In the Defense Industry, Rigorous Quality Control Saves Lives

"Military products, from weapons and ammunition to tactical gear such as protective vests, must be 100 percent reliable if they're to safeguard the soldiers who use them," says Felix Sorkin. "Any malfunction in any of them can lead to severe injury or death. Rigorous quality control measures are essential to ensure they meet stringent military standards and are safe to use."

This was his commitment when he created the V5 GROUP - VIDIA Ltd. seven years ago, and developed the advanced, automated, technological platform brand-named VIDIA. Using video analysis, image processing and analytics for industry-wide quality control, VIDIA is now found in industrial facilities in the defense and many other sectors for quality assurance, safety inspection and predictive maintenance of industrial machinery.

"Working in the defense and electronics sectors for several years, I identified a gap in available technologies for effectively and affordably identifying production process faults based on color and color-related components," he says. "I decided to develop the technology myself. "Color recognition imitates the proficiency of the human eye. My aim was to translate this capability into an automated system."

At the time, integrators were combining different solutions without clearly understanding the critical needs across industries from pharma to defense to food, he explains. "Consider, for example, an improperly sealed antibiotic capsule, whose contents spill inside its blister pack, with potentially damaging consequences for the patient. We can address this with technologies such as X-ray systems and industrial and security cameras. Capable of assuring the quality even of products beyond human vision, our automated system processes images and video from different sources simultaneously and in real time. We developed it holistically, drawing from extensive experience across multiple industries."

Optimizing production processes

The system developed by Sorkin and his team typically interfaces with industrial robots or pneumatic arms and pistons, continuously monitoring production processes in real time. It operates 24/7 to detect faults, defects, deviations from standard and presence of foreign bodies or waste at the factory's operational speed. It analyzes size, shape, color, distribution and product openings or closures, and warns of cracks and scratches during manufacturing and assembly — defects previously detected only by the human eye. When it locates a production line abnormality, it alerts the line-operator and even recommends how to handle the malfunction.

The system operates with all types of camera — thermal, color, multispectral and X-ray — reducing decoding time and boosting production efficiency, with significant economic benefit for manufacturer. It also autonomously inspects products integrated into production lines and examines packaging for defects.

"The objective is to rectify or eliminate flaws before delivery," explains Sorkin. "Our inspection and fault-detection systems operate automatically, optimizing production and service processes and meeting a critical need, especially in the military sector, where standards are particularly strict. This system is at the forefront of technology. Highly efficient, it incorporates machine-learning capabilities, not only ensuring accuracy, but minimizing exposure to hazards and promoting safer work environments. In essence, it sets a new benchmark in quality control."

Automated manual processes Sorkin holds degrees in electronics and computer studies from the Technion Institute of Technology, and has wide experience in production process control. He is a former international sales supervisor at Jordan Valley Semiconductors, where he marketed measurement systems for controlling production processes, and, as international sales supervisor at RSL Electronics, he contributed to the development, production and sale of sophisticated electronic products for the aviation and artillery sectors.

His expertise and passion in these areas led to his creation of the V5 GROUP - VIDIA. Located in Yokneam Illit's industrial zone, it currently has a workforce of six.

What are VIDIA's target markets?"Our primary focus is the security, food, medicine, agriculture and metals industries," says Sorkin. "We cater to factories, integrators and corporate software companies, such as the German software multinational SAP SE, that provide quality control modules. In the security field, where quality control is far stricter, we integrate our systems across the production lines of large companies, like Elbit, as well as work with smaller firms that produce shielding, shields and helmets. My constant stress is that, in this sector, precise product assembly saves lives."

In the food industry, the V5 Group works with major corporations such as Tnuva, Strauss, and Unilever. With plastic manufacture another of its specialist areas, it is closely involved with Golan Plastic Products Ltd., a world leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing water transmission systems.

"Our quality control processes ensure their plastic piping meets strict standards for excellence and transparency, and is free of defects, scratches and foreign bodies," notes Sorkin. "We also monitor material injection to prevent shortages or excess, which is crucial given the manufacturer's responsibility for the reliability of the piping. Detecting production process flaws is vital, because a pipe bursting inside a wall can significantly damage both the property and the plumbing system.

"In another recent initiative, we partnered with the Port of Ashdod to upgrade accuracy in ship unloading. Manual counting is error-prone." Does your system align with the smart Industry 4.0 ecosystem?

"Absolutely!" says Sorkin. "We're even embracing Industry 5.0. We integrate new software solutions into factory hardware, automating manual processes and transforming older equipment into smart machines with minimal financial investment. If a factory has no smart camera system, we provide and integrate one, enhancing control and quality processes across the board. We also optimize production monitoring, precisely tracking of inputs, outputs and production costs."

Are your products off-the-shelf or customized? "Both," replies Sorkin. "Our apps for color and for size and shape recognition are standardized products, but we also customize according to requirements. Our client range is diverse, and we respond individually to each." What is your business model? "We both rent and sell our equipment, with a maintenance and service policy resembling the car rental model, where the cost includes both." What are your goals? "First, we're continuously enhancing the system," says Sorkin. "It will shortly feature remote operation capabilities, and manage entire production lines autonomously, deciding on line movement and direction. "Second, while our primary focus today is the local market, we plan to go global. We see significant potential in the USA, modernizing aging industrial plants to compete with technologically advanced facilities like Tesla. We can offer cost-effective upgrades to these outdated US plants, maximizing their performance with minimal investment, raising quality and providing early fault detection. This will not only boost their profitability but also help them thrive in a fiercely competitive global market. "Third, the local market remains very important to us, and we're actively recruiting for it. As a still small, if (and) amazing, company, we must secure strategic partners to propel us into new markets."