Case Study: Visual QC at an Auto Component Tier-2

The business

A mid-size auto component manufacturer near Pune. ₹220 Cr revenue. Three lines making stamped and machined parts. Defect escape rate was hurting OEM scorecards.

The problem

Visual inspection was 100% manual, on a 3-shift line. Inspector fatigue caused predictable end-of-shift defect spikes. OEM penalties were creeping up quarter-on-quarter.

The approach

• Week 1-2: image collection on one line, labelling protocol
• Week 3-4: first model on one defect class, deployed in shadow mode
• Week 5-6: operator workflow integration, second defect class added
• Week 7-8: roll out to lines 2 and 3, exit criteria signed off

The result

• 40% reduction in defect escape rate within the first quarter
• Inspector role redesigned to focus on edge cases (no layoffs)
• OEM scorecard moved from amber to green in two consecutive quarters

What we'd do differently

• Spend two more weeks on lighting and camera positioning before any modelling
• Set up the operator override workflow on day one, not week six