High-resolution Machine Vision for surface quality assurance in cleanrooms

Roima’s Machine Vision team engineered a custom, high-resolution imaging solution that combines precision optics, magnetic levitation motion control, and advanced software intelligence. The result is a semi-automated inspection system that provides full-surface coverage, traceable quality data, and production-speed performance, ensuring reliable cleanliness and consistent product quality.

Customer need

An electronics manufacturer required a high-precision contamination detection system capable of identifying particles larger than 10 micrometers on A3-sized sheet materials, all within stringent cleanroom conditions.

Cleanliness is critical in this production process, as even minute impurities can compromise the quality and reliability of the final product.

Challenges

Developing a system for this application involved balancing precision, speed, and cleanroom compatibility – all within tight spatial and cost constraints. Traditional inspection setups were unable to provide the required combination of micrometer-level accuracy and high throughput in such a controlled environment.

Key challenges included:

• Achieving high-resolution and fast imaging over large areas while keeping the system cost-efficient.
• Managing the trade-off between resolution, speed, and data volume – higher imaging resolution generates vast amounts of data and slows the process.
• Designing a motion control system capable of precisely moving either the product or imaging equipment.
• Operating in a cleanroom environment, where conventional mechanical solutions cannot be used due to contamination risks.
• Meeting strict footprint constraints within existing production space.
• Handling surface topography variations up to ten times greater than the camera’s depth of field, requiring dynamic focus adjustment or height control.

Roima delivered a custom-built imaging system that met all performance, cleanliness, and integration requirements. The solution combines state-of-the-art imaging components, magnetic levitation motion control, and intelligent software integration to ensure precise and repeatable inspection.

Each product, weighing up to 3 kilograms, is moved smoothly across the imaging area on a Beckhoff XPlanar magnetic mover. The system first measures the surface topography with a line-laser sensor, then captures images frame by frame at optimal focus for every region of the product.

The result is a comprehensive dataset that includes:

• A detailed defect map with high-resolution images of each detected particle.
• Defect attributes and metadata are stored for statistical analysis, traceability, and reporting.

Hardware highlights

• Camera and optics: Vieworks 152 MP CoaXPress camera with Vico Imaging telecentric lens, achieving ~2.5 µm pixel accuracy.
• Motion control: Beckhoff XPlanar magnetic levitation system for precise, contactless XYZ movement ideal for cleanroom environments.
• 3D sensing: LMI Gocator laser sensor for accurate surface topography measurement.

Software stack

• Image processing: MVTec HALCON for advanced 2D image analysis and defect detection.
• Control and safety: Beckhoff software for PLC logic, motion control, and machine safety.
• Integration and UI: Custom Roima-developed software for seamless system integration, data management, and a user-friendly interface.

The customer now operates a semi-automated imaging system that ensures complete product inspection at production speed. It replaces slower manual inspection methods, improving both efficiency and accuracy.

Key benefits:

• Semi-automated inspection for faster, more consistent quality control.
• Micrometer-level precision ensuring top product quality.
• Data-driven quality management through traceable defect information.
• Cleanroom-compatible, compact design suits existing production layouts.

With its deep expertise in Machine Vision, automation, and system integration, Roima delivered a robust, high-precision inspection solution tailored for one of the most demanding cleanroom environments. The system not only ensures uncompromising surface quality but also supports the customer’s long-term goals of operational excellence and data-driven quality control.

Next step

Ready to take your quality assurance to the next level?

Contact us to learn how Roima’s Machine Vision expertise can help you design and implement custom inspection systems that meet even the most demanding industrial requirements.