V-OPTICS introduces QualiLENS®100 Co-Pilot, a new operator assistance inspection solution for intraocular lens (IOL) and contact lens manufacturers. Designed to make cosmetic defect detection and assessment easier while keeping the final decision in human hands, Co-Pilot can be put to work quickly and helps manufacturers prepare for the transition to automated inspection.
As manufacturing processes move towards greater automation, cosmetic inspection will have to follow. Yet implementing automated defect inspection in production remains challenging, requiring resources and validation, especially in the ophthalmic industry.
To address these challenges, V-OPTICS has developed Co-Pilot, a new operator assistance inspection mode for its QualiLENS®100 system, paving the way towards automation.
The principle is one of assistance. The system detects and highlights defects, but it is the operator who decides whether a lens passes or fails inspection.
Years of expertise in defect detection
Over the years, V-OPTICS has built its expertise in defect detection by rolling out inspection systems at intraocular lens (IOL) and contact lens factories.
This experience has helped build a key asset: an extensive defect library based on cosmetic defects encountered across different manufacturing processes.
Scratches, lathe marks, pits, chips, outburst and many more: defects that V-OPTICS teams have learned to detect and characterize.
This expertise is directly integrated into the new QualiLENS®100 Co-Pilot system.
The system guides, you decide
With Co-Pilot, operators can view processed images of each lens on screen. Detected defects are clearly highlighted and identified by type when recognized or flagged as anomalies.
This assistance makes defects easier to spot and assess, supporting more objective and consistent pass/fail decisions.
This human-in-the-loop approach combines the system’s detection capabilities with the expertise of inspection operators. The final PASS/FAIL decision remains entirely in their hands.
Keeping this decision in human hands makes Co-Pilot easier to roll out in regulated production environments. Indeed, automated quality control, where the system makes its own acceptance decisions, involves a more complex process, requires greater resources and is subject to strict validation requirements.
Intuitive from the first step
Getting started with a new inspection system should not require lengthy manuals or extensive training.
This was one of the key priorities behind the development of QualiLENS®100 Co-Pilot. For lens manufacturers, the performance of an inspection system also lies in how easily it can be installed on a production line, how quickly it can be configured, how easily operators can adopt it and how autonomous manufacturers can become from day one.
Co-Pilot therefore features a wizard-like configurator and an interactive tutorial that guide users from initial setup through to inspection operations.
Thanks to a guided set-up, operators can create a first inspection model and start inspecting the first lens in around 15 minutes.
The tutorial remains accessible at any time directly from the software interface, providing guidance whenever operators need it.
Co-Pilot mode has been designed to simplify onboarding and training, give users greater autonomy and accelerate the adoption of operator assistance inspection on the production floor.
A steppingstone to automated inspection
QualiLENS®100 Co-Pilot can be deployed directly in production, improving inspection from day one.
It not only upgrades immediately the quality control but also helps manufacturers progressively prepare for the transition towards automation.
Indeed, every inspection helps lay the groundwork for automated quality control.
The system saves digital data on detected defects, together with the decisions made by operators. Over time, manufacturers build a dataset reflecting their products, manufacturing processes and specific acceptance criteria.
This data can then be used to fine-tune and validate automated inspection criteria. As these criteria are tested and inspection performance is validated, manufacturers can progressively move towards QualiLENS® Advanced, the automated inspection mode.
See QualiLENS®100 Co-Pilot in action
With QualiLENS®100 Co-Pilot, V-OPTICS offers lens manufacturers a new approach to upgrading their quality control. An assisted, easier and more consistent inspection process that leaves the final decision in the hands of the operator while paving the way towards automation.
Curious to see how Co-Pilot could fit into your production process?
Contact our team to book a demo.