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Automated Checking of Valve Integrity | Aerospace Metrology | Optimax

Automated Checking of Valve Integrity

Reliable valve inspection ensures flawless valve discs for fuel injectors

The metal valve disc is a critical component in a fuel injector’s design. To ensure a fuel-tight seal throughout the injector’s service life, its outer rim must be complete, uniform, and free from any dents, breaks, or damage.

Our client, a manufacturer of precision valve discs, faced a challenge in their automated production process as traditional valve inspection methods were time-consuming and could not keep up with their production speed of 40 parts per minute.

This manual checking also lacked traceability, preventing the generation of printed reports or visual results necessary for quality assurance.

Reliable valve inspection ensures flawless valve discs for fuel injectors

Automated valve inspection revolutionises quality control

To address this, Optimax implemented a complete automated inspection solution of the valve discs designed to meet the key requirements:

High-Speed Throughput: The inspection system needed to operate at the same rate as the production line, checking 40 parts per minute.
Rotational Freedom: As components arrive in random orientation, the system needed to inspect the entire valve disc rim from any angle.
Precision and Exclusions: The system had to accurately identify critical defects on the outer rim but ignore permitted imperfections, such as scratches on the surface.

The Inspekto S70, automated visual inspection system is perfectly suited for this application. By integrating this system, our client was able to achieve 100% inspection coverage. This valve inspection solution not only improved product quality but also provided a fully traceable methodology with digital reports and visual documentation, transforming the quality control process.

Inspekto S70

We recommend the Inspekto S70 autonomous machine vision system, which uses a camera and a powerful AI (Artificial Intelligence) image processing system to spot defects whilst minimising false positives. The system is trained using good components and can be configured to ignore product parts that differ by design (such as serial number labels). It is tolerant of orientation and positioning and can scan components placed in the camera’s field of view and on a conveyor belt. Where defects are found, they are identified in red on the displayed or recorded image to facilitate rework.

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The Optimax team with their extensive knowledge and expertise, have proven themselves to be the ideal partner for independent, candid advice. They are a company we can trust to support our metrology and visual inspection needs whether we are purchasing equipment or developing specific metrology instruments for our applications. Their experience and methodical attention to detail mean the outcomes we achieve support our testing requirements.

Dr Andrew Johnson, Assistant Director, RandA

Optimax are a trusted partner! We have been working in partnership with Optimax for several years, to supply us with inspection solutions, service, and onsite calibration to UKAS standards. Their knowledge and expertise is exceptional, they provide honest, independent advice. Optimax are quick to provide options and solutions for our inspection requirements. They work hard to deliver a solution that 100% fits the application rather than just supplying a product. Optimax work with us to ensure we achieve our inspection objectives – they are one of the first companies I turn to.

Bruce Daggett, Senior Aerospace Weston, Inspection Team Leader

For over 14 years Optimax has been providing us with inspection equipment, service and most importantly expertise. We need suppliers that can go the extra mile in looking specifically at our application and then providing a suitable and sometimes bespoke solution, and this is where Optimax have really made a difference

John Harris, Director, Nevo Developments

Optimax have an extensive product range that was very attractive to us. They took the time to understand my requirements and align a solution that fitted into my manufacturing processes. They were very knowledgeable and friendly, I found the virtual demonstration extremely helpful. The outcome of the project has been very successful and performs above expectations. I would definitely recommend Optimax.

Adam Kowalcyck, Quality Engineer, Federal Mogul Coventry

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Automated Checking of Valve Integrity

Reliable valve inspection ensures flawless valve discs for fuel injectors

This manual checking also lacked traceability, preventing the generation of printed reports or visual results necessary for quality assurance.