Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division launched the APODIUS Vision System 2D, a standalone solution for advanced carbon-fiber part inspection. Designed for fast results within both production-integrated inspection or offline quality assurance contexts, the APODIUS Vision System 2D delivers 2D fiber orientation analysis. The system's data output options allow for specific actual-to-target value comparison – a key tool for ensuring high-quality results during composite production.

The APODIUS Vision System 2D brings together within a single product package the HP-C-V2D APODIUS Vision Sensor and the dedicated APODIUS Explorer 2D software platform. The HP-C-V2D APODIUS Vision Sensor has been specifically developed for fiber orientation determination and measurement on composite surfaces. Using raw image data, overall fiber orientation distribution and main fiber orientations can be verified to with a tenth of a degree.

"The APODIUS Vision System 2D was developed to offer a straight-forward and easy-to-use quality control solution to manufacturers of carbon-fiber products," said Alex Leutner, APODIUS managing director at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelliegence. "With a standalone solution that delivers fiber orientation analysis without relying on an outside referencing system, we're making quality assurance more accessible to a wider range of composite part manufacturers. And with our custom-built APODIUS Explorer 2D software platform, we're making it easier than ever for them to make sure their parts are up to standard."

Combining instant image processing, measurement output handling and automatic report generation, APODIUS Explorer 2D makes composite evaluation faster than ever. The entire measurement process is visualized in real-time within the software to ensure accurate measurement, while a variety of data output and export formats allow for further analysis and documentation, including color-coded simultaneous model and measurement data display for actual-to-value comparison.

The system is qualified for dry semi-finished carbon-fiber parts including braided, woven, non-crimp and customized fabrics and preforms. It also works on other common composite surfaces such as prepreg, wet and cured parts.