Introduction: Innovating Quality Control for Advanced Materials

This week, the epicenter of the advanced materials industry is in Shanghai.

From March 24th to March 26th, Openex Automation is proud to participate in the 18th China International Powder Metallurgy and Cemented Carbides Exhibition (PM CHINA), held at the prestigious Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center.

As a leading innovator in automated optical inspection (AOI) and visual sorting machines, Openex is on-site demonstrating how our AI-driven technology is revolutionizing quality control for some of the toughest, most complex materials in modern manufacturing.

The Challenge: Inspecting Powder Metallurgy & Cemented Carbides

The powder metallurgy (PM) and cemented carbide industries produce critical components used in aerospace, automotive, machining, and electronics. From sintered gears and rotors to ultra-hard tungsten carbide cutting inserts, these parts require absolute precision.

However, the manufacturing process of these advanced materials presents unique quality control challenges:

• Micro-Cracks and Porosity: Sintering processes can occasionally leave microscopic surface cracks or unacceptable porosity levels.
• Edge Chipping: Cemented carbides are extremely hard but brittle. Even a micron-level chip on a cutting tool’s edge renders it defective.
• Dimensional Variances: Shrinkage during the heating and pressing phases can cause parts to fall out of strict dimensional tolerances.

Relying on manual visual inspection for these high-volume, high-value components is no longer viable. Human eyes fatigue quickly when searching for micro-cracks on dark, matte, or highly reflective metallic surfaces.

The Openex Solution: Zero-Defect Sorting

At Booth F290 (Hall 2.1), the Openex engineering team is showcasing our flagship Optical Sorting Machines, specifically configured for the unique geometries and surface finishes of powder metallurgy and hard alloy parts.

Visitors to our booth can see our machines perform live, demonstrating:

• 360-Degree Total Inspection: Utilizing glass plate and index rotary tables to inspect the top, bottom, and all sides of complex PM components without blind spots.
• AI Deep Learning Detection: How our advanced software distinguishes between acceptable surface textures (inherent to PM parts) and actual rejectable defects like cracks or chipping.
• High-Speed Dimensional Metrology: Non-contact measurement of inner diameters, outer diameters, and geometric tolerances at speeds of hundreds of parts per minute.

By transitioning from manual sampling to 100% automated optical sorting, alloy manufacturers can guarantee zero-defect shipments, eliminate customer returns, and significantly reduce labor costs.

Join Us at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center!

Today is the final day of the exhibition, and the energy on the floor is incredible. Whether you are struggling with a specific inspection bottleneck or looking to upgrade your factory to Industry 4.0 automation standards, our vision experts are ready to help.

Event Details:

• Exhibition: The 18th China International Powder Metallurgy and Cemented Carbides Exhibition
• Dates: March 24 - March 26
• Location: Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center (上海国家会展中心)
• Openex Booth: Hall 2.1, Booth F290 (2.1馆F290展台)

We sincerely invite you to visit our booth to explore the future of automated quality control. Bring your questions, bring your sample parts, and let us show you what Openex Automation can do.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Missed the Exhibition?

If you couldn’t make it to Shanghai this week, don’t worry! Contact the Openex team today to schedule a virtual demo or send us your powder metallurgy and cemented carbide samples for a free, comprehensive inspection evaluation.