quality 4.0: a paradigm shift of in-line inspection in

50 Years of Growth, Innovation and Leadership

A Frost & Sullivan White Paper

Karthik Sundaram

Prem Shanmugam

www.frost.com

Quality 4.0: A Paradigm Shift of In-line Inspection in Body-in-WhiteExploring the impact of absolute, non-contact, fully automated dimensional inspection in the production line

Frost & Sullivan

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Introduction and Context ................................................................................. 3

The Vision of Quality 4.0 .................................................................................. 4

Devising the Quality 4.0 Index ......................................................................... 8

The BIW Dimensional Inspection Market ..................................................... 9

Conclusion ..........................................................................................................13

Appendix ............................................................................................................14

Reference ............................................................................................................14

Disclaimer...........................................................................................................15

Quality 4.0: A Paradigm Shift of In-line Inspection in Body-in-White

3All rights reserved © 2019 Frost & Sullivan

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

Mass production, automation, and globalisation have had dramatic effects on the way products are designed, produced, and consumed. In the latter half of the 20th century, globalisation and low-cost outsourcing to emerging economies, marked the beginning of a shift in the balance of power in the industrial world to the East. The former low-cost production centres gained critical domain know-how and the capacity to compete with the West. Market competition became more intense, business cycles more volatile, and consumers more fickle. Against this backdrop, Industry 4.0 was conceived. Industry 4.0 involves a cross-fertilisation of ideas, inventions, and processes between the worlds of information technology and operational technology. It emphasises digitised production philosophies to improve shop-floor efficiency through the intelligent use of product and process data.

The goal of Industry 4.0, a vision developed in cooperation with the German government in the first half of this decade, is to create the next generation of manufacturing automation driven by digitisation to ensure that the nation remains competitive in the global marketplace. Since then, the subject has gained universal resonance with new regional offshoots emerging across the world.

The automotive industry, a pioneer in advanced manufacturing, is well positioned to implement and realise the benefits of Industry 4.0. Automakers today are confronting their own industry challenges that Industry 4.0 could potentially help resolve.

Exhibit 1: Automotive Body-in-White– Key Automotive Trends of Relevance

0102

0304

Design Personalization

Environmental Regulations

Platform Strategy

Use of Multi-materials

Auto OEMs push towards achieving standardized vehicle platforms for realizing economies of scale

Placing the customer at the centre of automotive – creating a ‘lot size 1’ factory architecture and supporting personalized design

Emission regulations governing CO2 and exhaust gas emissions, fuel efficiency, are driving weight reduction and electrification in auto production.

Use of multi-material hybrid designs to achieve lightweight production and increase energy efficiency during vehicle production

Source: Frost & Sullivan


4 All rights reserved © 2019 Frost & Sullivan

BIW: State of the IndustryBIW is essentially the body of the vehicle and its underlying structure once stamped metal parts have been joined together. It is the metal structure without closures like doors and bonnet. BIW is a critical part of the production process that follows press shop and precedes paint shop and final assembly. The different stages of automotive manufacturing and the position of BIW are represented in the Exhibit 2.

Exhibit 2: The Automotive Manufacturing Process

01 02 03 04

Press Shop Body Shop Paint Shop Final AssemblyInvolves shaping

sheet metal through high pressure into various automotive body components

such as doors, pillars, hood, roof, etc.

Welding area where all sheet metal parts

are joined together to form the

body-in-white and the closures

Includes steps for surface preparation and painting of the

complete body

Assembling engines and other parts like wheels, seats, wind

shield, dash board, etc. into the vehicle body


According to estimates, the BIW market is expected to reach €100 billion by 20252. A BIW inspection identifies any dimensional anomalies. According to Frost & Sullivan research, the dimensional inspection market for BIW automotive accounted for $289.3 million in 2017. Production lead times are shrinking, and automakers are under pressure related to cost reduction, adoption of lightweight materials and the demands of product personalisation. Dimensional quality control in BIW processes can address these concerns. Traditional inspection approaches, such as the use of an offline coordinate measuring machine (CMM), are simply discordant with Industry 4.0 demands. New approaches must be developed and adopted to ensure that quality and process controls are realised simultaneously.

Perfecting BIW inspection: The earlier the betterA perfected BIW process ensures that downstream processes in automotive manufacturing realise high levels of efficiency. Dimensional quality control at the BIW stage, when supported by data-driven analytics, detects product and process anomalies earlier in the production process. It also helps to control the assembly process in such a way that dimensional tolerance targets are hit consistently. The result is not only less downtime and rework, but a production process that continuously improves.

A study of the German automotive industry found that internal efficiency was the key driving factor for Industry 4.0 adoption for an overwhelming 97%1 of respondents, followed by cost reduction (89%) and process transparency (86%). Much of the industry’s focus has been on designing smart vehicles and intelligent production lines, and while quality control has been a component of these imperatives, it deserves a singular focus. The purpose of this white paper is to draw the industry’s attention towards the need for a new vision for quality in automotive production with the backdrop of Industry 4.0.

The paper explains the key trends influencing automotive Body-in-white (BIW) and qualifies the need for reimagining dimensional inspection processes. This new vision for quality is Quality 4.0—the details of which are explained in the latter part of the white paper.

THE VISION OF QUALITY 4.0

The Future of Dimensional Inspection and the Dawn of Quality 4.0Quality can make or break a purchase decision. It is not merely about a vehicle’s integrity but also reflective of an automaker’s commitment to customers and the industry at large. While quality has many aspects, Frost & Sullivan has restricted the focus of this paper to dimensional quality.

A consumer’s perception of dimensional quality affects an automaker’s brand image: a car with poor fit and finish or malfunctioning internal components will leave a lasting impression. In the production process, suboptimal dimensional quality can lengthen lead times and cause cost overruns related to the reworking of non-compliant parts or forced downstream production adjustments.

Manual dimensional inspection processes are time-consuming and costly, yet they have remained largely unchanged for decades.

It is imperative that dimensional inspection keeps pace with disruptive Industry 4.0 forces in the design engineering and production automation spaces. To move forward, there is a fundamental need to reimagine the purpose of dimensional quality control and the process of dimensional inspection in the production environment.

Quality 4.0 deals with the paradigm shift of making dimensional inspections move from being a mere qualifier of quality compliance to one that controls and regulates the manufacturing process.



BIW: State of the IndustryBIW is essentially the body of the vehicle and its underlying structure once stamped metal parts have been joined together. It is the metal structure without closures like doors and bonnet. BIW is a critical part of the production process that follows press shop and precedes paint shop and final assembly. The different stages of automotive manufacturing and the position of BIW are represented in the Exhibit 2.

Exhibit 2: The Automotive Manufacturing Process

01 02 03 04

Press Shop Body Shop Paint Shop Final AssemblyInvolves shaping

sheet metal through high pressure into various automotive body components

such as doors, pillars, hood, roof, etc.

Welding area where all sheet metal parts

are joined together to form the

body-in-white and the closures

Includes steps for surface preparation and painting of the

complete body

Assembling engines and other parts like wheels, seats, wind

shield, dash board, etc. into the vehicle body


According to estimates, the BIW market is expected to reach €100 billion by 20252. A BIW inspection identifies any dimensional anomalies. According to Frost & Sullivan research, the dimensional inspection market for BIW automotive accounted for $289.3 million in 2017. Production lead times are shrinking, and automakers are under pressure related to cost reduction, adoption of lightweight materials and the demands of product personalisation. Dimensional quality control in BIW processes can address these concerns. Traditional inspection approaches, such as the use of an offline coordinate measuring machine (CMM), are simply discordant with Industry 4.0 demands. New approaches must be developed and adopted to ensure that quality and process controls are realised simultaneously.

Perfecting BIW inspection: The earlier the betterA perfected BIW process ensures that downstream processes in automotive manufacturing realise high levels of efficiency. Dimensional quality control at the BIW stage, when supported by data-driven analytics, detects product and process anomalies earlier in the production process. It also helps to control the assembly process in such a way that dimensional tolerance targets are hit consistently. The result is not only less downtime and rework, but a production process that continuously improves.

A study of the German automotive industry found that internal efficiency was the key driving factor for Industry 4.0 adoption for an overwhelming 97%1 of respondents, followed by cost reduction (89%) and process transparency (86%). Much of the industry’s focus has been on designing smart vehicles and intelligent production lines, and while quality control has been a component of these imperatives, it deserves a singular focus. The purpose of this white paper is to draw the industry’s attention towards the need for a new vision for quality in automotive production with the backdrop of Industry 4.0.

The paper explains the key trends influencing automotive Body-in-white (BIW) and qualifies the need for reimagining dimensional inspection processes. This new vision for quality is Quality 4.0—the details of which are explained in the latter part of the white paper.

THE VISION OF QUALITY 4.0

The Future of Dimensional Inspection and the Dawn of Quality 4.0Quality can make or break a purchase decision. It is not merely about a vehicle’s integrity but also reflective of an automaker’s commitment to customers and the industry at large. While quality has many aspects, Frost & Sullivan has restricted the focus of this paper to dimensional quality.

A consumer’s perception of dimensional quality affects an automaker’s brand image: a car with poor fit and finish or malfunctioning internal components will leave a lasting impression. In the production process, suboptimal dimensional quality can lengthen lead times and cause cost overruns related to the reworking of non-compliant parts or forced downstream production adjustments.

Manual dimensional inspection processes are time-consuming and costly, yet they have remained largely unchanged for decades.

It is imperative that dimensional inspection keeps pace with disruptive Industry 4.0 forces in the design engineering and production automation spaces. To move forward, there is a fundamental need to reimagine the purpose of dimensional quality control and the process of dimensional inspection in the production environment.



Pain Points on a Customer’s BIW JourneyThe automotive industry’s design and development process is inherently dynamic as new challenges emerge at various production points and intense competition increases time-to-market pressures. Automotive manufacturing generally includes three critical phases, as shown in exhibit 3.

• Series development—involves prototype testing and development of manufacturing process design

• Ramp-up phase—the transitionary phase wherein the real production line is built; this phase is also known as Pre-series

• Series production—where the designed product and process is utilized for large-scale production

Exhibit 3: The Product Development Phase

~36 months ~6-9 months ~72 months

Logistics planning

Series development Series ramp-up Seriesproduction

Series LogisticsPre-series logistics

Pre-series release

Start of production (SOP)

Full capacity reached

Pre- series I Pre- series II Zero seriesProduction ramp-up

Source: Filla, P., Klingebiel, K., Risk profiles for the Pre-series logistics in automotive ramp-up processes,3 p. 45

Dimensional control is an important quality gate across the entire product development phase—starting from ‘Pre-series’ where production processes are first developed and tested to ‘Series’ production, where vehicles are manufactured in scale. The BIW assembly in the production process is a critical juncture for dimensional quality control. Conventional models for quality control in BIW are inadequate and more often result in delayed product launches and extensive capital costs for manufacturers. For a measured view on how BIW processes can be strengthened with a new quality control and inspection approach, it is first essential to understand the current challenges confronting automakers across Pre-series and in-series production phases. Exhibit 4 illustrates these pain points.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82140428.pdf



Exhibit 4: BIW Dimensional Quality Control Pain Points

-

Time & Cost of frequent tooling modifications

Missed “SOP” (start of production) target date

In Pre-series

More reliable inspection data without delay for better process control

100% inspection in Pre-series

In Series production

Manual rework of parts in body shop

Rework to “make things fit” downstream

Production stoppage/downtime loss

A natural second step that requires analyses are the downsides associated with the current BIW inspection processes, as shown in Exhibit 5.

Exhibit 5: BIW Inspection Process Pain points

Accuracy of in-line dimensional data insufficient for detecting process trends

Low reliability of inspection data owing to insufficient data volume (1 set per shift in best case)

Delayed availability of inspection data in Pre-series and series production(> 8 h after part was produced)

Existing inspection methods are expensive*

*Note: includes cost expenditure for CMM rooms, in-line FMS systems, labour for parts/component transfer to CMM and run inspection, process sequence break-up during inspection)

It would greatly aid automotive manufacturers to fine-tune the process of BIW dimensional inspection in the Pre-series phase. This can ensure that automakers do not miss critical production targets that influence sale conversions and customer retention. However, in reality, this is often not the case and many car manufacturers have issues to achieve their Pre-series targets, both in terms of quality and timelines. It also helps us understand the gaps of conventional inspection systems that are deployed in BIW. The industry could be aided by a new inspection process that can address all the current pain points stifling operation. This inspection system must align with the vision of Quality 4.0. This is where we see a need to evolve an index—one that can help measure the status of a given BIW inspection process vis-à-vis the Quality 4.0 paradigm, helping to determine the best inspection system that can be deployed.



DEVISING THE QUALITY 4.0 INDEX

The Quality 4.0 index is developed by Frost & Sullivan and defines key criteria that quality inspection systems and processes need to adhere to, to comply with the vision of Industry 4.0. A fully integrated inspection in the production line that does absolute measurement supported by advanced digital tools and capable of performing 100% inspection checks, enabling process control and continual process improvement, forms the building blocks of the Quality 4.0 Index. Exhibit 6 illustrates this in more detail.

Exhibit 6: The Quality 4.0 Index

Fully automated, real-time inspections in the production line or in a by-pass station

In-LineInspection

Weighted Rating for BIW

Inspection of every product that is manufactured

100%Inspection


Digital capabilities that help to acquire, store, and process inspection data linked to CAD

DigitalInfrastructure


Inspection results in measurement units without the need for correlations and comparisons

AbsoluteMeasurement


Leveraging inspection data for process optimization

ProcessControl


Ability and ease of performing 100% dimensional inspection in Pre-series production

Pre-seriesAlignment


The Quality 4.0 Index is applicable to all discrete manufacturing inspection contexts. In the automotive BIW context, Frost & Sullivan developed a weighted score for each index element, taking into account key end-user challenges and the expected value for future BIW processes. The Quality 4.0 Index for BIW can be used to pursue a comparative study and benchmarking of existing BIW inspection systems and identify their alignment with the larger Quality 4.0 paradigm. A closer look at the different elements in the Index illustrates the gaps in conventional CMM methods that are widely used in the automotive industry today. For instance, conventional CMM methods are pursued in separate rooms, capable of only sample checks, with little or no ability to aid in process control. The result is a labour-intensive, time-consuming, legacy process that is isolated from the production line. Besides the sole benefit of measurement accuracy, conventional CMM room inspections fail to meet any requisite criteria for Quality 4.0. The same can also be said of many other dimensional inspection systems in the marketplace. Moreover, most of the existing systems are either inadequate or inefficient in pre-series production, where product and process design can be optimised to the maximum. This calls for a new BIW dimensional inspection system, one that successfully meets the varied criteria of Quality 4.0.



THE BIW DIMENSIONAL INSPECTION MARKET

The BIW dimensional inspection market currently has five major types of systems. Whilst CMM is still the highest adopted system, there are four key segments increasingly gaining market share. White light, Tracked Optical Sensor, Flexible Measurement System (FMS), Laser Radar – have emerged as strong contenders for CMM, each with their unique value-selling propositions.

Each of these systems is tailor-made for specific contexts and can be broadly classified on the basis of:

1. Location of Measurement: In a measurement room, next to the production line or integrated into the production line (by-pass or in-line)

2. Type of Measurement: Absolute and Relative

The definition for each of these systems has been detailed in the Appendix.

End-user Viewpoints on the Dimensional Inspection MarketFrom our discussion with automotive OEMs, it is certain that there is a definite shift towards measurements integrated into the production line (by-pass or in-line). Measurement room inspections are currently used during design stages and for troubleshooting. In the years ahead, CMM usage is likely to get phased out and replaced by newer, advanced systems. In regards to measurements in the production line, a few end users expressed concerns about quality. A general perception is that in-line measurements might provide inferior inspection results vis-à-vis a measurement room approach. Questions about accuracy arise, especially due to the impact of temperature, vibration and humidity during measurements in the production line. On the whole, it is evident that automotive OEMs foresee a change in the way dimensional inspection is pursued in BIW. It is thus imperative for dimensional inspection systems in the production line to ensure that environmental conditions on the shop floor do not impact measurements. There was also a reasonable scepticism from end users regarding the software capability of different dimensional inspection systems as the volume of data acquired rises. However, what was also obvious from the research was the lack of clarity of end-users on how dimensional inspection can benefit process control and optimisation.

To provide a comparative analysis of the current market, Exhibit 7 provides a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis for each dimensional inspection system.



Exhibit 7: Body-in-White Dimensional Inspection Market, SWOT Analysis

• High market awareness

• Multiple probes options – tactile & optical

• Large measurement volume & high accuracy

• Absolute measurement

• Inflexible(fixed location), heavy ground works required

• Need for climate controlled room

• Small probe standoff (liable to collisions)

• Slow measurement and programming

• Newfound opportunity emerging across shop-floor inspection

• Flexibility to use multiple types of probes; such as optical probes, enabling faster measurement

• The move towards in-line inspection and 100% inspection

• Strong competition from other faster and more affordable technologies

Strength

CMM

ThreatWeakness Opportunities

• Fast measurement and data capture

• Large measurement volume


• Unsuitable for certain surface finishes

• Need to manually add and remove markers and adapters

• Time taken for analysis and feature extraction

• Large data volume for storage and processing

• Evolving concepts of Industry 4.0, including “Big Data” driving adoption of surface inspection

• Availability of strong and affordable alternative in-line inspection solutions

• The move towards in-line metrology in automotive

Strength

White Light


• Fast measurement and specific data capture

• Full surface information


• Need for line of sight• Concerns on

measurement reliability

• Limitations on full feature inspection, especially for hard to reach features

• Requirement for detailed robot path programming

• Shift towards non-contact inspection in automotive

• Need for high-accuracy

• Risk of part damage due to sensor collision

Strength

Tracked Optical Sensor




• Fast data capture and fast feature measurement

• Supports 100% inspection

• Relatively inexpensive

• Easily integrated into the production line

• Low accuracy from robot

• Go/no-go information only

• Setup tedious• No absolute

measurement

• The continued move towards 100% in-line metrology in automotive

• The move toward absolute measurements to aid process control and optimization

• Need for higher accuracy measurements

Strength

FMS


• Large measurement range and volume

• Fast & high accuracy feature measurement

• Features and surface measurements without surface preparation


• Ideal for In-line and shop-floor measurements

• Line of sight required

• Accuracy drops for longer ranges

• Relatively slow detailed scanning of large surfaces

• The move towards in-line metrology in automotive

• Increasing demand for surface inspection

• Need for process control and optimization.

• Customer acceptance of absolute, in-line measurement philosophy

• Primarily supplied by one vendor in the market

Strength

Laser Radar




Benchmarking BIW InspectionTo further evaluate the Quality 4.0 readiness of the current BIW dimensional inspection market, Frost & Sullivan assessed how each dimensional inspection system weighs in relation to the six building blocks of the Q4.0 Index detailed earlier. Ratings and scores are shown in Exhibit 8. The score for each attribute of every product is based on Frost & Sullivan research and interviews with key industry stakeholders. The benchmarking results indicate that many of the popular systems today lack sufficient capability from a Quality 4.0 standpoint. Interestingly, tracked optical sensors and Laser Radar were found to be the two most promising systems with strong Quality 4.0 attributes. In particular, the Laser Radar system was identified as the best available system in the marketplace for automotive BIW customers to realise Quality 4.0 in their production lines.

Exhibit 8: BIW Dimensional Inspection Market: Q4.0 Product Benchmark

Ben

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I mar

ket

Q4.0 Index CMM White LightTracked

Optical SensorLaser Radar FMS

Elements Weight Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score

In-line Inspection 0.15 4 0.60 2 0.30 8 1.20 8 1.28 9 1.35

100% Inspection 0.13 2 0.26 3 0.39 6 0.78 7 0.91 9 1.17

Digital Infrastructure 0.17 8 1.36 8 1.36 8 1.36 8 1.36 4 0.68

Absolute Measurement 0.15 9 1.35 8 1.20 8 1.20 8 1.20 3 0.45

Process Control 0.20 3 0.60 5 1.00 7 1.40 8 1.60 3 0.60

Pre-series Alignment 0.20 3 0.60 5 1.00 5 1.00 8 1.60 1 0.20

Total 1.00 4.8 5.3 6.9 7.9 4.5

Note: Total has been rounded.

Laser Radar – A best in class in-line inspection systemLaser Radar is a fully automated, versatile system that brings non-contact measurement to the production line. It is a novel approach that includes direct surface and feature measurement with the capacity to perform 100% inspection checks.

The Laser Radar system is surface independent, i.e., it can inspect most surfaces and is not sensitive to lighting or temperature. The latter is a big advantage of Laser Radar, especially for measurements in the production line. The system can operate without targets and make inspections with a very high level of accuracy. The system also scores well in its ability to be used in Pre-series production. Compared to other systems, Laser Radar can be applied in Pre-series without the need for time consuming fine-tuning of scan paths, adjustment of acquisition parameters or lengthy off-line CMM correlations.



CONCLUSION

Our research demonstrates that the conventional methods of performing dimensional inspection are shifting with changing perceptions of quality. With the backdrop of Industry 4.0, the idea of quality is witnessing profound transformation, and quality inspection is evolving into more than a mere function of pass or fail. In this paper, we envisioned the paradigm of Quality 4.0 and its index to illustrate how quality as a function can be improved and enable automotive manufacturers to achieve better process control.

In automotive, Industry 4.0 is leading to a massive revamp of all manufacturing functions, starting from design and engineering to production and the aftermarket. But in stark contrast, the function of quality and the method of dimensional inspection are still largely traditional. This is especially pronounced in the BIW phase that has abundant customer pain points. The conclusion is that there are still many opportunities for improvements in BIW dimensional inspection. This is essential for the industry, especially in automotive body-in-white, where quality is still largely pursued via legacy inspection systems like CMM.

Furthermore, in the paper, we detailed a Quality 4.0 index that is intended to break down the vision into tangible attributes. Using the index, we benchmarked the different BIW inspection systems and identified their capability to facilitate Quality 4.0. Laser Radar proved to be the most promising system that can enable BIW inspections to meet the criterions of Quality 4.0. From our research, we identify Laser Radar to be the best-in-class in-line inspection tool for automotive BIW. This is based on our interpretation of what we see in the markets today supported further by the interviews with customers and dimensional metrology vendors.

On the other hand, in our end-user discussions, we saw that there was a lack of clarity on what quality can help achieve, especially on the front of process control. This is one of the objectives of this paper—to enhance customer awareness of the subject. To summarise, automotive BIW is certain to shift in the direction of Quality 4.0. This transition will involve dimensional inspection becoming a fully automated, non-contact, absolute measurement that is integrated in the production line.

Benchmarking BIW InspectionTo further evaluate the Quality 4.0 readiness of the current BIW dimensional inspection market, Frost & Sullivan assessed how each dimensional inspection system weighs in relation to the six building blocks of the Q4.0 Index detailed earlier. Ratings and scores are shown in Exhibit 8. The score for each attribute of every product is based on Frost & Sullivan research and interviews with key industry stakeholders. The benchmarking results indicate that many of the popular systems today lack sufficient capability from a Quality 4.0 standpoint. Interestingly, tracked optical sensors and Laser Radar were found to be the two most promising systems with strong Quality 4.0 attributes. In particular, the Laser Radar system was identified as the best available system in the marketplace for automotive BIW customers to realise Quality 4.0 in their production lines.

Exhibit 8: BIW Dimensional Inspection Market: Q4.0 Product Benchmark

Ben

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I mar

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Q4.0 Index CMM White LightTracked

Optical SensorLaser Radar FMS

Elements Weight Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score

In-line Inspection 0.15 4 0.60 2 0.30 8 1.20 8 1.28 9 1.35

100% Inspection 0.13 2 0.26 3 0.39 6 0.78 7 0.91 9 1.17

Digital Infrastructure 0.17 8 1.36 8 1.36 8 1.36 8 1.36 4 0.68

Absolute Measurement 0.15 9 1.35 8 1.20 8 1.20 8 1.20 3 0.45

Process Control 0.20 3 0.60 5 1.00 7 1.40 8 1.60 3 0.60

Pre-series Alignment 0.20 3 0.60 5 1.00 5 1.00 8 1.60 1 0.20

Total 1.00 4.8 5.3 6.9 7.9 4.5

Note: Total has been rounded.

Laser Radar – A best in class in-line inspection systemLaser Radar is a fully automated, versatile system that brings non-contact measurement to the production line. It is a novel approach that includes direct surface and feature measurement with the capacity to perform 100% inspection checks.

The Laser Radar system is surface independent, i.e., it can inspect most surfaces and is not sensitive to lighting or temperature. The latter is a big advantage of Laser Radar, especially for measurements in the production line. The system can operate without targets and make inspections with a very high level of accuracy. The system also scores well in its ability to be used in Pre-series production. Compared to other systems, Laser Radar can be applied in Pre-series without the need for time consuming fine-tuning of scan paths, adjustment of acquisition parameters or lengthy off-line CMM correlations.



APPENDIX

Below are definitions of some of the major Dimensional Inspection systems used in Automotive BIW.

Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM)

Traditional CMMs of horizontal arm, bridge, or gantry type with tactile or laser scanning probes to carry out measurement.

White Light Systems

Operating on the basis of white light interferometry, a white light scanner creates a full surface scan of the object. Overlapping and aligned individual images and measurements allow complete coverage of an object in absolute coordinates.

Tracked optical sensor on robot

Tracked optical sensors enabled by non-contact and non-destructive technology can digitally capture the surface of physical objects. Small-area laser or optical-based sensors tracked by a large-volume measurement system give point cloud data in absolute coordinates.

Laser Radar

Laser Radar is an emerging alternative to traditional CMMs. The system uses a focused laser beam to perform accurate, contactless, and absolute measurements on almost any surface, including highly reflective bare body panels as well as shiny painted surfaces.

Flexible Measurement System

An FMS consists of laser line sensors that are installed in a fixed position around the measurement object or at the end of a robot. The laser line is projected on a feature and the sensor records the “image” of this line. Outcomes of this method lead to relative measurements due to reliance on robot repeatability.

REFERENCE1. Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Industrie 4.0 - German Market Report & Outlook, p42. Roland Berger, ‘Automotive metal components for car bodies and chassis’, p.303. Representation based on Filla, P., Klingebiel, K., Risk profiles for the Pre-series logistics in automotive ramp-up processes, p. 45

https://www.gtai.de/GTAI/Content/EN/Invest/_SharedDocs/Downloads/GTAI/Industry-overviews/industrie4.0-germany-market-outlook-progress-report-en.pdf?v=12

https://www.rolandberger.com/publications/publication_pdf/roland_berger_global_automotive_stamping_study_e_20170210.pdf

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82140428.pdf



DISCLAIMER

The white paper was prepared by Frost & Sullivan. Frost & Sullivan does not make any representations or warranties to any third party with respect to the information contained in this report. While reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the information in this report is correct, Frost & Sullivan does not give any warranty or make any representation as to its accuracy and does not accept any liability for any errors or omissions. The study should not be used or relied upon by anyone without independent investigation and analysis and Frost & Sullivan will not assume any liability for any such use or reliance by third parties. Any trademarks and other service marks contained in this document are the property of respective owners and may not be used without their prior written permission.

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