In modern manufacturing, inspection time directly impacts overall cycle time, throughput, and production cost. Every second a robot stops to capture an inspection image is a second the production line is interrupted.

Traditional stop-and-go inspection, where the robot fully stops at each inspection point, waits for the vision system to capture and process the image, then resumes motion, has become a serious bottleneck in high-speed production lines

The key question is how to perform quality inspection faster without stopping the line.

This is exactly the problem Flying Trigger from Techman Robot was designed to solve.

What is Flying Trigger?

Flying Trigger is an inline vision inspection technology that allows the robot to trigger inspection tasks while both the robot and the product are moving continuously. Inspection is performed on the fly, meaning images are captured, analyzed, and defects are detected in real time during motion. The system synchronizes robot motion, conveyor tracking, and vision processing to enable precise image acquisition and real-time inspection without stopping production

According to real-world case studies published by Techman Robot, Flying Trigger reduces inspection time by approximately 40-50% compared to traditional stop-and-go methods. Actual results may vary depending on line configuration and application.

Why Traditional Inspection Has Become a Bottleneck?

Before diving deeper into Flying Trigger, it is important to understand why conventional inspection methods struggle in modern production environments.

Robots Must Come to a Complete Stop

In stop-and-go systems, the robot must stop completely at each inspection point to ensure clear image capture. Only after vision processing is completed can the robot resume movement. This creates unnecessary idle time.

Frequent Line Interruptions

Every robot stop disrupts the production flow. In high-speed or mass-production lines, these interruptions accumulate into significant productivity losses. Overall Equipment Effectiveness drops, and throughput fails to meet targets.

Complex Control Logic

Integrating vision into stop-and-go systems requires complex control logic, including stop timing, conveyor synchronization, timeout handling, and exception management. This increases commissioning time, maintenance cost, and the risk of system errors.

Limited Flexibility for High-Mix Production

In high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, stopping the line for each inspection becomes inefficient. The more often the line stops, the lower the flexibility for fast product changeovers.

Flying Trigger was developed to eliminate these limitations.

Flying Trigger: True Inline Inspection Without Line Stops

To support synchronized inspection on continuously moving conveyors, Techman Robot developed Flying Trigger as a simple and efficient inline inspection solution.

Flying Trigger operates based on three core technical principles:

• Precise synchronization between product position on the conveyor and robot motion
• Accurate triggering of inspection devices as the product passes through the inspection zone
• Real-time AI image analysis for defect detection and classification.

Flying Trigger is not limited to vision cameras. It can also:

• Trigger scanners, rangefinders, and other sensing devices
• Connect via digital outputs to support a wide range of inspection tasks
• Handle complex inspection scenarios in modern manufacturing.

This makes Flying Trigger a flexible quality inspection platform, not just a standalone vision feature.

Proven Performance Benefits:

Real-world results show that Flying Trigger delivers measurable improvements:

• 40–50% reduction in inspection time compared to stop-and-go inspection
• Shorter cycle time for the entire inspection process
• Zero-downtime inspection, improving throughput and line efficiency
  
  

Typical Applications of Flying Trigger in Manufacturing

Electronics Industry: Inline AOI for SMT Lines

In electronics manufacturing, especially Surface Mount Technology assembly lines, Flying Trigger is widely used for inline PCB inspection during production and component assembly.

Techman Robot enables detection of defects such as:

• Missing components or incorrect placement
• Soldering defects and bent IC leads
• Surface contamination and scratches on PCBs
• Assembly deviations, verifying correct component model, orientation, and position

Flying Trigger is particularly effective in high-mix electronics lines, where fast product changeover is required without extensive reconfiguration or long line stops.

Automotive Industry: Automotive Component Inspection

Techman Robot has published real-world implementations of Flying Trigger for inspecting seat frames and interior automotive components while they move along the production line.

The system can detect:

• Geometric defects such as dimensional deviations and structural deformation
• Surface defects including scratches, dents, and poor weld quality

All inspections are performed inline, without removing parts from the production flow.

Product: AI Techman Cobot TM12S

Fast Deployment with CV Flying Trigger Node

One of the key advantages of Flying Trigger is ease of deployment. The CV Flying Trigger Node works as a step-by-step configuration wizard, allowing engineers to:

• Configure conveyor parameters such as speed, length, and direction, with automatic synchronization calculation
• Define the robot flying path used during inspection with intuitive path planning
• Set up vision tasks, including inspection zones, trigger conditions, and AI detection parameters
• Eliminate the need for complex custom control algorithms.

System Requirements:

• TMflow Software version 2.24 or later
• Techman Robot hardware version 5.0 or later
• Performance may vary on other versions

Flying Trigger from Techman Robot is more than a vision feature. It represents a new approach to inline quality inspection for modern manufacturing

By reducing inspection time by up to 50 percent, enabling non-stop operation, and integrating AI directly on the robot, Flying Trigger helps manufacturers:

• Increase production speed and line efficiency through continuous operation
• Maintain stable and consistent inspection quality
• Reduce reliance on manual inspection
• Move closer to smart automation under Industry 4.0.

For electronics and automotive production lines under constant pressure to improve productivity and quality, Flying Trigger is a solution worth considering when upgrading AOI and quality inspection systems.

Temas provides turnkey robot solutions, including Flying Trigger and Techman robots. Contact us to test this solution directly with your application.