Four tips to improve machine vision inspection efficiency

Machine vision efficiency is at the core of production efficiency and it can be improved by considering lighting techniques, light wavelength and frequency, and more.

By AIA September 18, 2017

Machine vision efficiency is at the core of production efficiency. The speed of manufacturing is often dependent upon the speed of machine vision inspection. Creating efficiencies in machine vision can have wide reaching benefits on manufacturing productivity. Consider these four practical tips to improve the machine vision system’s efficiency and production overall.

1. Lighting techniques

Is your lighting technique maximizing contrast for the area of inspection? Between backlighting, bright field lighting, grazing, low angle linear array, and dark field lighting, there are often several different ways to illuminate the same application. The technique with the highest contrast will help improve the accuracy of image capture.

2. Light wavelength and frequency

Some parts, such as metallic products, may arrive at your facility and be inspected with a light coating of oil on them from storage. This will create noise in your images. Adjusting the frequency and wavelength of light you’re using can help combat this type of noise introduced into the inspection environment.

3. Trigger range function

Sometimes, the broader industrial environment will create electrical noise and cause false triggering of the inspection system, which could have numerous devastating consequences on production, such as the software concluding that passable objects are failing inspection. Implementing a trigger range function, controlling for the length of the trigger signal, to maintain the integrity of machine vision inspection systems.

4. Filtering

Industrial environments often introduce background and/or overhead lighting noise into the inspection area. Many times, this can be completely filtered out with the correct wavelength of lens filter, improving the accuracy and quality of image capture.

Machine vision works best in consistent, undisturbed environments, but this is rarely the case in an industrial setting. The tips mentioned are quick ways to improve machine vision inspection, which improves the production’s efficiency overall.

This article originally appeared on the AIA website. The AIA is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). A3 is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineeringcvavra@cfemedia.com.

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