The eye-fatigue problem
A shop that makes small turned parts, such as medical or electronic components, may check every piece by eye. After an hour at the scope, attention drops. Nobody is doing anything wrong. Tired eyes miss small marks. That is how defects reach the customer on a high-volume run of small parts.
A camera does not tire. It looks at the thousandth part the same way as the first, with the same light and the same view. It does not make the final call, but it can send the unusual ones to the front of the line.
How it would work
The operator places each part in a fixture, takes a photo, and reads PASS or FAIL. The model is trained on about 60 good parts. A flagged part gets a heatmap, and the operator inspects that spot closely. Under a scope or loupe, as they do today, they check that spot. Nothing about the inspector's job is taken away; the first look is just faster.
The records help with traceability. Each part gets a photo, lot or serial, operator and result. Shops with medical customers can use the records to answer questions about what was checked and when. They are records, not approvals, and your own quality system still decides how they are used.
Field of view limits
The validated optics see roughly 100 to 120 mm across. A part measuring a few millimeters would fill a small part of that frame, so fine marks might be too small to see. Small parts need a closer lens, and that setup has not been built or tested.
This is the main open question for this use. We would work out the optics with you before a pilot, and tell you if the part is not a fit. Anyone who says a camera handles tiny parts without checking the optics is skipping a step. Part size, working distance and lens choice are all open questions for a turned part.
What a pilot would test
Validation so far is one aluminum bracket. Round, turned and very small parts are untested, along with the shiny finishes that often come with them. Loading and holding a tiny round part the same way each time is its own fixture problem.
A pilot would test whether a fixture and optics can hold your part steady, then whether the station flags real defects. If medical validation rules apply, your quality system still governs how it is used. The fixture alone may take real design work.
How a shop sets it up
- Pick one part number and decide which surface needs to be checked.
- Design a fixture that holds a round part in one position. This is the hard step.
- Agree the optics with us first. A small part may need a closer camera setup.
- Photograph about 60 good parts and run the wizard, about 30 minutes.
Limits, stated plainly
- Not yet validated on turned or small parts.
- The validated field of view is about 100 to 120 mm. Small parts need different optics that are not built yet.
- Round parts are hard to fixture. One view may not cover the whole surface.
- VZSOR does not measure diameters, threads or tolerances.
- Medical validation expectations remain with your quality system.