KOMPASS brings spot weld inspection to every assembly, checking each weld against the weld map. AI vision confirms every weld is present and in position and flags visible surface defects such as expulsion and deep indentation, so skipped or misplaced welds are caught at the station.
Sheet metal assemblies carry many spot welds that look alike. When one is skipped or lands off its position, nothing on the line shows it, and sampling finds it only on the few parts that are torn down.
Our AI Product Inspection system, KOMPASS™, carries out visual spot weld inspection with models trained on your assemblies, matching each weld to the weld map and classifying surface defects. Every weld decision is stored with an image of the assembly.
Spot weld inspection on the line combines counting, position and surface condition. KOMPASS brings them together with models trained on your assemblies and a direct link to the line.
Fixed cameras or a robot-mounted camera capture every weld zone after welding, with lighting chosen to show weld marks on coated and bare steel.
The model finds each weld, matches it to the weld map and classifies visible surface defects.
Assemblies with missing or misplaced welds are held for repair, trends point to the gun and every result is stored.
Send us your weld maps, assemblies with correct and faulty welds and your acceptance criteria. We will assess camera positions and lighting.
Get In TouchVisual checks, destructive testing and inline AI inspection answer different questions. The difference is coverage and what can be seen from the surface.
Spot weld inspection with KOMPASS confirms what is visible from the surface: that each weld is present, sits in its designated weld position and shows no visible defects such as expulsion, cracks, burns or deep surface indentation. It cannot see inside the joint, so it does not measure nugget size or strength. Those remain the role of destructive or ultrasonic sampling. Making that boundary clear keeps each method doing the job it is best at.
The station compares the welds it finds with the weld map for that part number, position by position. Any expected position without a weld is flagged, and so is any weld that appears where none should be. This catches missing spot welds that a controller count misses, such as a gun that fired off target or a programme step skipped after a fault recovery. The flagged position is shown on the part image, so repair goes straight to it.
Controller data shows that the gun fired with certain current and time, which is valuable. It does not show where the weld landed on the part or whether the part was in the fixture correctly. Combining controller data with a visual check of every weld gives a complete record of each assembly. Together they help separate a process problem from a part or fixture problem.
Common visible spot weld defects include spatter thrown out around the weld, cracks, burn-through, excessive indentation, irregular or misshapen weld marks and welds too close to the flange edge. Each is classified separately. The limits for each come from your acceptance criteria, agreed with your quality team before automatic decisions start. Separate classes also show which defects are rising, which points to the cause.
It can show the effects of electrode wear. As tips wear and mushroom, weld marks grow larger and change in appearance. Trending weld appearance by gun shows the change across a shift, so tip dressing or replacement can be scheduled from data rather than fixed intervals alone. Sudden changes point to a different problem, such as misalignment. Scheduling from data can extend tip life while keeping weld appearance consistent.
Ultrasonic testing, thermography and chisel testing measure what a camera cannot: nugget diameter, fusion and strength, usually on sampled welds. Inline vision covers every weld on every part for presence, position and visible condition, so those methods can focus on confirming spot weld quality instead of being the only way to find a skipped weld. That balance gives full coverage without losing the strength confirmation that sampling provides.
Resistance spot welding is used in appliance housings, cabinets, seating frames, battery enclosures, HVAC components and many other sheet metal assemblies. Anywhere a part carries several spot welds in defined positions, the same layout check applies. Coated and galvanised steels need lighting adjusted to the surface finish. Each product family gets its own map, so mixed lines are handled the same way.
Send your weld maps, assemblies with correct, missing and misplaced welds, examples of surface defects and your acceptance criteria. Add the variants, cycle time and cell layout. With that, we can recommend fixed or robot-mounted cameras, lighting and integration for spot weld inspection on your line. Assemblies with known skipped welds are the most useful examples for setting up the check.
Share weld maps, assemblies, acceptance criteria and cycle time. We will plan spot weld inspection for every weld position and give you timing and cost. Typical KOMPASS deployments take 6 to 8 weeks.
