Edge-AI quality inspection across 6 auto-component plants
A tier-1 auto component supplier was losing one major OEM contract per year to defect-related field failures. SPC sampling caught only 2 in 100 defects. We deployed an edge-AI vision system at every line — NVIDIA Jetson cameras running a custom defect-detection model at 110 fps — that catches micro-fractures, surface porosity, and dimensional drift in real time.
The problem
The supplier produced precision-cast brake components for global OEMs. Statistical Process Control sampled 1 in 50 units. Micro-fractures invisible to the naked eye were slipping through, surfacing as warranty claims 6-18 months later. Field-return cost in 2024 was a 9-figure rupee number, and one OEM had put them on probation.
The solution
A vision-AI inspection station at every line, running entirely on edge hardware (no cloud round-trip). NVIDIA Jetson Orin units pull 110 fps from 4K industrial cameras, run a custom YOLOv8-derived defect model, and reject parts in under 80ms. Defect images sync to a central data lake for model retraining; the line-side display gives operators instant visual feedback.
What we built
Edge inference at 110 fps
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano per line. INT8-quantised YOLOv8 derivative. 80ms p99 inspection latency, fully on-device.
Catches what humans miss
Detects sub-50µm hairline fractures, surface porosity, and dimensional drift — defects invisible to a trained QC operator on a moving line.
No cloud dependency on the hot path
Lines keep running even with internet down. Inspection results sync to the lake when connectivity returns. Critical for plants with patchy uplinks.
Operator HMI with live SPC
Touch-screen at every line shows the last 100 parts, defect heatmaps, drift trends, and one-tap reject overrides for genuine false-positives.
Closed-loop model retraining
Every false-positive operator override is collected, reviewed weekly, and folded into the next model release. Active learning loop closes within 14 days.
Per-OEM compliance pack
Per-shift, per-batch traceability with image evidence for IATF 16949 audits. Reduced audit prep from 3 days to 4 hours per plant.
How it’s built
The numbers
“We went from being on OEM probation to winning a new platform from the same customer. The model literally sees what our most experienced inspector misses.”
— Plant Operations Director, Tier-1 Auto Supplier
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