Imaging system speeds up inspection
BitFlow solution created for auto parts.
Identifying rejects. PHOTO: BITFLOW
Bitflow, a developer of frame grabber technology for imaging applications in Woburn, Ma., has collaborated with Irish engineering firm One Box Vision to develop an automated sheet inspection system for an automotive parts manufacturer.
The parts maker was looking for an automated cell that would accelerate inspection of parts and improve productivity while reducing returns. BitFlow Axion-CL 2xE frame grabbers were deployed in the One Box Vision ASIX. Its ink marking system identifies and marks rejected printed graphics used in dashboards or on automotive electronics.
ASIX has a collaborative robotic arm for sheet handling and marking, multiple high-resolution colour cameras from Chromasens capable of 50 um scans, a dual LED lighting system, and the BitFlow frame grabbers. With a 20 second per part cycle time, sheets are scanned in both directions to highlight different features of the product.
The frame grabber helps ASIX deliver one gigabit of acquired colour images per second to a PC in real-time for analysis. If a defect is detected, the robotic arm marks the sheet.
AXIS also handles other substrates with thicknesses from 15 microns to 1.55 mm, such as plastic film, paper, foil and non-wovens.
This article appeared in the January-February 2020 print edition of PLANT Magazine.
