Introduction ofAUTO‐INSPECT CORPORATION
E2308v1

Succeeded in developing the New Technology ,‐ Automating Visual Inspection of Internal Surface for various Pipes ‐World’s First !

Auto‐Inspect Co.,ltd

102 Kujo CID Bldg.13 Higashikujo-simotonoda-cho Minami-ku Kyoto city 601-8047, Japan
E-mail. inq@auto-inspect.co.jp

Tel. +81-75-681-7825

1

Company Profile
Company Name

AUTO‐INSPECT CORPORATION

RepresentativeDirector

Ph.D. Shutaro Nambu【Kyoto Office 】
102 Kujo CID Bldg.13 Higashikujo‐simotonoda‐cho Minami‐ku Kyotocity 601‐8047, Japan

Kyoto OfficeAddress【R&D Base】
106 Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
2‐13 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923‐1292, Japan

Start of Business

November 27, 2018

Capital60.75million YJPN

Research Laboratories

2

Market Background
Visual Inspection is carried out for most 3D‐Structual parts. Automation of the visualinspection is becoming the most important task for productivity in the manufacturingindustry.
Because;1) It takes many man‐hours,
2) It takes time to have the inspection skills as inspectors,
3) Criterion is ambiguous for human sensory testing,4) Data accumulation for quality improvement is impossible.
For example, Visual Inspection has been carried out to inspect the inner surface
for almost all the shipping pipes, because it is difficult to acquire sharp inside imagesof the pipe over a long range with a normal camera because of the short in‐focus area.
Unique “General‐purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method“
Solves this problem for almost all the pipes with excellent cost performance ratio.

3

Proprietary Technology
１、About “General‐purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method”(World First )＜Novelty＞
 Automation Technology of Visual Inspection for the inner surface of pipe, which acquires multiple
images of the inner surface of a pipe using a camera with a variable focus type zoom lens, cuts out
the in‐focus area, performs high‐speed image processing, and judges the quality of the inner surfaceof the pipe in parallel.
 Much faster and cheaper than the conventional method of inserting a fiber camera inside a pipe.

＜Features＞
 Simple structure, high speed, and low cost. （Patent No. 6425972）⇒ Especially effective for internal scratch inspection of elongated pipe.
 Speeding inspection speed with distributed / parallel image processing technology⇒ Less than 10 sec/pipe possible.
 Generalized automatic inspection equipment by new technology controlling to keep
the position between camera and pipes constant. （Patent No. 6512583）⇒ This makes it easy to switch between models of various pipe.
⇒ Small footprint can be achieved and installation and movement of the apparatus
becomes easy.
4２、Principle of General‐purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method

The position of the pipe‐end andcamera‐unit control to keep
constant by moving the camera‐
unit on the XYZ axis using theimage of the pipe‐end.

High‐speed image processing of the in‐focus area of the acquired image in parallelfor pass / fail judgement（Focus range of the Adjacent images have a 10% overlap each other ）◎Example of image processing of "General‐purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method"5

４、Demonstration machine of internal defect inspection equipmentby “General‐purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method" (G1)6

５、 Simplified internal defect inspection equipmentby “General‐purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method" (G2)
◎ Features
・ Compatible with almost all the pipes of various sizes (length, diameter).
・ Can be flexibly adapted to transfer lines of various pipes in production.

１） System configuration

7２） Simplified Automatic Inspection Equipment for Inner‐Surface of Pipes (G2)【側面図】

8Products List
List of Inspection Equipment by proprietary “General Purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method"
SeriesContent

Ｇ1

Inclined transfer type
(Demonstration machine)

Ｇ2
Ｇ3

Ｇ4Ｇ5

Resin pipe

FeatureThin diameter・Two pairs of cameras/Lighting unit configuration
Inclined transfer type・Compatible with small diameter rigid pipes（Mass production machine）
・Transport by rolling pipes down on slope◎

Camera moving type
（Under Development）

・Two‐pair camera lighting unit configuration
・Compatible with small diameter pipes
・Convey horizontally
・Automatic inspection while mounted on a rack
・One pair of cameras/Lighting unit configuration
・Compatible with pipes on a rackOption

Thin diameter

Thick diameter◎Φ3.2㎜〜Φ12.7㎜

Φ32㎜〜Φ50㎜○Horizontal transfer type
（Mass produced machine）

Thick diameter◎・Transport by rolling pipes down on slope
・Thin diameter, 4m long pipe compatible

・One pair of cameras/Lighting unit configuration
・Compatible with any pipe

Simplified type

Steel pipe◎○◎

Φ32㎜〜Φ50㎜◎◎

Φ3.2㎜〜Φ60.5㎜

Φ32㎜〜Φ50㎜

○◎

○

001

Image processing type（Standard specifications）

002

No image processing type（Image output only）◎9

Advantage
Advantage of “General Purpose High‐speed Variable Focus Method“
Prior art
(Visual examination)

This technology

Prior art
(Insert fiber optic camera)

Accuracy△〇〇

Speed△〇

Risk of damage〇〇×

Production
responsiveness×〇×

Facility convenience〇〇△

Cost×〇

×

Ease of failure
analysis×〇〇(Image data not available)（Image data available）(Image data available)

×（2 minutes/pipe）

10

Intellectual Properties１） Holding Patent
Title of invention

Applicant(Right holder)

Applicati
on status

Method for inspecting an innersurface inspection apparatus andthat of the pipe material.
A pipe inner surface inspection
apparatus.
The automated visual inspection
apparatus

S.Nambu ， M.Kariba ， A.Kamemoto ， 、 S.Hashimoto ， M,Yamada ， registered
Y.Watanabe，Y.Morita（Stainless Kuze Co., Ltd. ，Auto‐Inspect Co.,ltd ）
registered
S.Nambu，Y.Sone，M,Yamada，Y.Morita，A.Yoshitaka（Auto‐Inspect Co.,ltd ）
registered
S.Nambu，Y.Sone，M,Yamada，Y.Komaruyama，Y.Morita（Auto‐Inspect Co.,ltd ）A pipe coupling comprising anautomatic inspection apparatus.

S.Nambu，Y.Sone，M,Yamada，Y.Komaruyama，F.Azeda，Y.Morita， registered
A.Yoshitaka，Y.Miyagishi（Auto‐Inspect Co.,ltd ）country, date, number, etc.
JP,2014‐222187（Oct. 31 ,2014）
JP,6425972,B
JP,2017‐110374（Jun. 2 ,2017）
JP,6512583,B
JP,2017‐232024（Dec. 1 ,2017）
JP,6512585,B
JP,2020‐043463（Mar. 12 ,2020)
JP,7113533,B２） Development Publicity【 Press Releases 】① “ Succeeded in developing automation technology for visual inspection ” Nikkei newspaper （Hokuriku region） February 14 ,2018.
② “ Pipe inner surface flaw inspection automation technology, Twice as efficient ” Nikkei newspaper, February 22 ,2018.
③ “ Pipe inner surface flaw inspection automation technology Commercialization within 2‐3 years ” Electronic device industry news, March 22 ,2018.
【 Paper 】
A.Kamemoto，S.Nambu，M.Kariba，T.Nakanishi，M,Yamada，H.Takamori，S.Hashimoto，Y.Morita，Y.Watanabe「R&D and practical application of optical automatic inspection technology for clean steel pipe inner surface flaws」，
Vision technology practical application workshop ViEW2014、December ,2014.
11