One of the keys to manufacturing quality control is the ability to test the quality of the manufactured product. Early and frequent testing of the quality of the manufactured product enables better control of the manufacturing process by providing better information of the current quality. It is typical to perform quality control checks on only a minority of the manufactured products in order to reduce the cost of quality testing.
In accordance with the prior art the cost of checking manufactured products is prohibitive in both time and money. Firstly, in accordance with the prior art such quality control tests require extensive, specialized fixtures in order to hold the manufactured parts in desired orientation and to make the necessary product measurements. In addition, the operation of these specialized fixtures, and in particular the proper method of measurement requires extensive, specialized knowledge of the particular measurement system and of the particular part in order to provide the proper measurements. Even so, such a process is prone to human error because the process is not standardized among different parts but must be performed differently for each different part. Even when such a process is partially automated, it requires a high degree of knowledge on the part of the operator in order to obtain proper results. In particular, a high degree of skill is necessary in order to properly read part blueprints in order to measure the proper dimensions on the manufactured part.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simplified, quality control checking function which does not require extensive operator training. Such a system would greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing quality control and hence tend to increase the manufacturing quality.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds