Automotive vision systems

1. summary of the market situation after the first months of 2023

After the first period of forced shutdowns in 2022, which affected many manufacturers of both cars and commercial vehicles and trucks, the situation began to normalize to some extent. However, in both the following months of last year and the beginning of 2023, various production constraints occurred, including further shutdowns.

However, the first four months of 2023 can be optimistic. Car production is growing, including in Germany (Europe’s largest auto manufacturer) and the region: Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Despite the numerous positive signals from the automotive industry, it is important to take into account the fact that the crisis related to microprocessors, necessary for the production of modern vehicles, is still ongoing, and there is no indication that this issue will be resolved soon. Both in 2023 and in 2024, we have to reckon that the volatility of semiconductor supplies and, consequently, the volatility of component orders across the industry will continue. All this influences very cautious spending on manufacturing investments, including min. vision systems used only at key locations of the most necessary quality control processes.

2.What are customers looking for?

The most commonly used vision applications are currently directed within the automotive industry where new startups are being created, e.g. in connection with electro mobility and the consolidation of large corporations and their operations, an example being min. Stellantis Group in Poland.

Vision-based quality control systems are expanding in stamping, casting in automated welding, painting and assembly processes, and plastics manufacturing. The same will be true where there is demand for safety systems; belts, airbags, and wear components like tires, exhaust systems, windshield wipers, etc. This market, despite temporary lulls in new car sales, is strongly supported by the turnover of spare parts in older vehicles currently in service.

3.Perspectives for the future

In the coming years, in the context of automotive development, investment in the electro mobility sector is expected to increase. This is forecast to include an increase in demand for automated inspection processes for the production of batteries and new components, typically for electric and hybrid cars. This should also open the market to more and more frequently and eagerly used vision systems, supporting quality control processes, both the current one on assembly production lines, as well as inter-operational, nesting ones supporting component processing and logistics processes.

Grzegorz Banakiewicz

Business Development Manager

Machine Vision Systems Automtovie

Graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology / Construction and Operation of Machines. From the beginning, he has been professionally involved in manufacturing processes, mainly in the automotive industry, machine construction and industrial process automation. Currently Market Development Manager at Scanway Ltd / Scanway Industry.

For more than 15 years in the automotive industry, he has acted as an independent Market Expert for Automotive Manufacturers and Industry 4.0