Sapotech’s Reveal CAST system continues to enhance surface inspection processes in Japan. Installed on a grinding machine used for processing steel ingots of various shapes and sizes, the Reveal CAST system has not only met but exceeded the high performance standards set by our customer!
Designed to handle glowing hot ingots, the analysis needs to be done fast to shorten the ingot throughput time, i.e., the time for an ingot to pass through the grinding process. The system has significantly elevated the quality and speed of the surface inspection process while optimizing the efficiency of the grinding process. The system has operated effectively in detecting and classifying defects in ingots; over 90% of surface defects have been identified in less than 15 seconds.
One of the key features of the Reveal CAST system is its advanced design, engineered to deliver high image quality from both cast and ground ingot surfaces. Equipped with an automatic lifting device, cameras, and illumination units, the system maintains a consistent distance from the ingot surface, enabling comprehensive coverage of thickness variations exceeding 1000 mm. Moreover, its expansive field of view, spanning up to 1500 mm, ensures no detail goes unnoticed during the inspection process.
Sapotech’s unique Deep Learning infrastructure, central to the system’s success, allows Reveal CAST detection performance to be scaled to meet customer requirements. Leveraging remote training capabilities, the DNN engine swiftly identifies typical ingot defects and their precise locations, empowering operators to make informed decisions in real-time, thereby enhancing both productivity and quality control.
In this case, the full surface Deep Learning analysis needed to be performed fast, in terms of seconds, to minimize the throughput time, and the deployed architecture reached and exceeded the required level of performance. This has resulted in numerous benefits, including improvements in:
- Grinding efficiency
- Visualization and detection of defects
- Decreased manual intervention
- Enhanced grinding routine
- Process development
- Data storage – each grinding pass documented.
- Grinding practice – stored data to improve grinding practices.
- Overall throughput time
- Safety
The versatility of the Reveal CAST system extends across various grinding machines, including those for billets, blooms, slabs, and ingots, ensuring consistent image quality and detection results regardless of motion dynamics. If you are seeking to elevate your surface inspection capabilities and optimize your grinding processes, Sapotech is ready to deliver innovative solutions that redefine industry standards.
Contact us today to learn more about how Sapotech, together with our partners Evertz Group and Intocast AG, can transform your operations!