Procurement inputs for in-line contour inspection need more than a cross-section drawing. Workpiece motion changes sampling positions, surfaces and occlusion affect valid contours, and mounting and business interfaces affect machine operation. Document the workpiece, motion, data and acceptance conditions together before assessing equipment and development scope.
Cover workpiece variations
Provide section drawings, dimensions and tolerances, measurement references, materials, surface conditions and representative physical parts. Distinguish allowed normal variations from anomalies to detect. Describe deep grooves, chamfers, rounded corners, holes and unobservable regions. Contours visible on a stationary specimen do not establish equivalent coverage during motion.
Specify motion and mounting
| Input | Required information | Design implication |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | Conveying, reversing, rotation, stopping and direction changes | Relate samples to the workpiece |
| Speed and position | Working range, acceleration, position reference and possible slip | Check sampling distance |
| Trigger source | Time, encoder or external signal and available interfaces | Define trigger, reception and loss checks |
| Mounting | Working distance, field of view, vibration and maintenance access | Assess coverage and geometric stability |
| Outputs | Raw images, geometric contours, dimensions, status and retention | Define interfaces, storage and algorithm responsibilities |
Agree on data completeness before comparing results
Record triggers, device acquisition, host reception, valid contours and dimensional results separately. List available evidence when device fields are missing. Host-generated reception identifiers alone cannot prove that the device captured every sample. Agree on retesting, stopping or manual review of invalid measurements within the business workflow.
Define later acceptance through a pilot
Use workpieces covering key surface and motion changes to check geometric visibility, data completeness and reference dimensions, then extend to target conditions. Record duration, recovery, interface response and dimensional evaluation separately. The LMI acquisition-configuration documentation explains the relationship between settings and operating modes. It does not establish integration or test acceptance of a specified device.
Related services: 3D vision and point-cloud processing, image capture development, project consultation.