Problems solved. Results measured.

The challenge

A Tier 1 automotive supplier needed to automate visual inspection of a complex connector assembly. They had received two unsolicited proposals from integrators with wildly different approaches and price points, and had no way to evaluate which — if either — was appropriate. They needed a proper specification before going back to market.

Our approach

We spent two days on-site understanding the production process, the defect types, the cycle time constraints, and the integration requirements. We then produced a detailed technical RFQ covering camera and optics requirements, lighting strategy, algorithm approach, acceptance criteria, and integration specification — giving all suppliers the same brief.

The challenge

A beverage manufacturer was experiencing false reject rates of 4–6% on a label inspection system installed three years earlier. The integrator had been called back twice without resolving the issue. Production were losing confidence in the system and considering replacement.

Our approach

We carried out a structured audit of the installation — reviewing the original specification against current production requirements, assessing the lighting and optics setup, analysing the inspection algorithm configuration, and reviewing reject data logs. The root cause was a combination of lighting degradation and inspection parameters that had never been correctly set for the actual label stock in use.

The challenge

A pharmaceutical manufacturer was procuring a blister pack inspection system for a regulated production line. Three proposals had been received from established integrators. All three claimed compliance with the application requirements, but the client's engineering team lacked the machine vision expertise to assess the technical merits of each approach.

Our approach

We reviewed all three proposals in detail against the client's specification and regulatory requirements. We identified significant differences in the proposed inspection methodologies, flagged one proposal that contained an approach unlikely to achieve the required detection sensitivity, and produced a structured comparison with a clear recommendation and supporting rationale.

The challenge

An electronics manufacturer had a Cognex-based PCB inspection cell that had performed well for two years. Following a product changeover, inspection performance had deteriorated significantly — missed defects had increased and the system was being bypassed by operators. The integrator was no longer under support contract.

Our approach

We reviewed the inspection job configuration, the lighting setup, and the camera positioning relative to the new product. The changeover had introduced a different PCB surface finish that the existing lighting arrangement was not suited to. We redesigned the lighting approach, reconfigured the Cognex inspection tools for the new product characteristics, and revalidated the system against a set of known-good and known-bad samples.