Accurate dimensional control of thin sheet metal strips is critical in manufacturing processes where edge uniformity directly impacts assembly quality, aesthetics, and performance. Manual measurement methods are time-consuming and prone to inconsistency, especially when assessing long profiles with variable width.
This application note demonstrates how the Ajile DepthScan 3D Imaging System can be used to:
The Ajile DepthScan 3D Imaging System is a structured-light 3D vision platform capable of capturing millions of high-resolution, color-registered 3D points in under one second. When combined with an industrial or collaborative robot, the system enables closed-loop manufacturing feedback — automatically inspecting, analyzing, and correcting dimensional deviations in real time.
The sheet metal strip is positioned within the DepthScan’s field of view, and a single scan is captured.
Figure 2: Raw point cloud captured directly from the DepthScan system, depicting the as-scanned geometry prior to analysis.
Captured data is processed to calculate the average width along the entire strip length. Deviations from tolerance are color-mapped for visualization.
Figure 3: Processed point cloud, where green regions represent the in-spec width and red regions indicate excess material requiring sanding.
The processed output is converted to either visual feedback in the form of reprojection onto the part, or a robot path plan to remove excess material.
Figure 4: Robotic sander executing sanding path.
After sanding, the same camera reinspects the part. This closed-loop feedback cycle ensures precision with minimal human intervention
Figure 5: Sanding measurement report outlining nominal width, tolerance and average measurement along long axis of part deviation from nominal.
This application demonstrates how high-resolution 3D measurement combined with reprojection and robotic control enables precise, closed-loop dimensional correction of thin sheet metal parts. By directly measuring the as-built geometry, identifying out-of-tolerance regions, and feeding this information back into manual or automated sanding processes, the DepthScan system enables consistent, repeatable edge control without manual measurement or trial-and-error.
This closed-loop approach improves dimensional accuracy, reduces rework, and enables scalable automation for processes that traditionally rely on manual inspection and correction.
