Bad shoes
With the aid of machine vision, long-term product testing strategies are essential to ensure that only the highest quality goods reach the market
byAndy Wilson, editor
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Hobbling around trade shows is very wearying, especially on the feet and connecting appendages. I should know. In the past few years I have attended many such events and due to a lack of exercise, coupled with my love of Dunhill International cigarettes, have often been laid up in bed for days afterward.
After one such event my boss, Conard Holton, noticed that it was perhaps my poor choice of footwear that may be contributing to my condition. After months of procrastinating, I went to my local shoe store and found a rather nice pair of very inexpensive shoes. Even my boss had to admire how smart I looked.
At the next trade show I attended, I felt much better and struggled though numerous press conference sans my favorite pain medication. If only, I thought, I would have recognized this problem earlier perhaps my aching bones would not be in such poor condition.
This year, however, I realized that the early recognition of a potential problem was not confined just to my shoes but to the shoes of one of the world’s greatest car manufacturers. The Toyota Motor Corporation, it seems, has a similar problem, which the company has defined as “Pedal.”
This problem, according to Toyota, happens when an accelerator pedal becomes stuck in the wide-open position. Needless to say, this is not exactly good news for the driver or any passengers who may be in the automobile at the time. Apparently, the problem involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the “proper feel” by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable. This friction device includes a “shoe” that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal operation.
Due to the materials used, wear, and environmental conditions, these surfaces may over time begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly. In some cases, friction may increase to the point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.
If the shoe fits
As many readers will be aware, this had led to a massive recall of a number of Toyota motor vehicles around the world. Needless to say, Toyota has rapidly developed a solution to this problem that employs a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar installed into the accelerator pedal assembly to eliminate any excess friction.
Today, nearly every type of shoe—whether for human beings or those deployed in automobiles—is designed using sophisticated CAD systems. After these are designed, prototypes are made and evaluated, then final product specifications are developed.
In the manufacture of such products, machine-vision systems are effective in ensuring that the dimensions of each part are correct and any defects that stray from the original specifications are reduced dramatically. Only after this is accomplished are parts shipped to the customer for final deployment.
However, one thing is apparent both in the case of my poor choice of shoes and in the tragic deaths of those involved in automobile accidents that involved Toyota vehicles. While CAD and machine-vision systems may play an important role in manufacturing, they must be accompanied by long-term product testing strategies. Only by employing such approaches will manufacturers fully understand how their products will perform over time. Here again, machine-vision systems could play a key role.
I was unfortunate enough to purchase both a bad pair of shoes and a Toyota.
If you enjoy reading Andy Wilson’s monthly column, watch his video blog atwww.vision-systems.com