There is provided a method that includes directing one or more infrared cameras at a compaction roller of a composite laying head of a composite layup machine. The one or more infrared cameras are mounted aft of the compaction roller. The method includes applying heat to a substrate by a heater. The heater is mounted forward of the compaction roller. The method further includes using the one or more infrared cameras, to obtain one or more infrared images of the compaction roller, during laying down of one or more composite tows of a composite layup onto the substrate by the compaction roller. The method further includes identifying, based on the one or more infrared images, one or more temperature profiles of the compaction roller, and analyzing identified temperature profiles, to determine one or more of, a layup quality of the composite layup, and a heat history of the composite layup.

A method of inspecting images on printed products by a computer in a printing machine. Printed products are recorded and digitized by an image sensor of an image inspection system in the course of the image inspection process, and the computer compares them to a digital reference image. If deviations are found, the defective printed products are removed. The computer analyzes the deviations found in the course of the image inspection process together with further data from other system parts and from the machine, determines specific defect classes and the causes thereof based on the defects by machine learning processes, assigns the defects found in the image inspection process to the defect classes in a corresponding way, and displays the classified detected defects with their defect classes and causes to an operator of the machine so that the operator can initiate specific measures to eliminate the defect causes.

In an inspection system including a printing apparatus, an inspection apparatus configured to inspect quality of a printed product printed by the printing apparatus, and an information processing apparatus configured to transmit a print job to the printing apparatus, the information processing apparatus transmits a print job to the printing apparatus in a case where a reference image to be used for inspecting the quality of the printed product corresponding to the print job is registered, and does not transmit the print job in a case where the reference image corresponding to the print job is not registered.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for calibrated testing of a printing of an article. The apparatus includes a data providing device adapted to provide printing data for the article from product data of the article and a camera device adapted to capture an image of an article printed by a printing process and to provide it as image data. The apparatus also includes a database device adapted to provide calibration data for the camera device and a computer device adapted to perform a quality check of the printing process based on a comparison of the printing data with the image data taking into account the calibration data.

A method of inspecting a structure during additive manufacturing of the structure and additive manufacturing systems are presented. An additive manufacturing system comprises additive manufacturing equipment comprising a casing and an additive manufacturing head configured to form a plurality of layers of a structure within the casing; and an x-ray backscatter imaging system configured to send an x-ray beam into a structure formed within the additive manufacturing equipment and detect scattered x-rays for imaging and analysis of the structure during fabrication.

In a printer, a controller controls a printing portion to execute a sample print to print on a sheet a plurality of barcodes. Each of the plurality of barcodes is represented by a received barcode data and printed in a different printing condition. The controller controls a reading portion to read the plurality of barcodes printed on the sheet in the sample print process to obtain a plurality of sets of scan data corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of barcodes. The controller performs a quality determination process to determine qualities of the plurality of printed barcodes based on the respective ones of the plurality of sets of scan data, and a printing condition setting process to set a printing condition based on the qualities determined in the quality determination process. The set printing condition is to be used to print a barcode by the printing portion.

A first surface of a first sheet has a second image formed in advance. An image forming system generates reference data based on a result of reading an image on the first surface of the first sheet on which a first image is not formed, generates first image data that represents a result of reading an image on the first surface of the first sheet having the first image formed on the first surface, and determines, based on the reference data and the first image data, a relative position between the first image and the second image on the first surface of the first sheet.

An inspection apparatus includes: a hardware processor that: conducts an inspection on an image by comparing a scanned image with a correct image, the image being formed on paper in accordance with a print job, the scanned image being generated by reading the image, the correct image serving as a reference for the inspection of the image; and determines whether a page is a target for the inspection in accordance with a type of the paper on which the image will be formed according to print setting of the print job, wherein the hardware processor conducts the inspection on the image on a page that has been determined to be the target for the inspection by the hardware processor, and does not conduct the inspection on the image on a page that has been determined to not be the target for the inspection.

A method for printing defect detection includes processing and analyzing a difference image obtained by comparing an image scanned with a verifier to a reference image. The detected defects are grouped, and the grouping is refined. Confidence level values are then assigned to the refined groups, and analysis is performed to determine if one or more servicing actions should be taken.

An inspection apparatus for detecting a difference between image data obtained by reading a sheet, and a reference image of the image data. The inspection apparatus obtains first image data by reading a sheet having a patch image printed thereon, obtains second image data from print data of the patch image, performs edge correction on a line included in the second image data by applying an edge correction parameter, and obtains an edge correction parameter that minimizes a difference between the density of the second image data subjected to the edge correction and the density of the first image data, and stores the obtained edge correction parameter.