The Need and Function of Inspection (Metrology)

3.14.
Inspection in industry is done to compare or determine the conformance of product to
specifications. All inspections strive to isolate and assess the relevant detail or quality or charac-
teristic of a product. Measurement is an important part of inspection. Practice and proficiency in
efficiently securing accurate measurements are essential. Inspection details measure and assess
relevant characteristics of a product in terms of requirements and specifications derived from a
desire to meet expectations about the product’s level of quality and performance.
Inspection ensures the ongoing maintenance of standards and requirements. This is done
by continually measuring in order to control and reduce the variation that may reach alarming
limit to threaten the integrity of specification.
Customer requirements, from a producer’s point of view, balance a blend of quality and
reliability within the product’s performance with cost. Thus quality levels are customer-derived and
it is for the inspection department to support these quality levels.
While the quality balance of acceptable versus unacceptable is the responsibility of inspector,
he must also assess the causes for excessive variation.
Inspection department is responsible for ensuring measurable conformance and also for
judging appearance.
According to the level of sophistication of inspection, it may be classified as : (i) manual,
(ii) visual manual, (iii) test, (iv) mechanised or automatic.
According to the area in which the inspection is performed, it may be classified as (i) process
(ii) batch, (iii) final, (iv) receiving, (v) tool and gauge.