School of Engineering
Glass Inclusion Inspection System
There is a growing need for regular inspection of glass panel windows to detect the presence of detrimental inclusions known as nickel sulfide (NiS), which is a residue in the manufacturing process and exists in about 20% of toughened glass panels. At room temperature, it can expand by 4% in volume over time. An inclusion size of greater than 110µm would cause the glass to crack or shatter resulting in property damages or possible injuries.
This project, done in collaboration with SIMTech researchers, involves the development of a novel technique for detecting impurities in the toughened glass panels. The GIIS system introduces light into the toughened glass panel and any impurities or defects in the glass will cause the light to scatter, resembling a sparkling star in the dark background, and this image will be picked up by the vision system for further detailed inspection and analysis by a human operators. This GIIS is a semi-automatic system and may be deployed in factory for QC inspection, or outdoor inspection on existing buildings.
Key Features
- Reliable and more accurate than manual inspection
- Time and cost-saving
- Safe to use
