Optical Sorting Bespoke Bowl Feed Case Study

Case Study: Resolving Corrosion and Stacking Issues with Bespoke Optical Sorting Automation

Customer Challenge: Corrosion, Discolouration, and Nested Components

A customer approached Nufast Optical Sorting following persistent quality concerns affecting high-volume pressed caps. The components were experiencing corrosion, rust, and surface discolouration, while their geometry meant parts were frequently stacking or nesting together. This prevented reliable automated inspection, forcing manual sorting or scrapping of affected batches.

Manual inspection rates were limited to approximately 20–30 parts per minute, creating a significant bottleneck across an annual volume of around 3 million components.

Bespoke Bowl Feed System Design and Engineering

Nufast Optical Sorting designed and manufactured a bespoke bowl feed and separation system, engineered specifically for the component geometry. This enabled reliable singulation, allowing Nufast’s automated digital inspection system to operate at its full sorting capability.

Optical Sorting Performance Improvement and Throughput Gains

With the bespoke bowl system integrated, optical sorting speeds increased to 125–150 parts per minute, delivering:

• Reliable separation of nested components via the bespoke bowl feed system
• Consistent presentation of individual parts for accurate digital inspection
• Improved detection of corrosion, rust, and surface discolouration
• Significant increase in inspection throughput
• Reduced reliance on manual sorting
• Improved overall process efficiency and quality assurance

Scalable Automated Quality Control for High-Volume Components

At volumes of approximately 3 million parts annually, this bespoke engineered solution transformed the inspection process from a manual bottleneck into a reliable, automated quality control system.

Bespoke Optical Sorting and Feeding Solutions by Nufast

Nufast Optical Sorting specialises in designing and manufacturing bespoke feeding and inspection solutions tailored to each customer’s component and quality requirements.

Request technical data, a quotation, or to discuss a project, please contact:

e: info@nufast.co.uk
t: +44 (0)1543 270 700