Digital quality control for manufacturing businesses

Manufacturing businesses are facing high quality standards, a growing shortage of experienced staff, and limited time for manual checks. This creates the risk of errors, rework, and inefficient processes. Businesses want to use data on identified deviations and rejected products far more purposefully to improve the process. With the help of vision technology, robots, and mobile inspection systems, demonstrators are being built that assist businesses in inspecting products more quickly, more reliably, and with fewer errors.

Target group

SME in the manufacturing industry that want to take the next step in automated quality inspection of components, assemblies or end products.

Research methods

The project works with practice-oriented demonstrators in which specific inspection technologies are being developed and tested. Together, they contribute to an industrial landscape in which inspections are automated, accurate, and seamlessly integrated into day-to-day operations.

The first demonstrator focuses on vision-based inspection of transparent materials that are difficult to inspect automatically. The demo includes :

• the scanning of QR codes in acrylic sheets.
• the detection of surface defects in semi-finished products.
• the inspection of geometric dimensions and the comparison with product specifications.

This inspection takes place before the bonding process, so that errors are identified early in the production process. It is then checked whether the final product was assembled correctly. Are the rails, handles, and clamps, for example, in the correct position? The first tests are carried out in the RE/manufacturing lab with a stationary camera on a robot. The technology is then further developed into a mobile inspection set-up. Together with SAM|XL, a second demonstrator has been developed featuring a mobile robotic inspection dog. This ‘Spot-the-dog’ can move through factories or workshops in order to, for example:

• Detect air leaks.
• Identify heat loss or poor insulation.
• Carry out inspections in places that are difficult to access or hazardous.

Results

• Demonstrators for vision-based quality inspection and practical insight into the applicability of automated inspection for SME.
• A case-based feasibility study on quality inspection.
• Insight into the possibilities for cross-case learning and the scaling up of inspection technology. 

Project duration 

From 15 September 2025 up to and including 31 March 2026.

Team 

The project team consists of researchers, students, and experts from industry and knowledge institutions.

• Henk van der Burgh, researcher in the Smart Sustainable Manufacturing research group 
• Rufus Fraanje, researcher in the Smart Sustainable Manufacturing research group

Partners

• Polyplastic by Lippert; designer and manufacturer of high-quality window systems for motorhomes, caravans, and buses.
• SAM|XL; centre of expertise for automation in the manufacturing industry. SAM|XL brings together TU Delft, industry and technology partners and develops solutions to make industrial robots smarter, more flexible, and better connected.

Funded by

This project is made possible in part by Digitalzh, the European Digital Innovation Hub for South Holland.

Read more

Article Research into automated quality control in the manufacturing industry

Contact

Would you like to know more about the DigitalZH project or collaborate with the Smart Sustainable Manufacturing research group? Please contact: Rufus Fraanje, researcher in the Smart Sustainable Manufacturing Research Group, [email protected]