FOCUS ON INSPECTION
Sheet metal product examples manufactured by Panhuber.
KEEPING PACE WITH PRODUCTION
Austrian sheet metal manufacturer, Panhuber, has made significant time savings on its flat part scanning with a new Planar optical inspection system.
“ Increasingly, manufacturers see inspection as a way of improving productivity by providing faster feedback, reducing rework and helping production flow.”
As laser cutting, bending and automation continue to accelerate, manufacturers are discovering that one part of the process isn’ t always keeping pace— inspection. For some sheet metal manufacturers, inspection has become a hidden bottleneck. Productivity suffers when it takes longer to inspect a part than it does to produce it.
The issue is compounded by ongoing skilled labour shortages: manufacturers are looking for inspection systems that are quick to learn, simple to operate and capable of being used on the shop floor rather than relying on specialist inspectors.
“ This shift reflects a change in how inspection is viewed. It is no longer just about identifying non-conforming parts before they leave the factory. Increasingly, manufacturers see inspection as a way of improving productivity by providing faster feedback, reducing rework and helping production flow,” commented UK inspection specialist, InspecVision Ltd.
Panhuber’ s headquarters in Taufkirchen an der Trattnach, Upper Austria.
Optical inspection at Panhuber
One example is Panhuber Metalltechnik GmbH, a family-owned sheet metal manufacturer in Upper Austria. Founded in 1983, the company employs 18 people and processes more than 2,000 tonnes of sheet metal each year. It produces precision components in stainless steel, structural steel and aluminium, with expertise in the heating sector.
Processing over 2,000 tonnes of sheet metal every year calls for an inspection process that can keep pace with production. When the company began looking for a new inspection system, it already knew the benefits of optical inspection and wanted to build on that experience. Alongside speed and accuracy, reliability was a key consideration. A system designed without moving parts appealed because it promised lower maintenance while remaining simple for operators to use.
Panhuber discovered InspecVision through its German website.
“ Panhuber valued the availability of our product demonstrations, training and technical support in German, giving its team confidence that our Planar optical inspection system would integrate smoothly into its business. The biggest improvement for the company, however, was speed,” InspecVision told ISMR.
“ Since installing the Planar, we have made significant time savings on our flat part
Above: The Planar P150.35 2D optical inspection system.
Below: Installation of the Planar optical inspection system at Panhuber.
68 | ismr. net | ISMR September 2026