Vision Inspection Systems
Automated vision inspection systems delivering accuracy, consistency, and traceability across modern manufacturing.
Vision Inspection Systems for Automated Quality Control
Curtis Assemble & Test Ltd has been designing and integrating vision inspection systems for over 25 years, supporting manufacturers across a wide range of industries. Vision inspection has become a vital tool in modern manufacturing, enabling automated inspection, quality control, and traceability at every stage of production.
Our experience allows us to deliver bespoke vision inspection solutions tailored to your specific requirements, whether as part of new automated machinery or retrofitted into existing equipment. By combining high-resolution cameras, intelligent software, and carefully engineered lighting, our systems help reduce manual inspection, improve consistency, and maintain high product quality in demanding production environments.
Automated Inspection & Quality Assurance
Vision inspection systems provide real-time inspection and verification as part of automated manufacturing and assembly processes. From presence and absence detection to dimensional measurement and defect identification, these systems support fast, accurate decision-making without interrupting production flow.
Typical applications include dynamic analysis of injection spray patterns, parts counting and verification, surface defect detection, and supporting leak detection processes. By automating inspection tasks, manufacturers can reduce operator dependency, improve repeatability, and achieve higher throughput while maintaining strict quality standards.
Lighting, Integration & System Expertise
Achieving reliable inspection results depends heavily on correct lighting, camera positioning, and system integration. Poor lighting is a common cause of inconsistent inspection performance, particularly when vision systems are retrofitted into existing machinery.
With decades of hands-on experience, CAT designs vision inspection systems with application-specific lighting and optics to ensure consistent image capture and repeatable results. Our systems integrate seamlessly with PLCs, HMIs, and existing control architectures, delivering dependable inspection performance within real-world manufacturing environments.
Traceability & Code Verification
Modern manufacturing increasingly relies on accurate part traceability to support quality control, process validation, and regulatory compliance. CAT vision inspection systems are designed to reliably read and verify a wide range of codes, including QR codes, Data Matrix codes, linear barcodes, and RFID tags, even on challenging surfaces or within demanding production environments.
By integrating code verification directly into the inspection process, our systems enable manufacturers to link individual components to inspection results, process data, assembly records, and full production history. Each scan can be logged within a central system, providing easy retrieval of manufacturing data for audits, troubleshooting, and quality investigations.
This ensures all required process steps are completed before components progress through production or into dispatch, reducing the risk of unidentified defects, preventing costly errors, minimising waste, and improving overall product quality.
Nozzle Opening Pressure Optimisation (NOPAT)
Precise control of nozzle opening pressure (NOP) is critical to injector performance, directly influencing atomisation quality, delivery rate, and overall combustion efficiency. CAT NOPAT systems accurately measure and optimise nozzle opening pressure under controlled test conditions, ensuring consistent spray characteristics and repeatable injector performance.
By integrating high-speed vision analysis with pressure and flow measurement, our systems evaluate plume orientation, radial spray angles, and delivery parameters in real time. Where required, nozzle settings can be fine-tuned to achieve defined pressure targets, ensuring compliance with performance specifications and reducing variability across production batches.
The result is a fully validated injector with optimised opening pressure, verified atomisation behaviour, and complete traceability of test data for quality assurance and audit requirements.
VISION INSPECTION SYSTEM CAPABILITIES
⚙️ Camera systems: High-resolution industrial cameras for real-time inspection and analysis
⚙️ Inspection methods: Presence/absence detection, surface defect identification, and quality verification
⚙️ Dimensional measurement: Accurate measurement and tolerance checking of components and features
⚙️ Dynamic inspection: Analysis of moving components, spray patterns, and in-process behaviour
⚙️ Leak detection support: Integrated vision systems used to detect bubbles, fluid escape, spray irregularities, and other visible leak indicators during functional testing and validation
⚙️ Part verification: Parts counting, orientation checks, and position validation
⚙️ Automated decision making: Pass / fail outputs with configurable inspection thresholds
⚙️ Lighting systems: Application-specific lighting design for consistent, repeatable inspection results
⚙️ System integration: Seamless interfacing with PLCs, HMIs, and existing machine control systems
⚙️ Data capture: Inspection result logging to support traceability and quality reporting
⚙️ Deployment options: Integration into new automated machinery or retrofit to existing equipment
Vision inspection systems provide fast, accurate, and repeatable inspection to support automated quality control in modern manufacturing. Their flexibility allows them to be applied across multiple stages of the production process, from component verification through to final assembly checks.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Vision inspection systems play a critical role across industries where quality, accuracy, and traceability are essential. Typical applications include:
Automated
Quality Control
Vision inspection systems automate quality control by inspecting components in real time, ensuring consistent standards while reducing reliance on manual inspection.
Dimensional
Measurement & Verification
Vision systems perform accurate dimensional measurement to verify component size, alignment, and tolerances, supporting early detection of variation during production.
Presence & Absence Detection
Vision inspection confirms the presence, absence, and correct positioning of components or features, helping prevent incomplete or incorrect assemblies progressing through production.
Surface Defect &
Quality Inspection
Vision systems detect surface defects such as scratches, contamination, or irregularities, supporting high-quality finishes and reducing rework or scrap.
Dynamic Process &
Spray Pattern Analysis
Vision inspection enables dynamic analysis of moving components and spray patterns, helping verify process performance and optimise production conditions.
Part Traceability &
Process Tracking
Vision systems support part traceability by reading and logging identifiers such as barcodes or data matrix codes, enabling full tracking throughout the production process.
Industries We Support
- Automotive – automated inspection, code verification, orientation checks, and quality control.
- Electronics – inspection of connectors, assemblies, and small parts with tight tolerances.
- Medical Devices – precision inspection of components where accuracy and traceability are essential.
- Aerospace – high-reliability visual inspection for critical manufactured components.
WHAT WE CAN DELIVER
Bespoke vision inspection systems tailored to your application
Automated inspection for quality control and defect detection
High-resolution cameras with application-specific lighting
Accurate dimensional measurement and verification
Real-time pass / fail decision making
Seamless integration with PLC, HMI, and existing control systems
Inspection data capture to support traceability and reporting
Integration into new automation or retrofit to existing machinery
Looking for an automated vision inspection solution
for your production process?
Our engineers will help define the right vision system to meet your inspection and quality requirements.
Talk to our engineering team, we’ll help define the right vision inspection solution for your process.
Why Choose CAT?
☑️ Bespoke Vision Solutions
Each system is engineered around your components, inspection criteria, and production environment.
☑️ Reliable, Repeatable Inspection
Consistent image capture and analysis deliver dependable inspection results cycle after cycle.
☑️ Lighting & Integration Expertise
Carefully designed lighting and seamless system integration ensure accurate inspection, even in challenging environments.
☑️ Reduced Manual Inspection
Automated inspection minimises operator dependency and improves production efficiency.
☑️ Traceability & Data Insight
Inspection data supports part traceability, quality reporting, and audit requirements.
☑️ Proven Experience
Over 25 years of vision inspection system design and integration across multiple industries.
Real-World Performance, Real-World Trust
Looking for a trusted partner to deliver your vision inspection system?
Our engineers will design and integrate a vision inspection solution tailored to your quality and process requirements.