Digitising a welding shop: welding and grinding time per part, now measuredAt a pipe and flange welding station, an existing IP camera measured welding time, grinding time, cycle time per part, output count and PPE compliance (gloves, face protection) automatically.2026-10-12
At a metal fabrication shop welding pipes, flanges and elbows, production tracking relied on paper forms filled in at the end of the shift. Nobody knew how long a part was welded, how long it was ground or how many minutes a job really took. Hype Vision digitised the process using the existing IP camera that already covered the station.
Output and times were written on forms at the end of each shift.
The station was defined as a region of interest in the camera view.
Real welding and grinding time per part measured for the first time; Quotes and costing updated with real cycle times; Station utilisation visible per shift
Problem
Output and times were written on forms at the end of each shift. How much welding and grinding each part needed, how actively the station was used and whether the times used in quoting were realistic were all unknown.
Glove and face-protection use during welding could only be checked when the HSE specialist walked by.
What we measure
The station was defined as a region of interest in the camera view. The model detects the welding arc, grinding sparks, gloves, face protection and the workpiece in every frame; tied to time, these detections become operational data.
- Welding time: total time the arc is on
- Grinding time: total time sparks are detected
- Cycle time per part: job start → part finished
- Output: number of completed parts
- Active / idle time: station utilisation during the day
- PPE compliance: gloves and face protection while welding and grinding
What the dashboard shows
Each finished part creates a row. A station report is ready at the end of the shift and can be exported to ERP/MES or Excel.
| Part | Welding | Grinding | Cycle | PPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flanged pipe #14 | 6 min 40 s | 2 min 10 s | 14 min | OK |
| Elbow #15 | 4 min 05 s | 1 min 35 s | 9 min | OK |
| Flanged pipe #16 | 7 min 15 s | 2 min 50 s | 16 min | No gloves · 12 s |
Privacy
Analysis is station-based; no face recognition is used and nobody is identified. Video is processed on site and only time, count and event data reach the dashboard.
Results
Measured times from the first period were compared with the default times used in planning and costing.
- Real welding and grinding time per part measured for the first time
- Quotes and costing updated with real cycle times
- Station utilisation visible per shift
- Daily output reported automatically, no paper forms
- PPE compliance during welding and grinding logged 24/7
Related solutions
Frequently asked questions
Is this tracking individual workers?
No. Measurement is station-based: we measure how much welding, grinding and work happened at the station, not who did it. No face recognition is used.
Do we need new cameras?
This project used the existing IP camera covering the station. If the camera clearly sees the station and the part, no extra hardware is needed.
