An Automated System For Metal Strip Inspection

A prototype of an automated visual on-line metal strip inspection system is described. The system is capable of both detecting and classifying the surface defects of copper alloy smp. It has been installed on a production line in a rolling mill for evaluation. The inspection algorithms are based on morphological preprocessing and combined statistical and structural defect recognition. The image acquisition part of the system is based on a CCD line scan camera and bright-field lighting. The image processing hardware consists of commercial modules. An analysis of this implementation and a proposal for a full-scale industrial system are presented.