Steel, Metals & Foundries

AI surface-defect inspection for a cold rolling mill

Deployed a line-scan vision system with deep-learning classification, replacing manual surface inspection at 600 m/min.

600 m/min
Line speed inspected
12
Defect classes
2 lines
Deployed

The challenge

Surface defects such as scratches, slivers and roll marks were being detected by inspectors at the exit of the mill, inconsistently and too late to prevent downgrading of entire coils.

Our approach

We engineered the optics, lighting and camera mounting for the mill environment, built an edge-computing pipeline and trained a deep-learning classifier on labelled production images. The system integrates with the Level 2 automation to tag defect positions on the coil map and trigger alarms.

The outcome

Defect detection rate and consistency improved markedly, coil downgrading fell, and the client extended the system to the galvanising line.

Representative engagement. Client identity and certain project details are withheld or generalised under confidentiality agreements.

Standards applied

  • ISO 9001
  • IEC 62443
  • ISO/IEC 42001 principles

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