San Shing Fastech Corporation, a fastener manufacturer with 58 years of experience, has announced the integration of AI into its self-developed optical sorting machine during an open house event held at its factory in Tainan City, Taiwan, in May.
San Shing has been investing in AI for over two years, and this year, with the maturity of AI technology, the company has started testing AI in practical production. “Under the requirement of zero defects per million for automotive fasteners, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) has become an essential part of the inspection process,” explains SanShing. “Through the ongoing research and testing we have been doing regarding the implementation of AI, we have discovered a number of positive effects.”
One of the main positives from AI is the improved convenience and reduced reliance on manual labour. By defining only the defective features, AI can automatically perform the optimal configuration by logging good and defective products into separate folders or selecting the defective features. This eliminates the need for tedious parameter settings and repetitive pre-production tests. It also simplifies the machine configuration process and reduces the operating time for personnel.
Another positive is the enhanced stability in inspections, allowing for slight deformations and contamination of a fastener. “Fastener products are often subject to deformations and may contain oil or dust due to processes like forging. In traditional Designed Rule Check (DRC) methods, there is a risk of false rejections leading to waste when inspecting fastener images,” explains San Shing. “However, AI has demonstrated the ability to identify the features of good and defective products, making it more suitable for inspecting fasteners with slight variations in appearance and optical environments affected by oil contamination.”
Currently, the final testing of AI is underway at San Shing’s sorting facility and the company estimates it will announce the sales model of the AI optical sorting machines in 2024. In addition to the sorting machines, San Shing has also updated its in-house nut former, tapping machine, and nylon insert assembly machine, to meet the Industry 4.0 and latest CE safety requirements.
“If you have any related machinery needs, feel free to contact us for further discussion. We are happy to share our technological achievements with our customers,” concludes San Shing.
www.sanshing.com.tw
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
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