by Farabi Nishi
Dashboard Quality Control: Detecting What the Eye Cannot See
In automotive quality control, detecting visible defects is only part of the challenge. The greater risk lies in defects that remain hidden beneath the surface.
In dashboard manufacturing, air pockets, bonding defects, and uneven cooling can develop inside foamed components without being visible during conventional visual inspection. With complex geometries and detailed surfaces, detecting these irregularities reliably and directly on the production line can be challenging.
This is where we take a different approach to detecting what remains hidden, without adding unnecessary time to the production cycle: our DB-Inspector solution for the inline inspection of foamed dashboards. This intelligent thermography system combines Selmatec’s advanced analysis software with the highly sensitive IRS-X™ NDT infrared camera, provided by our sensor partner, Automation Technology.
The key advantage is the Hybrid thermography- When a dashboard is inspected immediately after demolding and still retains sufficient residual heat from the manufacturing process, typically around 55°C to 70°C, passive thermography can visualize thermal differences and reveal defects hidden in the foam or beneath the surface layer. Because no additional heating is required, this method enables fast, cycle-time-neutral inspection.
When a dashboard has cooled too much for reliable passive inspection, the DB-Inspector can use active thermography. The dashboard is heated in controlled pulses, and its cooling behavior is analyzed to identify irregularities, provides an effective method for inspecting colder dashboards and can deliver clearer thermal results.
The two methods can also work together in series production. Passive thermography can remain the standard inspection method when the dashboard has sufficient residual heat. When a dashboard has cooled beyond the conditions suitable for passive inspection, active thermography can be applied automatically when required. This makes the inspection process flexible while avoiding unnecessary active heating for every part.
Beyond Defect Detection
The DB-Inspector goes beyond thermographic inspection. It’s also supports automatic part positioning, part identification through code readers, SQL-based traceability and export functions, AI-supported defect evaluation, and open interfaces to quality assurance systems. Thanks to its modular design, allows the inspection system to be configured to the production line and adapted to specific customer requirements.
The result is a flexible, 100% non-destructive inline inspection solution that helps make hidden quality issues visible, while also providing the data needed to track and improve production quality.
Contact our experts and discover how the DB-Inspector can support intelligent dashboard inspection in your production line.