EASILY AUTOMATE CT INSPECTIONS AND ANALYSES

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1 VG InLine EASILY AUTOMATE CT INSPECTIONS AND ANALYSES

2 SCAN ANALYZE EVALUATE REPEAT... View the status of your jobs at a glance. With VG InLine, Volume Graphics brings non-destructive testing (NDT) with industrial computed tomography (CT) to the production line. The ready-to-use software package allows for advanced in-line or atline CT inspection and analysis. We developed VG InLine so that you can automatically inspect parts with a recurring analysis pattern within the production process or in quality labs. It s simple to set up. It works with every CT system on the market right out of the box. VG INLINE OFFERS: Fully Automated or Semi-Automated CT Inspection In recent years there s been a growing demand for automated CT data analysis either within the production line or at-line for recurring inspections. VG InLine is the answer to that. It goes much further than currently available custom-built solutions. VG InLine is the only solution that fully automates or semi-automates the inspection with industrial CT while at the same time offering highest flexibility and ease of use. Broad Feature Set VG InLine offers the unsurpassed scope of features of VGStudio MAX. This means it encompasses all the analysis potential that can be uncovered on CT data today, e. g., wall thickness measurement, nominal / actual comparison, fiber orientation analysis, and defect detection (pores, voids, inclusions). It transforms your CT system into a universal automated metrology and NDT tool. Maximum Flexibility VG InLine is highly flexible. Other in-line CT inspection systems are often geared to just one task, so that changes are usually difficult and very expensive to implement. VG InLine, on the other hand, can easily be reconfigured at no additional costs for third party services; whether you have to adjust for small changes to the product design or whether you want to use your CT system for testing a totally different product. Support for Any CT System VG InLine understands all formats of reconstructed CT volumes. Even if you have a CT system that writes files in a proprietary format, VG InLine can handle these files with its preprocessors*. * Volume Graphics programs preprocessors for you. Just contact us for details.

3 INSPECTION SCENARIOS WITH VG INLINE VG InLine VG InLine In quality labs / for service providers In industrial production Optional: review results using either myvgl or VGStudio MAX and save data for documentation. VG InLine 5 Come to a pass / fail decision. 4 Execute the preconfigured evaluation schemes. 3 Supervise project data folders with VG InLine. 2 Save project data in dedicated folders. 1 Scan several items in-line (at-line, in the lab).

4 THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF AUTOMATION A SIMPLE IDEA VG InLine is based on a simple idea: It monitors folders for incoming CT data sets. When the program detects incoming data, it automatically triggers one or several predefined actions. All it requires is that you program your CT scanner to save the data set into specific folders that VG InLine monitors. Let s say your CT scanner saves the scan data of a part 1 in one directory and the data sets of a part 2 in another directory. If defined accordingly, VG InLine will know to run a defect analysis on part 1, but to apply a measurement template and run a nominal / actual comparison on part 2. COMPLEX INSPECTIONS We wanted to make VG InLine as modular as possible. This led to a software that is flexible and easy to use at the same time. The familiar concept of macros and templates forms the basis of all automation with VG InLine. They can contain the most complex analysis procedures. But how you create them is not complicated at all. You create macros and templates with VGStudio MAX, the world s most advanced software for industrial CT data analysis and visualization no special knowledge for VG InLine needed. How it works: VG InLine combines macros and templates to so-called jobs. Jobs define what VG InLine does with CT data sets. VG InLine can perform every analysis that is possible with VGStudio MAX. Creating complex test scenarios for in-line inspection is extremely easy and again highly modular. Just create a new job from an existing job and replace some of the macros or templates. Or create all new macros and templates in VGStudio MAX. To save time, you can tell the software to execute recurring steps within the inspection process only once. More important jobs will be calculated first, based on the priority you assigned to them. With its fail-save design, VG InLine ensures that an inspection will be processed again when it could not be finished (e. g., because of a computer or network problem). A dashboard keeps you informed about the status of your inspections and the results for every part at all times. Even in the browser. * Will be supported by an upcoming version of VGStudio MAX ** Currently this function is a service that has to be performed by Volume Graphics at additional costs. EASY SETUP Our software assists you in setting up jobs. A job wizard, available in VG InLine as well as in VGStudio MAX *, guides you through the process and helps you finding inconsistencies in your jobs and macros before they occur during operation. The general setup procedure of VG InLine is straightforward as well: Install VG InLine Create macros and templates in VGStudio MAX Create jobs in VG InLine or VGStudio MAX Specify input directories for each job Specify what to do with processed input data Specify what to do with result data Start VG InLine IN-LINE OR AT-LINE This simple idea monitoring folders for input and then automatically analyzing their content is applicable whenever you want to inspect parts with a recurring analysis pattern. Thus VG InLine can be used in a fully automated in-line inspection setting as well as for an automated at-line scenario. The latter applies not only to manufacturers but also to quality labs. They can use VG InLine to economically inspect small batch series or samples, even with a CT system they already use. Supported scenarios: Fully automated, in-line: 100 % inspection in industrial production Fully or semi-automated, at-line: small batch series inspection in industrial production or in quality labs Semi-automated: sample tests in quality labs or at service providers TEACHABLE Especially for automated inspection tasks it is often not feasible to compare a part only to the ideal design. Instead the part needs to be compared to an average of actually manufactured parts that have been classified as good. VG InLine can do just that. You** give the software volume data sets of good parts and VG InLine calculates a reference volume (aka golden part ) out of them. This way, the software learns how a good part should look like and what deviations are normal. Once you have the reference data set, VG InLine can perform a nominal / actual comparison. Or it can compare gray values, but also more complex features such as fiber orientations. This method is not only much faster than conventional analyses. It s also way more sensitive and less error-prone, and therefore the best choice for automated testing.

5 CONNECTABLE In in-line inspection scenarios the result is most likely not the last step of the process. Often the results of the accept / reject decisions need to be passed along to an external software. VG InLine is prepared for this. Built-in interfaces allow you to pass information along to other software for statistics or analyses. An SDK opens it up to external software such as a shop floor control system. AS SAFE AS YOU WANT IT TO BE This may sound obvious at first, but with Volume Graphics software you always have total control of your system and your data. No file will be deleted unless you explicitly tell VG InLine to do so. But you can also configure VG InLine to archive files (input or output). This provides for high performance and brings order and transparency to your data. To improve accountability and security, our software supports the built-in event log of Windows to log every file action. Read and write permission for the folders used by VG InLine for incoming and outgoing data can be set by your system administrator. CAPABILITIES GROW WITH YOUR NEEDS THE COSTS DON T In comparison with custom-built in-line inspection solutions, VG InLine has you covered even when your needs change or grow. Just prepare new analyses in VGStudio MAX or reuse parts of existing jobs. Custom-built in-line inspection solutions can t match this degree of flexibility. VG InLine doesn t have to be reprogrammed when the inspection task changes. At the same time our software offers the widest range of analysis capabilities on the market. Scalable and Fail-Safe But there is yet another aspect that makes VG InLine flexible, scalable and fail-safe: you can easily distribute the necessary inspection tasks onto several workstations in order to balance the calculation load or to ensure the necessary redundancy in your process. If more workstations are necessary to handle the workload or to lower the inspection time, just add them. Moreover, our pricing helps you to scale: Additional workstation licenses are offered at a steep discount. Just contact us for a quote! You re unsure if your production process is ready for in-line or at-line inspection with industrial CT or how to use VG InLine in your scenario? Just contact our experts for advice!

6 VOLUME GRAPHICS Volume Graphics GmbH, founded in 1997, develops market-leading software for the analysis and visualization of industrial computed tomography data. Today, thousands of companies across diverse industries use our software. They analyze, inspect, and measure objects in research, production, and quality assurance. Our customers value our software s unique ability to display and analyze voxel, point cloud, mesh, and CAD data within one application. VGStudio MAX is our extendable high-end software; VGStudio offers a budget entry into the world of CT data analysis and visualization; VG InLine brings industrial CT in or close to the production process; VGMetrology turns a computed tomography scanner into a comprehensive and precise metrology device; and myvgl is the free, universal CT data viewer. Our customers get more than support: We offer training courses and partner certification in our VG Academy, consulting services in all aspects of industrial computed tomography, and custom development projects in the fields of analysis, visualization, and processing of volumetric data. Visit our website to learn more about our software, support and training opportunities, custom software development and consulting services. HEADQUARTERS VOLUME GRAPHICS GMBH Wieblinger Weg 92a Heidelberg, Germany Phone: Fax: sales@volumegraphics.com VOLUME GRAPHICS CO., LTD , Osugi, Kita-ku Nagoya , Japan Phone: Fax: sales@volumegraphics.jp VOLUME GRAPHICS, INC. 415 Minuet Lane, Suite C Charlotte, NC 28217, USA Phone: Fax: sales-us@volumegraphics.com VG-017-EN-v03_B Volume Graphics GmbH, VGL is a registered trademark of Volume Graphics GmbH, Germany. All company, product or service names mentioned in this brochure are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.