Manual visual inspection is no longer viable. To overcome human limitations, inconsistent results and the global increase in labor costs, manufacturers seek smart automated solutions.

As Industry 4.0 takes hold, industrial automation and robotics are replacing many manual tasks in manufacturing. However, when it comes to visual quality inspection, most production lines still employ human workers in the tedious task of examining products and judging defects.

The biggest drawback of manual visual inspection is that humans make mistakes. Tired workers often miss defects that “escape” the quality screens on the production floor and leak into finished goods packages or into integrated systems. When these defects are discovered or surface at a later stage often by end customers, users or consumers, it is too late and very costly to fix. The Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) in these cases is significant. It includes – among other elements – the costs of returned or rejected goods (RMA), scrap, rework and in many cases the negative impact on brand reputation and end customer dissatisfaction.