Inspecting an automotive seat heater sometimes means an operator checking the surface temperature by hand. But this relies on each operator's sense of touch, so judging temperature unevenness becomes person-dependent. This case study shows how an automaker adopted the HIKMICRO thermal camera "ECOV" to visualize surface temperature in color and numbers, building an inspection anyone can read at a glance.
Key Takeaways
- Visualizes seat heater surface temperature on screen, replacing touch-and-feel checks
- Temperature distribution shown in color so anyone can judge heating and unevenness at a glance (less person-dependence, higher quality)
- Simple to operate and supports long, continuous use — a daily quality-check tool that cuts man-hours and cost
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- Automaker (name withheld)
- Process
- Seat heater inspection (surface temperature check)
- Challenge
- Checking by hand caused operator-to-operator differences and inconsistent judgments
- Objective
- An inspection anyone can perform the same way
- Product
- HIKMICRO thermal camera "ECOV (HM-ECOV)"
What Is Seat Heater Temperature Inspection? The Limits of Checking by Hand
At this automaker, the seat heater inspection process had operators checking the surface temperature by touching the seat directly.
But checking temperature by hand relies on each operator's sense of touch, making it hard to clearly judge "is it warm enough?" and "is the temperature even?"
The Challenge: Inconsistent, Skill-Dependent Checks When You Rely on Feel
Relying on feel created the following difficulties for a quality inspection:
- Operator-to-operator differences — relying on the hand's sense means the criteria for "warm" and "even" differ from person to person.
- Skill-dependent judgments — it was hard to judge without an experienced operator, and results could vary by person.
- Hard to share the state — a judgment by feel leaves no number or image, so it is difficult to share inspection content with other operators.
What was needed was a way for anyone to check seat heater surface temperature the same way. It was especially important that the temperature could be checked clearly through numbers and differences in color, that it was easy to use on site without specialist knowledge, and — since it would be used continuously in the inspection process — that it offered long battery life and operability that does not burden the operator.
The Solution: Visualizing Seat Heater Surface Temperature with the "ECOV" Thermal Camera
The solution we proposed was the HIKMICRO thermal camera "ECOV (HM-ECOV)". With the ECOV, seat heater surface temperature can be visualized on screen, so there is no need to check by feel as before.
Because the temperature distribution is shown in color (color palettes), the heated area and any unevenness can be seen at a glance, enabling inspection that does not depend on the operator's experience. It also automatically detects the highest and lowest temperatures, so the state can be grasped not only by color but by numbers. With focus-free, simple operation, the customer valued how easy it is to use without specialist knowledge.
- Surface temperature in color and numbers — heating and unevenness can be checked on screen, removing the need for a touch-and-feel check.
- Inspection that doesn't depend on experience — color differences let anyone judge the same way, reducing variation in results.
- Easy to use, no knowledge required — focus-free, simple operation that anyone on site can pick up.
- Built for long, continuous use — up to about 8 hours of continuous use, easy to build into an ongoing inspection process.
| Comparison | Conventional check (judging by hand / feel) |
ECOV thermal camera |
|---|---|---|
| Judging heating & unevenness | Relies on the hand's feel, so criteria differ by person | Shows temperature in color and numbers — anyone judges at a glance |
| Person-dependence | Hard to judge without an experienced operator; results vary | Judge consistently without relying on experience, reducing variation |
| Sharing & operability | A judgment by feel is hard to share | Easy to check and share on screen; simple, no-knowledge operation |
The Results: Judge at a Glance — Higher Quality with Fewer Man-Hours and Lower Cost
In the actual process, the team checks surface temperature with the ECOV after the seat heater is switched on, judging how it warms up and whether there is any unevenness. Where operators once touched the seat directly and judged by feel, after adopting the ECOV they can check the state just by looking at the screen.
- Judge at a glance (higher quality) — color and numbers make the temperature state clear, so it is easy for anyone to read and easy to share inspection content.
- Less person-dependence — judging on a consistent basis without relying on experience reduces variation in results.
- Fewer man-hours, better work environment — no more checking by hand; a glance at the screen is enough, easing the operator's burden.
- Supports continuous temperature monitoring — long battery life suits continuous inspection, and it is used as a daily quality-check tool.
By turning a temperature check that once relied on feel into something you can see in color and numbers, the process became one anyone can judge on the same basis. Reducing variation in results and making them easy for anyone to read and share supports higher quality, fewer man-hours and lower cost. The camera continues to serve as a daily quality-check tool.