Deltaray makes quality inspections faster and cheaper

Belgium's Deltaray is marketing a new 3D scanning technology that uses X-rays to perform quality checks on or alongside production lines. The technology can significantly speed up quality checks for 'zero defect manufacturers', making them cheaper. The start-up is a spin-off of University of Antwerp and Imec.istart

Deltaray is targeting 'zero defect manufacturers' with its technology, such as manufacturers in the medical, automotive and 3D printing industries. Quality controls are necessary in these sectors to ensure that products are free of defects and meet customer needs. If such checks are not carried out or not carried out properly, the product can endanger the user and lead to recalls, with high costs for manufacturers.

"Parts are becoming increasingly complex, but the inspection capabilities available to companies for quality checks are not evolving with them," says Dirk Hamelinck, CEO of Deltaray. "'Zero defect manufacturers' see their margins melting like snow in the sun as they invest more and more in time and manpower to ensure quality for their customers. Here, increasing the number of spot checks or opting for full human inspection does not offer the sustainable solution they are looking for."

Deltaray's technology enables manufacturers to use artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate products up to 100 times faster than is possible with alternatives. As a result, inspections no longer come at the expense of production time. "Using artificial intelligence, we are able to inspect parts 10 to 100 times faster than other CT inspection systems," says Walter Nackaerts, business director at Deltaray.

"Moreover, this speed can be further increased using multiple scans in parallel. This makes Deltaray the only player on the market that enables quality checks at production speed."

To make this possible, Deltaray combines 3D technology with X-rays. This combination produces a detailed 3D image of both the inside and outside of the part. To check the quality of the product, this 3D image is placed alongside the CAD file, which forms a model drawing of the part. The inspection takes place using a robotic process and automated workflows. Human intervention is therefore not required.

"With our accelerated 3D X-ray breakthrough technology, we deliver 100% quality assurance and maximum traceability both at process and product level. This is how we aim to open the gate to Quality Inspection 4.0 for manufacturers of critical parts. We adopt a build-to-order strategy and manufacture, install and deliver maintenance on site. For OEMs, we provide a system kit that allows them to integrate our technology into their automation solutions," says Dirk Hamelinck.

At the time of writing, the technology is available in three systems. The Delta X100 is aimed at the automotive sector, the Delta X200 at the medical and pharmaceutical sector and the Delta X300 at 3D printing companies. The Delta Xi will be added in the near future. This system is aimed at system integrators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel