Current Research

Automated Steel Sheet Evaluation


Principal investigator:

Mohammed Omar

Graduate Student(s):

Sree Harsha
Rohit Parvataneni
Bhanu Singh

Sponsor(s):

Nippon Steel Corporation, Japan

Brief Abstract:

This research aims at developing new systems and methods to evaluate the quality of the zinc  coated steel sheets used in the automotive industry. The CU-ICAR team have developed novel imaging techniques capable of scanning steel sheets, in real-time and contactless fashion. Also new processing codes are developed to quantify and locate acquired images based on self-calibrating algorithms. 


Impact:

This research reduces the cost of scrap and improves the product/process reliability, in addition it enables a 100% quality check and detects any defectives at the source.  

The quality of zinc coated steel sheets affects the customer perception of the total vehicle quality and surface finish.

Project Schedule:

Phase 1 Completed in 2009
Phase 2 To be completed in 2010

Publications:

Omar, M.A., Zhou, Y., “Automotive production control using thermal vision modalities” SAE Intl. J. Mater. Manuf.  1,1, 279-284 (2009)

Omar, M.A., Zhou, Y., Nakagawa, J.” Quantitative review of three flash thermography processing routines” Journal of Infrared Physics, 51, issue 4, 300-306, (2008)

Preliminary Results:

New scanning prototype developed and tested under laboratory conditions.

New processing subroutines for self-calibration and data compression.

Clemson University