Synthetic Defect Catalog
Where our customers are finding the most success with the OV Auto-Defect Creator. Customers can generate any custom defect type — these are the classes where we see the strongest results across industries.
These are the defect types where our customers are finding success — not an exhaustive list. The studio supports any custom defect class you define. Entries here reflect real customer deployments across parts and industries where generative AI is producing strong inspection results.
Flash / Excess Material
A thin fin of excess plastic that forms along the parting line or ejector pin locations when molten material escapes the mold cavity. Commonly found in connectors, housings, and precision plastic components.
Sink Marks
Surface depressions that occur when the outer skin of a plastic part cools and solidifies before the inner material, causing the surface to pull inward. Especially visible on thick-walled sections.
Weld Lines
Visible lines or seams that appear where two flow fronts of molten plastic meet and fail to fully fuse. Weld lines reduce structural strength and are a common appearance defect in visible surfaces.
Short Shot
Incomplete filling of the mold cavity, resulting in a part with missing sections or rounded edges. Typically caused by insufficient injection pressure, temperature, or inadequate venting.
Burn Marks
Dark discoloration or scorching on the surface of a molded part, caused by trapped gas igniting at the end of the flow path. Often appears at the last point of fill in the mold.
Dents / Deformations
Surface indentations or deformations caused by mechanical impact during manufacturing, handling, or assembly. Vary from minor cosmetic blemishes to structurally significant damage depending on part geometry.
Surface Scratches
Linear marks on the surface of metal parts resulting from contact with tooling, fixtures, or adjacent parts during handling. Critical in high-gloss, anodized, or coated components where cosmetics are specified.
Porosity
Small voids, pits, or cavities in the surface or interior of cast or forged metal parts. Porosity compromises structural integrity and creates leak paths in pressure-bearing components.
Cracks / Fractures
Partial or complete breaks in the material, ranging from hairline cracks invisible to the naked eye to full fractures. Can originate from fatigue, heat treatment, quenching, or machining stress.
Corrosion / Rust
Oxidation-induced surface degradation manifesting as rust, pitting, or discoloration. Particularly important for training inspection models that must catch early-stage corrosion before structural damage occurs.
Screw Not Properly Seated
A fastener that has not been driven flush or to the correct depth, leaving it protruding above the surface or sitting at an angle. Common in high-volume assembly and a key quality check for appliances and electronics.
Missing Fastener
An absent screw, bolt, nut, or clip in an assembly position where one is required by design. One of the most common assembly defects and the clearest possible training signal for automated inspection.
Misaligned Components
A part positioned outside its specified location, angle, or orientation tolerance. Misalignment defects vary from obvious offsets to sub-millimeter deviations that only AI inspection can reliably catch at speed.
Cross-Threaded Fastener
Thread damage caused when a fastener is engaged at an incorrect angle, stripping or deforming the mating threads. Often appears cosmetically similar to a properly installed fastener, making it a high-value AI detection target.
Solder Bridge
An unintended conductive connection formed between two adjacent pads or traces during soldering, creating a short circuit. One of the most common defects in SMT assembly and a critical electrical failure mode.
Cold Solder Joint
A solder joint with a dull, grainy, or irregular surface indicating incomplete reflow where the solder did not fully melt. Cold joints have poor mechanical and electrical conductivity and fail under thermal cycling.
Missing Component
An absent SMD resistor, capacitor, IC, or through-hole component at a specified board location. Training data for this defect class must cover a wide range of pad sizes and board densities.
Tombstoning
A surface-mount component that stands vertically with one end lifted off the pad, caused by unequal surface tension during reflow. Tombstoning renders the component non-functional and is a classic reflow process defect.
Warpage / Distortion
Post-ejection deformation where a molded part bends, twists, or bows away from its intended geometry. Caused by differential cooling rates, residual stress, or asymmetric wall thickness.
Jetting
A snake-like surface mark caused by a high-velocity stream of molten plastic entering the mold and solidifying before the cavity fills around it. Produces a visible worm or finger pattern on the part surface.
Flow Marks / Knit Lines
Wavy or streaky surface patterns that follow the direction of plastic flow, caused by temperature differences in the melt front. Often appear as faint ripples or discoloration bands on large flat surfaces.
Surface Delamination
A thin mica-like layer peeling from the surface of a molded part, caused by material contamination, incompatible resin blending, or excessive moisture in the feedstock.
Discoloration / Color Variation
Unintended color shifts, streaks, or patches on the molded surface caused by material degradation, contamination, inadequate mixing, or inconsistent colorant dosing.
Gate Blush / Gate Vestige
A hazy or rough area radiating from the gate point, or a raised nub left after gate trimming exceeds specification. Gate blush is caused by excessive shear stress at high injection speeds.
Internal Voids / Vacuum Bubbles
Air pockets or vacuum voids trapped inside thick sections of a molded part. Unlike surface sink marks, voids are subsurface and detected by translucency inspection, CT scanning, or cross-section analysis.
Overpacking / Flash Overfill
Excess material forced into a fully packed mold cavity, causing dimensional oversize, internal stress concentrations, and potential damage to mold tooling.
Ejector Pin Marks
Circular depressions or raised marks on the part surface caused by ejector pins pushing too hard, uneven ejector pin layout, or insufficient ejection area.
Surface Roughness / Texture Defect
An unexpectedly rough, grainy, or pitted surface finish inconsistent with the mold texture specification. Caused by moisture on mold tooling, inadequate mold temperature, or degraded resin.
Burrs / Sharp Edges
Raised, sharp protrusions of metal along cut edges, drilled holes, or machined surfaces caused by tooling wear, incorrect feed rates, or missing deburring operations.
Warping / Heat Distortion
Dimensional deformation in a metal part caused by uneven heating and cooling during welding, heat treatment, or casting. Particularly critical in flat structural components and precision assemblies.
Cold Shut
A casting defect where two streams of molten metal meet but fail to fuse, leaving a visible seam line or fold on the part surface. Cold shuts reduce mechanical strength and are a reject-class defect in structural castings.
Misrun
Incomplete filling of a mold cavity during casting, resulting in rounded or missing sections. Caused by insufficient metal temperature, pour rate, or poor mold venting.
Pitting
Small cavities or holes on the metal surface caused by localized corrosion, electrochemical attack, or casting gas evolution. Pitting concentrates stress and initiates fatigue cracks under cyclic loading.
Surface Inclusions
Foreign material — slag, oxide film, sand, or metallic particles — embedded in the surface or near-surface zone of a cast or forged part. Inclusions act as stress risers and initiation sites for fatigue cracking.
Seams / Laps (Forging)
Longitudinal surface discontinuities in forged or rolled metal caused by pre-existing billet defects being elongated during forming. Seams reduce fatigue life and are a critical rejection criterion in aerospace and automotive forgings.
Galling / Fretting Wear
Adhesive wear damage on mating metal surfaces caused by micro-welding and tearing under high contact pressure and relative motion. Appears as rough, pitted, or torn surface patches at contact interfaces.
Plastic Deformation / Out-of-Round
Permanent shape change beyond elastic limits caused by over-loading, incorrect tooling setup, or handling damage. Critical in bore tolerances, shaft geometry, and precision-machined sealing surfaces.
Scale / Oxide Layer
A thick, brittle iron oxide layer formed on steel during hot rolling, forging, or heat treatment. Scale must be removed before painting or coating; residual scale causes adhesion failures and accelerated corrosion.
Over-Torqued / Head Damage
A fastener tightened beyond its specification torque, causing head rounding, socket cam-out damage, shank stretch, or thread pull-out in the mating part.
Wrong Fastener Type or Size
A fastener of incorrect length, diameter, head style, or material installed in a position requiring a specific specification fastener. Common in high-mix assembly environments with kitting errors.
Bent / Damaged Fastener
A fastener with a bent shank, deformed threads, or damaged head caused by mishandling, incorrect driving, or prior cross-threading. Bent fasteners cannot achieve specified clamping force.
Missing Washer / Spacer
An absent washer, spacer, or retaining ring required by the design to distribute load, prevent surface damage, or maintain a specific standoff distance.
Clip / Snap-Fit Not Fully Seated
A plastic or metal retention clip or snap-fit feature that has not locked into its fully engaged position, leaving the assembly unsecured. Often visually subtle — only AI can detect reliably at line speed.
Adhesive Overflow / Squeeze-Out
Excess adhesive, sealant, or RTV that has squeezed out beyond the bond joint boundary. Overflow can foul electrical contacts, block coolant passages, or create cosmetic rejects.
Gap / Clearance Violation
A measurable gap between mating surfaces or panels that exceeds the specified tolerance band. Common in body panel assemblies, door seals, and precision fit checks.
Interference Fit Failure
A press-fit or shrink-fit connection where the parts have not achieved full engagement depth, leaving the joint loose, misaligned, or unable to transmit the design load.
Lifted Component / Component Shift
A surface-mount component that has shifted off its target pads during reflow or handling, resulting in partial or zero electrical contact at one or more terminations.
Wrong Component
An incorrect component value, package type, or part number placed in a board position — for example, a 10kΩ resistor in a 100Ω position. Wrong components are a high-value AI detection target in automated optical inspection.
Polarity Reversal
A polarized component such as an electrolytic capacitor, diode, or LED installed in reverse orientation. Polarity reversal causes immediate or latent electrical failure and is a critical inspection category in mixed-polarity assemblies.
Insufficient Solder / Dry Joint
A solder joint with too little solder volume, resulting in a concave or insufficient fillet that may pass visual inspection but fail under thermal cycling or vibration.
Solder Void
A trapped gas bubble inside a solder joint that reduces the effective bonding area. Solder voiding is particularly critical under BGA and QFN thermal pads where heat transfer performance depends on joint integrity.
Component Skew / Rotation
A placed component rotated beyond its angular tolerance, causing one pad to receive insufficient solder while the opposite pad receives excess. Skew defects degrade both electrical and mechanical joint quality.
Copper Exposure / Solder Mask Damage
Delamination, scratching, or chemical attack of the PCB solder mask layer exposing bare copper traces. Exposed copper oxidizes rapidly and creates short-circuit risk in humid environments.
Conformal Coating Void / Pin-Hole
A gap or pin-hole in the conformal coating applied to protect PCBs from moisture and contamination. Coating voids leave unprotected areas susceptible to dendritic growth and corrosion-induced failures.
PCB Laminate Delamination
Separation of the PCB laminate layers, typically appearing as a white or translucent blister beneath the board surface. Caused by moisture absorption followed by rapid thermal ramp during reflow.
Orange Peel
A textured surface finish resembling orange skin, caused by improper atomization, incorrect solvent balance, or painting at too great a distance. Orange peel prevents full gloss and is a Class A surface reject in automotive.
Fish Eyes / Cratering
Small circular depressions in freshly applied paint caused by silicone contamination or oil droplets repelling the wet coating. Each crater has a raised ring and an exposed center, requiring full panel repaint.
Sagging / Paint Runs
Downward flow of wet paint forming curtain-like drips or runs, caused by excessive film build, low viscosity, or cold substrate temperature. Runs require sanding and full recoat.
Overspray / Masking Bleed
Airborne paint particles landing outside the intended coating zone, or paint bleeding under masking tape edges. Creates hard edges, color contamination, and cosmetic rejects on adjacent surfaces.
Paint Skip / Bare Spot
An area of completely uncoated substrate visible through the paint film, caused by spray pattern gaps, blocked gun orifices, or inadequate film build at complex geometries.
Color Mismatch / Metamerism
A visible color difference between adjacent panels or parts that should match, caused by batch variation in pigment, different spray parameters, or metamerism under specific lighting conditions.
Clearcoat Failure / Peeling
Delamination of the clear protective topcoat from the basecoat below, caused by adhesion failure, UV degradation, or impact damage. Clearcoat loss exposes pigmented layers to rapid environmental degradation.
Primer Adhesion Failure
Loss of adhesion between the primer layer and the substrate, often detected only when topcoat application or thermal cycling causes the primer to lift or chip. Primer failure leads to systemic coating delamination.
Weld Undercut
A groove melted into the base metal along the weld toe that is left unfilled, creating a stress concentration notch. Undercut reduces the effective throat and load-carrying cross-section of the weld.
Incomplete Fusion
A weld defect where the deposited filler metal fails to properly fuse with the base metal or adjacent weld pass, leaving an unbonded interface. Incomplete fusion is a critical rejection defect in pressure vessels and structural welds.
Burn-Through / Melt-Through
Excessive heat input melting completely through the base metal, creating a hole or severe depression in the weld zone. Common in thin-gauge sheet metal welding and torch brazing operations.
Weld Porosity
Gas pockets trapped in the solidified weld metal, appearing as spherical voids (distributed porosity) or aligned cavities (piping porosity). Weld porosity weakens the joint and acts as fatigue crack initiation site.
Weld Crack
A fracture in the weld metal or heat-affected zone caused by hydrogen embrittlement, solidification shrinkage, or residual stress. Weld cracks are the most severe weld defect class and cause immediate rejection in all structural and safety-critical applications.
Weld Spatter
Droplets of molten metal expelled from the weld pool that solidify on the surrounding base metal surface. Spatter contaminates adjacent surfaces, affects paint adhesion, and can cause arc strikes on critical fatigue areas.
Weld Overlap / Cold Lap
Weld metal that has flowed over the base metal surface without fusing to it, creating a flap or fold at the weld toe. Overlap creates a notch-like geometry that concentrates fatigue stress.
Brazing Void / Lack of Fill
An unfilled area in a brazed joint where filler metal has failed to flow into the gap by capillary action, leaving a void that compromises joint strength and hermeticity.
Bubbling / Blistering
Raised domes or bubbles in a paint, varnish, or coating layer caused by trapped gas, moisture, or solvent escaping during cure. Blistering compromises both barrier protection and appearance.
Delamination
Separation of a coating layer from the substrate or from an adjacent layer, often starting at edges or stress concentration points. Delamination exposes the base material to corrosion and environmental degradation.
Uneven Coverage / Thin Spot
Areas where coating thickness is below specification, visible as color variation, low gloss, or base material bleed-through. Thin spots reduce corrosion protection life and are a common paint line inspection target.
Contamination Inclusion
A foreign particle — dust, fiber, or debris — embedded in the coating surface, causing a visible bump or pit. Contamination is a leading cause of paint defect rework in automotive final assembly.
Why Generate Synthetic Defects Instead of Collecting Real Ones?
Real defects are rare by definition — which makes them expensive to collect and hard to balance. Synthetic generation solves the scarcity problem without compromising model performance.
Rare Defects on Demand
Critical defect classes like cracks and cold solder joints may occur once per thousand parts. Generative AI produces them at any volume, with any severity, in minutes.
Severity Control
Set defect intensity from subtle (5% severity) to extreme (100%) to train models that catch defects at every stage of progression — not just obvious failures.
Photorealistic Quality
Generated defects are placed with proper depth, shadow, and texture — indistinguishable from real images to both human reviewers and neural networks.
No Production Line Disruption
Collecting real defects means either waiting for line failures or deliberately producing scrap. Synthetic generation uses images of good parts you already have.
Class Balance by Design
Balance your training dataset across all defect classes without over-collecting one type. Generate exactly as many dents as solder bridges to prevent model bias.
Agentic AI Pipeline Ready
Generated images export directly into Overview's computer vision pipeline, complete with labels, bounding boxes, and severity metadata — no manual annotation required.
See the Generator in Action
Electrical Connector: Dent + Flash
9-step walkthrough generating dent and extra plastic (flash) defects on an electrical connector housing. See severity control, area selection, and final comparison.
Washing Machine Door: Screw Seating
4-step walkthrough generating screw-not-properly-seated defects across multiple regions simultaneously, each at a different severity level.
Start Generating Synthetic Defects Today
The OV Auto-Defect Creator Studio gives your quality team a generative AI pipeline to produce photorealistic defect training data for any part, any defect class, at any scale — without waiting for real line failures.