Can FlawSense inspect clear medical tubing?
Clear tubing is an application-review path rather than an automatic exclusion. LaserLinc is actively evaluating clear-product projects and is happy to sample test representative good, borderline, and reject parts to determine whether the current FlawSense II configuration can separate the required surface events. Testing confirms fit for the actual material, surface, defect geometry, and speed.
Can FlawSense inspect guidewires?
FlawSense II 325 has a published standard starting OD of 0.040 in (1 mm), so smaller guidewires and coated-wire products begin with representative sample testing rather than a catalog-only selection. LaserLinc is happy to evaluate these projects, along with larger guidewires and catheter shafts, using the actual surface and defect library.
How small a defect can FlawSense detect?
The current datasheet publishes a minimum detectable defect height of 5 μm (0.0002 in) for FlawSense II 325 and 25 μm (0.001 in) for FlawSense II 369. These are model-specific height values. Representative good, borderline, and reject samples confirm performance for the actual defect width, length, slope, texture, speed, and surface response.
What does “100% surface inspection” mean?
FlawSense continuously maps the complete visible outside contour in the qualified application instead of sampling only a few axes or camera views. Representative samples establish sensitivity for the actual defect library, material, presentation, and production conditions.
Does FlawSense measure outside diameter and ovality?
Yes. FlawSense measures the complete outside contour and derives OD and true ovality without depending on product orientation in the same way as a limited two-point or fixed-axis silhouette measurement. The required OD definition, accuracy, speed, and correlation method should still be specified for the application.
Does FlawSense measure ID, wall thickness, concentricity, or internal defects?
No. FlawSense measures outside-surface topography plus outside diameter and ovality. It does not directly measure ID, wall thickness, concentricity, lumen condition, subsurface voids, buried inclusions, or internal delamination. Use ultrasonics, BenchLinc, sectioning, leak testing, or another suitable method for those requirements.
Can FlawSense find cracks, coating defects, or braid breaks?
Potentially, when the crack opens at the surface or the coating or braid condition creates enough measurable outside-surface relief. FlawSense does not directly measure a buried crack, adhesion, coating chemistry, cure, color, or an internal braid condition. Representative samples define which physical expressions can be separated reliably.
Does FlawSense replace a camera-based vision system?
Not for every requirement. FlawSense is strongest when the defect is three-dimensional surface geometry. A camera or spectral system is usually the better path for color, print, stain, gloss, opacity, or another appearance-only rule. Some applications may use both when geometry and appearance are separate risks.
Can FlawSense be used inline and offline?
Yes. A mobile or fixed production station can inspect continuously during extrusion or another process. FlawSense can also be configured on the Metron platform for controlled finished-part, R&D, validation, or failure-analysis scanning. The part-handling and cycle-time requirements are different for each workflow.
Can FlawSense automatically mark, cut, divert, or reject a defective section?
Yes, when the complete system includes valid length tracking, qualified decision logic, transport-delay compensation, and the required marker, cutter, diverter, PLC, or line-control interface. The FlawSense measurement head by itself does not automatically reject product.
Does FlawSense use AI to identify every defect and determine root cause?
FlawSense measures and maps surface geometry, and the configured software can identify, categorize, track, and apply rules to events. The application review defines how event classification, root-cause workflow, and acceptance rules use the customer’s defect library, process knowledge, configured logic, and validation.
Is Total Vu customizable, or is it a black-box system?
Total Vu is fully customizable rather than a fixed black-box package. LaserLinc can tailor the software to the customer’s process at no charge, or customers with the necessary technical skills can configure it themselves. Screens, calculations, recipes, event rules, reports, communications, alarms, and control logic can be adapted to the application.
What technical support is included with a LaserLinc system?
Gauge Advisor provides free application guidance before purchase. LaserLinc provides no-charge phone and remote engineering support for the original purchaser after purchase, with engineers staffed from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern. Customers calling during those hours can reach someone who can help troubleshoot the system, review settings, and support the application. Actual quotation and service terms govern.
Is FlawSense automatically FDA compliant or a validated inspection method?
FlawSense can support a manufacturer-defined quality system and validated inspection method. The manufacturer completes compliance and validation by defining the intended use, defect standards, sample and challenge set, acceptance logic, traceability, software and data requirements, change control, and ongoing performance checks.
