The UKIVA Advantage

From vehicle manufacturing to food production, industrial vision systems are key to the enhancement of quality control across various sectors. These systems have had undeniably significant impacts, accelerating the pace, quality, and consistency of manufacturing. We’ll explore the array of benefits in this blog, showcasing the support that UKIVA provides in ensuring vision system integration for higher standards of quality and compliance.

Considering the Importance of Quality Control

Quality control is particularly important across sectors such as pharmaceuticals and automotive, where precision is non-negotiable. This has been confirmed by a Make UK survey, with 72% of manufacturers identifying quality control as their top priority. It’s driving investment in advanced vision technologies such as high-resolution cameras, precision lenses, and hardware for image analysis. The potential for financial savings is also a key factor, with most manufacturing companies having quality-related costs that equate to 15%-20% of total sales revenue.

Other quality-related vision system benefits include:

• Exceptional accuracy in the identification of product defects and variations
• Acceleration of visual inspections, making for reduced production cycles, increased throughput, and greater all-round productivity
• Real-time machine feedback, allowing for immediate adjustments to improve product quality
• Greater capacity for the collection and storage of inspection-related data to review in line with quality standards and regulations
• Reduced manual fatigue and more freedom for staff to focus on other business-boosting activities.

The development of AI vision is enabling remarkably detailed inspection, far in advance of human capabilities. Detecting defects as small as 0.02 sq mm and with 98-99.5% accuracy (compared with 85%-90% for manual inspection), such technologies are allowing for far more reliable and consistent results. Customer satisfaction levels are also being raised, resulting in greater loyalty and a competitive edge.

Here are some sector-specific examples of vision system benefits:

• Detecting defective parts and components in the automotive industry
• Scanning barcodes and QR codes for the traceability of electronic products
• Identifying and sorting food products according to colour, size, and shape
• Inspecting the packaging of food and pharmaceutical products.
• Vision System Trends

Given the array of benefits, it’s understandable that more manufacturers are looking to invest in vision systems. This trend is bound to continue, with the development of increasingly complex and diverse products calling for advanced inspection. There’s also growing awareness of the need to minimise product recalls, safety risks, and instances of customer dissatisfaction. 

The increased investment is allowing for the rapid development of vision technologies, as with the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) for the analysis of text and symbols. These LLMs can be used in the analysis of product packaging text and labels to ensure regulatory compliance. Inspection results can also be converted into detailed reports for improved decision-making.

"As the manufacturing landscape evolves, the adoption of advanced vision systems becomes not just beneficial but essential. By integrating technologies like Large Language Models, we are enabling manufacturers to enhance product quality, ensure compliance, and significantly reduce the risks associated with recalls and customer dissatisfaction. This proactive approach is paving the way for a smarter, more efficient manufacturing process."

— Allen Anderson, Clearview Imaging | Chairman UKIVA

UKIVA’s Role

From the sharing of technical advice to the connection of members with leading solutions providers, UKIVA supports businesses in the adoption of vision technologies. As part of the Automate UK group, the Vision Association has access to and influence within key circles. Aiming to give member companies a competitive edge, they enable the building of partnerships and the sharing of knowledge through regular seminars and conferences.

Set to take place at Coventry’s CBS Arena from the 7th to the 8th of May 2025, the Vision UK conference will effectively showcase the latest industrial machine vision solutions. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with key decision-makers and influencers from the UK Vision sector and beyond. Leading machine vision experts will also be sharing their knowledge, with a full lineup of talks, seminars, and demonstrations.

In the meantime, UK manufacturers are encouraged to explore the Automate UK website or contact UKIVA and learn more about the transformation of quality control processes with industrial vision systems. Together, we’ll innovate the future of automation.