Ford's first in TV body inspection
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FORD is claiming a in the European motor ind with a new body inspe system at its Southan plant that uses five tele% cameras linked to a comr.
The system, developec installed by Rediffiision bot Systems of Crawley, 00,000, and is part of thl million which Ford has : on automating the South; ton plant to produce its model Transit Van (CM, uary 11).
The fully-automatic inspection station is inst on the Transit body assel line in front of a La Sceptre robot welder w welds together the m body components: floor left and right-hand body and crossmembers.
A bar code on the floor tells the computer to whic the 36 Transit body varial belongs. The five can than inspect the side and panels which are about tâ– welded to the pan to en they are for the same vai and that they are com aligned.
While the inspection t place, the body assembly luminated by an over' light box which floods thc to-Mr and floor pan area light.
The cameras sense the lection of this light.
If a misalignment of a b panel is detected, or if ponents are mismatched, line will be stopped until fault is corrected.
A mismatched or nr ligned body assem proceeding through the al matic welding line co cause damage to the rol and an expensive produc delay.