Rapid and non-invasive surface crack detection for pressed-panel products based on online image processing

Crack detection during the manufacturing process of pressed-panel products is an important aspect of quality management. Traditional approaches for crack detection of those products are subjective and expensive because they are usually performed by experienced human inspectors. Therefore, the development and implementation of an automated and accurate inspection system is required for the manufacturing process. In this article, a crack detection technique based on image processing is proposed that utilizes the images of panel products captured by a regular camera system. First, the binary panel object image is extracted from various backgrounds after considering the color factor. Edge lines are then generated from a binary image using a percolation process. Finally, crack detection and localization is performed with a unique edge-line evaluation. In order to demonstrate the capability of the proposed technique, lab-scale experiments were carried out with a thin aluminum plate. In addition, a test was performed with the panel images acquired at an actual press line. Experimental results show that the proposed technique could effectively detect panel cracks at an improved rate and speed. The experimental results also demonstrate that the proposed technique could be an extension of structural health monitoring frameworks into a new manufacturing application.