Applying Diffusion Models for Classification of Central Segregation in Steel Plates

• Luciano M. Oliveira UFOP
• Guilherme Silva UFOP
• Arthur Negrão UFOP
• Andre L. Ottoni UFOP
• Pedro Silva UFOP

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/eniac.2025.14329

Abstract

The automatic classification of segregation levels in continuous casting slabs is crucial for ensuring steel quality. Macrosegregation, characterized by localized chemical variations, poses a significant challenge, especially in the central region of the slabs. This work proposes an approach based on convolutional neural networks, specifically EfficientNet-B0 with transfer learning, combined with the generation of synthetic data through diffusion models (Stable Diffusion). Experimental results obtained on a dataset of 150 training images and 30 test images indicated an initial accuracy of 80% without any data augmentation, with an improvement of over 13% after the inclusion of synthetic data, as well as gains in precision and recall. The proposed method contributes to the automation of defect inspection and aligns with the principles of Industry 4.0.

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