Ceramics Inspection System

General Application Summary:

• Final inspection of a finished ceramic product is performed by an inspector using his inspection criteria that requires full visual and an occasional physical (touch) by hands to determine the quality of finish. This process is slow due to the high data collection requirements.
• After coming out of the kiln, the finished ware is inspected. The inspector must records a number of parameters, including model (plate number), date the piece was cast, who cast, sprayed and finished the piece, and the final grade evaluation (Good, Scrap or Rework).
• Before voice, the data from inspection was not available real-time or sometimes even the same day due to data entry requirements.
• Keypunch data entry adds delays and keypunch errors to the data entry process.
• Voice Inspection System (VIS) improves the inspection process, allowing the inspector to focus, eyes and hands, on the product being inspected.
• Using voice, the inspector(s) wearing a headset(s) and portable data collection terminal(s) "speaks-in" the inspection data into VIS allowing them to more accurately and completely inspect the products while freeing the keyboard resources currently used to enter the same data in the computer. Additionally the data will be immediately available for others to review and take actions.
• Typical system payback periods range from 6 months to 1 year, depending on application parameters.
• Speech Interface Design has developed a number of systems for sanitary ceramic product manufacturers.

Selected Customer Profile:

The customer profiled herein is the leading manufacturer of sanitary ceramic products for home and businesses. Ceramic products from the manufacturer are shipped to dealers and construction industry suppliers throughout the United States. In many instances the products are also shipped to the overseas locations. The competitive situation requires the manufacturer to have price and the quality of the products out perform any overseas vendors. The specific customer plant is located in the Southwestern United States and employs several hundred people. The customer chose Speech Interface Design based on our expertise and experience in this area.

Work Process:

• The ceramic products, when baked and glazed in the kiln, are sent for the final inspection to the inspection area.
• These products are large and heavy and require full concentration of the inspector(s) to evaluate their condition.
• The evaluation involves identifying the part name, number and condition and recording the information to be sent to the central computer.
• This documentation requirements are rigid and checked frequently.

Prior to Voice:

• The inspection process was slow due to the documentation requirements.
• Inspection and documentation required the inspector(s) to look away from the products to complete the documentation causing human errors in recording the information.
• Data from inspection was not available in real-time, or even the same day, for other operating functions of the plant to perform efficiently
• Keypunching of the data from the inspectors added cost to inspection process as well as caused time delays and possible human errors at the same time.

Objectives Specified for the Voice System:

• Free up the inspector(s) from manually recording the data to concentrating on inspection of the products.
• Eliminate keypunch human resource saving cost and reducing time in the inspection process.
• Speed up the inspection process to increase productivity of the plant.

Development and Installation of the Voice System:

• Speech Interface Design developed the system in-house with input from key customer personnel.
• We developed the voice dialog in a manner which mirrors their process, with some changes to speed data entry. We programmed and configured the User Interface Application in Visual Basic 3.0. Visual basic is a powerful and extensible programming environment that is well suited to generating industrial applications.
• We developed a specific interface to convert spoken data to meet the customer's computer system's input requirements.
• The system included the following hardware: 2 portable Voice Terminals connected to the customer supplied PC on the LAN, a second PC for training as well as a spare connected to the same LAN, headsets, and accessories.
• The system included pre-written software tools for application development (which we used to develop the specific voice dialog) and for administering the voice terminals.
• The system was developed and installed in 10 weeks.
• We installed the first system and trained the inspectors and maintenance personnel.
• Eliminate keypunch human resource saving cost, human errors and reducing time in the inspection process.
• Speed up the inspection process to increase productivity of the plant.

Results:

• The VIS freed up the inspector(s) from manually recording the data to concentrating on inspection of the products reducing the human errors in data recording and increasing the speed of the inspection process by 30%.
• Eliminated keypunch human resource saving cost.
• The VIS has achieved full payback of the initial system in less than one year.