Computed tomography (CT) scanners are a popular choice for inspecting both the external and internal geometry of parts — finding inclusions, voids and flaws that could cause failure or underperformance.

Army Trail Road, in Chicago’s western suburbs, is dotted with metal fabrication plants — production facilities offering high-tech manufacturing jobs at living wages.

Remote Visual Inspection equipment has existed since an inspector could pair a mirror with a flashlight.

Like all computer technology, the speed, power and affordability of image analysis software for automated vision systems has improved exponentially since its advent in the 1970s, when the first algorithms simply counted pixels.

Whether an automated machine vision system measures a spark plug’s gap, locates an assembly line item, reads 2D code, counts parts, checks for flaws or performs a host of other tasks, it is running at a greater speed and higher resolution than ever before.