Plastics (Curved)

Industry Application of Rhopoint Aesthetix for Curved Surfaces and Small Areas

The Rhopoint Aesthetix is designed to address the challenges of measuring surface attributes on curved surfaces and small areas. With advanced modules, precise non-contact measurement capabilities, and compatibility with custom 3D-printed jigs, it ensures consistent quality control for intricate components and complex geometries. The integration of collaborative robots (cobots) further enhances automated quality assurance across production lines.

Key Applications

Small Components

• Precision on Tiny Parts: Measures components as small as 6 mm × 2 mm, such as switches, buttons, connectors, or decorative trims.
• Non-Contact Measurements: Ensures accurate evaluation of fragile or sensitive parts without risk of damage or contamination.
• Batch Consistency: Maintains uniformity in surface appearance and texture across high-volume production batches of small items.

Curved Surfaces

• Adaptability to Complex Geometries: Accurately measures rounded or irregular surfaces such as knobs, handles, touchpads, or curved casings using specialized adaptors.
• Uniform Quality Control: Ensures consistent gloss, texture, sparkle, and graininess across curved surfaces that are difficult to measure with traditional methods.
• Visual Harmony Across Parts: Matches finishes on curved components with adjacent flat parts for cohesive product design.

Gloss Measurement for Appearance Control

• Standard Gloss Readings: Provides precise gloss measurements compliant with international standards for both flat and curved surfaces.
• Visual Gloss Prediction: Predicts consumer perception of gloss under real-world lighting conditions to ensure products meet aesthetic expectations.

Texture Analysis for Tactile Feedback

• Surface Texture Control: Analyzes roughness and cell amplitude to ensure consistent tactile feel on high-touch areas like buttons or handles.
• Consistency Across Batches: Ensures uniform texture across multiple production runs of small or curved components.

Cobot Integration for Automated Quality Control

• Multipoint Analysis: Cobots enable systematic measurements at multiple points on curved or small components to ensure uniform appearance across entire assemblies.
• High-Speed Inspection: Automates repetitive quality control tasks, increasing throughput while maintaining precision.
• Batch Uniformity Assurance: Links measurements to specific parts or batches to ensure consistent quality across production runs.

Custom 3D-Printed Jigs for Accurate Measurement

• Enhanced Precision with Jigs: Custom 3D-printed jigs stabilize small or complex parts during measurement, ensuring repeatable positioning and eliminating variability caused by manual handling.
• Adaptability for Complex Shapes: Jigs are tailored to specific geometries like curved casings or intricate trims, enabling accurate alignment for non-contact evaluation.
• Integration with Cobots: Jigs can be mounted on cobot arms for automated high-throughput inspection of batches while maintaining precise positioning.

Relevant Modules and Measurements

1. Sparkle Graininess Module: Quantifies sparkle density and graininess for decorative finishes on small or curved parts.
2. Texture Module: Analyzes roughness (Sa), cell amplitude (Ca), and surface topography for tactile feel optimization on intricate geometries.
3. Surface Brilliance Module: Provides complete glossiness evaluation while predicting visual gloss under real-world lighting conditions for enhanced consumer appeal. Includes waviness values to measure and control orange peel on high gloss coated surfaces.
4. Polishing Quality Module: Detects micro-scratches and abrasions using haze (LogH C) and sharpness (SU) metrics for durability testing of sensitive surfaces.

Advantages of Cobot Integration

• Consistent Positioning: Cobots ensure identical measurement positions across samples, eliminating variability caused by manual handling.
• High-Throughput Inspection: Automates hundreds of measurements per shift, enabling 100% inspection of critical components in high-volume production lines.
• Enhanced Traceability: Links measurement data to individual components or batches for regulatory compliance and process optimization.
• Adaptability to Complex Geometries: Cobots follow predefined paths to measure curved surfaces or intricate shapes with precision.

Implementation Benefits

• Precision on Challenging Surfaces: Delivers accurate results on small parts, curved surfaces, or intricate geometries where traditional methods fall short.
• Batch-to-Batch Consistency: Identifies subtle variations in gloss, texture, sparkle, or waviness before they become visible issues.
• Efficiency Gains: Reduces manual inspection time while improving accuracy and repeatability in quality control processes.

The Rhopoint Aesthetix is a transformative solution for measuring curved surfaces and small areas, offering advanced measurement capabilities combined with cobot-driven automation and custom jigs to ensure consistent quality across even the most complex components while enhancing efficiency in production workflows.

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