Danube Dynamics and Aspöck Systems have introduced an automated solution for intricate lamp inspections, leveraging adaptive AI and IDS industrial cameras to ensure precision, adaptability, and comprehensive traceability in real-world production settings.
As production companies face increasing demands for diverse variants, shorter delivery windows, and unyielding quality expectations, traditional visual checks can often fall short.
AI-supported image processing
Visual quality control is among the foremost challenges for modern manufacturing due to the costs incurred by production errors, which affect both finances and company reputation. To manage variant diversity and uphold high standards, AI-supported image processing is becoming a vital tool for automating inspections.
Austrian company Danube Dynamics, in collaboration with Aspöck Systems, demonstrates how complex end-of-line testing of multi-chamber lamps can be automated using the AI solution "auros for quality", alongside IDS camera technology, adding instant value across diverse production environments.
Background: Ensuring more than functionality
Aspöck Systems specialises in manufacturing multi-chamber vehicle lamps
Aspöck Systems specialises in manufacturing multi-chamber vehicle lamps, requiring thorough testing at the production line's end. Beyond simple functionality, ensuring the correct chamber is activated is crucial, as any mistake—such as an incorrect signal triggering another function—can have serious repercussions.
This must be achieved amid typical production challenges such as component alignment, ambient light interference, dust, dirt, and a multitude of variants. Traditional fixed-rule systems often struggle with such complexities, necessitating significant adjustments for each product change and presenting difficulties in reliably detecting unexpected error patterns.
Solution: Integrating AI and camera technology
Aspöck Systems utilises Danube Dynamics' "auros for quality" system, centred on adaptive AI processing image data on an industrial PC (IPC) in real time, paired with two IDS uEye XCP series cameras.
"Our solution operates with adaptive algorithms rather than fixed testing rules, enabling reliable identification of complex or unforeseen error patterns while quickly adjusting to new products," explains Nico Teringl, CEO of Danube Dynamics. IDS was chosen for its optimal interface, price, size, and advisory support. "Together, we found a camera that precisely meets our needs, ensuring lasting precision," Teringl elaborates.
Challenging conditions and camera performance
The IDS U3-3680XCP Rev.1.2 camera features a 5.04 MP rolling shutter CMOS sensor
The IDS U3-3680XCP Rev.1.2 camera features a 5.04 MP rolling shutter CMOS sensor, consistently delivering detailed, low-noise images under challenging lighting conditions. Back Side Illumination technology enhances sensitivity and reduces noise, providing advantages in low light or dusty environments.
"The compact, robust design and superior low-light performance make this model ideal for demanding inspections," emphasises Jürgen Hejna, Product Owner 2D Cameras at IDS. Additionally, the IDS peak software streamlines camera integration, significantly reducing setup times. "Thanks to IDS peak, we rapidly deployed and integrated the solution into Aspöck's existing production environment," adds Teringl.
Enhancing production efficiency
In active use, the system enables individual lamp chambers through a control system. Two identical IDS cameras capture and evaluate images concurrently on the IPC using AI, allowing parallel processing to enhance cycle time and efficiency. Local data processing eliminates cloud reliance, preserving data sovereignty and reducing latency, vital for preventing production downtime at Aspöck Systems. The solution adapts to lamp alignment and withstands environmental variations such as light and contamination changes.
Real-time results display on an HMI touchscreen, are automatically logged, and can be communicated to a higher-level production system via an API. This creates a closed inspection loop, replacing manual checks and ensuring comprehensive traceability.
Result: Innovations in inspection
Combining "auros for quality" with IDS camera technology elevates Aspöck Systems' inspection capabilities, detecting errors reliably even under adverse conditions.
The system adapts to new product variants within minutes via a touchscreen, avoiding laborious programming, while ensuring result visualisation and documentation. "IDS support was crucial, assisting with both the right camera and tailored solution advice," summarises Teringl.
The future of quality assurance
As quality control demands in the automotive sector rise, inspection tasks grow more intricate, and the need for precise, AI-enhanced cameras becomes evident. "There's a clear trend towards intelligent AI-supported image processing, flexible enough to adjust to new products and processes without significant effort. This drives our development of 'auros for quality' combined with IDS camera technology," says Teringl.
Aspöck Systems' adoption of the uEye XCP camera, noted as the smallest housing camera with a C-mount, marks a notable shift towards the future of automated quality assurance.
Danube Dynamics and Aspöck Systems automate complex lamp inspections using adaptive AI and IDS industrial cameras to ensure accuracy, flexibility, and full traceability under real production conditions.
Production companies are under enormous pressure today: Customers are demanding more and more variants, delivery times are shrinking, error rates must not increase, and traditional visual inspections quickly reach their limits.
AI-supported image processing
Visual quality control is becoming one of the biggest challenges for the manufacturing industry. Every production error costs time, money and reputation. AI-supported image processing is therefore becoming an indispensable tool for automating inspection processes, efficiently managing variant diversity and ensuring the highest level of quality.
The Austrian company Danube Dynamics, together with Aspöck Systems, demonstrates how end-of-line testing of multi-chamber lamps can be efficiently automated. The combination of the AI solution "auros for quality" and IDS camera technology allows even complex inspection tasks in diverse production environments to be reliably mastered – a solution that offers immediate added value for companies of all sizes.
Background: More than just "light on, light off"
Aspöck Systems manufactures multi-chamber lamps for vehicles, which must be reliably tested at the end of the production line. It is not only important whether a lamp lights up, but also whether the correct chamber is enabled.
A flashing signal must not accidentally activate the rear fog light – a mistake that could have serious consequences on the road. Added to this are typical production conditions: different orientations of components, extraneous light in the hall, dust and dirt, and a wide variety of variants. Traditional systems based on fixed test rules reach their limits here. Every product change involves a great deal of adjustment work, and unexpected error patterns are difficult to detect reliably.
Solution: AI and camera working together
To overcome these hurdles, Aspöck Systems relies on the "auros for quality" solution from Danube Dynamics. At its heart is an adaptive AI that processes image data in real time on a powerful industrial PC (IPC) directly on the line. Image capture is handled by two industrial cameras from the uEye XCP series by IDS.
“Our solution does not work with rigid testing rules, but with adaptive algorithms. This enables us to reliably identify even complex or unexpected error patterns and adapt systems to new products very quickly," explains Nico Teringl, CEO of Danube Dynamics. The decision to go with IDS was a conscious one: "In addition to the interface, price and size, the advice provided by IDS was the decisive factor for us. Together, we found the camera that exactly meets our requirements and guarantees the required precision on a permanent basis," says Nico Teringl.
Challenging lighting conditions
The IDS U3-3680XCP Rev.1.2 used features the 5.04 MP rolling shutter CMOS sensor onsemi AR0521 and consistently delivers detailed, low-noise images, even in challenging lighting conditions. Back Side Illumination technology ensures high sensitivity and low noise levels, offering a clear advantage in low ambient light or dirty conditions.
"The combination of compact size, robust design and superior low-light performance makes this model the ideal component for demanding end-of-line inspections," emphasises Jürgen Hejna, Product Owner 2D Cameras at IDS. In addition, the IDS peak software environment facilitates the connection of cameras and significantly reduces the integration effort. "Thanks to IDS peak, we were able to get the solution up and running very quickly and integrate it swiftly into the existing production environment at Aspöck," adds Nico Teringl.
Higher-level production system
During operation, the multi-chamber lamps are enabled individually by a control system. Two identical IDS cameras capture the images, which are then evaluated on the IPC using AI. The two cameras operate in parallel: While one product is being tested, the next product can already be placed on the test bench.
This parallel approach increases cycle time and boosts efficiency. A key advantage of the solution is local processing without the cloud: This guarantees full data sovereignty, high reliability and minimal latency which is a crucial factor for Aspöck Systems, where production downtime must be avoided at all costs. The solution is independent of the exact alignment of the lamps and robust against environmental variables such as extraneous light or contamination.
The results are displayed in real time on an HMI touchscreen, automatically logged and can be transmitted to the higher-level production system via an API. This creates a closed inspection process that replaces or effectively supplements manual visual inspections while also ensuring complete traceability.
Result: Efficient, flexible, reliable
By combining "auros for quality" with IDS camera technology, Aspöck Systems has taken its end-of-line inspection to a whole new level. Errors are reliably detected under even the most adverse production conditions. The system can be adapted to new product variants in just a few minutes via the touchscreen, without the need for time-consuming programming. At the same time, those responsible benefit from clear visualisation and digital documentation of the results.
“The support provided by IDS was a decisive factor in our success. Not only did they provide us with the right camera, they also advised us on how to tailor the solution to our requirements,” summarises Nico Teringl.
Outlook: Quality assurance in transition
Quality control requirements in the automotive sector continue to increase. Inspection tasks are becoming more complex, the required accuracy is increasing, and powerful cameras with AI-supported evaluation are becoming indispensable.
“We are seeing a clear trend towards intelligent, AI-supported image processing that is flexible enough to respond to new products and processes without requiring a great deal of effort. That is exactly why we developed 'auros for quality' in combination with IDS camera technology," says Teringl. Product - uEye XCP - The industry's smallest housing camera with C-mount.
