the launch of an AI and IoT-based defect and anomaly detection system - Visual Quality Inspection. Its application will allow the company's customers to improve quality control processes.

The Visual Quality Inspection video analytics system is based on Konica Minolta's Forxai IoT image processing platform. Pre-trained on data, this solution instantly processes images and videos using artificial intelligence both locally and in the cloud. The processing material comes from highly sensitive intelligent video cameras that detect defects better than the human eye. As a result of the analysis, the platform recognizes specific patterns and thus identifies defects.

The product delivers all information to the customer in real time. The system determines the size and significance of defects, scratches, spills, leaks, including cracks and foreign objects, as well as the incorrect position of specific objects. Defects are evaluated depending on the severity level on a scale from 0 to 100%, notification to the process manager immediately comes through the dashboard. He can then obtain images from the appropriate cameras to determine the type of warning. This allows you to quickly respond to the problem and minimize the need for personnel, as the need to constantly monitor each camera disappears. Human error rates are reduced, resulting in improved product quality.

The platform also contains information on the total number of spoiled elements detected, types of defects and gives a long-term forecast of their possible occurrence in production in the future. The user interface of the solution is easy to manage, it does not need to have knowledge of programming or machine learning to work with it, noted Konica Minolta.

Thus, the Konica Minolta product optimizes quality control - an expensive, time-consuming and long-term process that requires several hours of continuous inspections by inspectors, especially in production, logistics and warehouses. In addition, the system increases its accuracy, which is very relevant, since manual quality control is sometimes impossible to carry out at the proper level due to the high complexity of production conveyors. Sometimes its accuracy is negatively affected by the human factor, for example, the fatigue and inattention of the inspector. High quality control accuracy, meanwhile, is necessary to improve the profitability of the production line, prevent the loss of expensive equipment and materials, as well as injuries to employees. In general, the system improves security and optimizes the production process in enterprises from different industries, the company concluded.

"We are pleased to support the digital transformation of our customers with a visual quality control solution," said Shintaro Inoue, head of video solutions at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. "Because Forxai-based algorithms can be tailored specifically to the customer's needs, it can be scaled up, and projects can combine different solutions."