Automatic visual inspection in automotive assembly lines: a techno-economic assessment for the configuration check of exterior components

In the automotive industry, the demand for more customised products requires highly flexible production systems. Consequently, human operators, often responsible for assembly tasks and quality inspections in vehicle assembly lines, face increasing complexity resulting from the elevated number of product versions. This complexity heightens the risk of non-conformity in the products is rising, making defect detection before delivering the final product to the customer more challenging. This scenario presents a strategic opportunity for applying Computer Vision (CV) in visual inspections. However, more contributions in the literature are needed to attest to the feasibility of such automatic systems in automotive assembly lines. This paper conducts a technical-economic assessment of the application of CV to the configuration conformity control of car exterior components. It first presents an analysis of available ready-to-use solutions on the market. Subsequently, it proposes a cost-effective solution for the quality inspection under investigation.