Product category:
Vision and scanning systems
News Release from: Cognex UK | Subject: In-Sight Vision 1000, 1000C vision sensors
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 February 2005
Vision systems monitor automotive cable
assembly
A special automotive cable and plug connector assembly machine uses vision sensors to monitor each of the various manufacturing processes to ensure full product reliability.
Certain safety systems are specifically designed to react to accidental collisions in cars Depending on the type of collision (front, rear or side), the relevant safety component is activated
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 28 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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When manufacturing a safety system, to ensure that it will operate correctly in every situation, and in a fraction of a second, close attention must be paid to the reliability of the cables and connectors.
Komax in Dierikon, Switzerland is a well-known manufacturer of cable processing systems and assembly robots.
Komax has made a special cable and plug connector assembly machine for a sub-contractor to the automotive industry.
Further reading
Complex vision technology in an affordable unit
Cognex have introduced the In-Sight 2000, an entirely new type of industrial machine vision sensor at a cost usually associated with "smart cameras"
Vision systems retrofitted like CNC
Special purpose machine tools and assembly systems, with Cognex machine vision systems as an integral part, are being supplied to the automotive industry by Douglas Curtis Machine Tools
Vision system dedicated to electronic production
Cognex has introduced Display Inspect - a machine vision software and hardware package for inspecting displays, keypads, and enclosures on LCD and LED display-based products.
Vision sensors manufactured by Cognex, monitor each of the various manufacturing processes (In-Sight Vision 1000 for black and white images and 1000C for colour images).
All the cameras are linked and, when required, display on a monitor the details of the cable/plug connector images they have made.
At the beginning of the production process the pair is untwisted and positioned precisely according to its colour.
The vision sensors accurately check that the cable is correctly positioned, for example, one camera checks that none of the copper wires is positioned outside the crimping area.
In the next assembly step, the plastic cases, which are coloured differently according to where they will be installed, are fed in.
This manufacturing step is also strictly monitored and controlled to ensure that the correct colour and correct coding (a tiny tappet or 'nose' in a different place for each connector type) is present.
In a further process, ferrite cores (to eliminate interference signals) are drawn in from a feed creel and placed into the connector.
Again, cameras detect the ferrite cores are present, if there is any damage and that their dimensions are correct.
Another camera checks the insulation against contact termination and casing lock.
Cognex cameras even check that the connector cover is correctly assembled.
In short: Cognex In-Sight image processing systems work anywhere where things could go wrong.
Previously, the finished cables had to be inspected visually by humans.
Today there are very efficient machine vision systems that can carry out the necessary inspections during the manufacturing process, automatically, and to an extremely high level of accuracy.
* Different machine vision systems to suit the purpose - machine vision systems like this are in operation all around the world, working to make sure that faulty products cannot reach the market.
It's a well-known fact that the sooner a faulty part is discovered, the less expensive it is to correct the fault.
If defective equipment or defective components are discovered only after they have been put into use, repairs can get extremely costly.
It could even be that an engineer needs to travel overseas, adding to the damage already done to the manufacturer's image.
With over 25,000 installed systems, the Cognex In-Sight product line is the market leader in stand-alone systems.
The In-Sight system is particularly suited to manufacturing industries and is noted for its ease of use and rapid installation.
However, In-Sight is not just a simple stand-alone system.
When incorporated into an Ethernet network, users can link their In-Sight Vision sensors into their entire production operation, thus creating a Vision Area Network.
The advantage here is that all inspection data issued from the entire production process is available, and can be used, for example, to optimise the manufacturing processes.
The In-Sight Vision tools comprise the entire library of proven Vision tools.
With them, technicians can solve almost every machine vision task.
With the unique Vision Spreadsheet interface, the easy operability of a configurable system is combined with the flexibility of a programmable system.
In-Sight can be installed on a broad range of applications, covering robot guidance, inspection, identification, and measurement.
In many cases where problems occur, PatFind, the standard, and extremely robust pattern recognition technology, helps to find a more robust solution.
In addition to the In-Sight family, Cognex also offers VisionPro: the PC based Vision development environment.
This system, based on COM/Active X, provides the full range of Cognex's unique high performance Vision Tools.
In conclusion, such machine vision systems used for quality control are extremely efficient and they provide assurance that the production processes are truly under control.
So the marketing key word 'quality' is not just an empty promise, but a statement set against a background of quality work and corresponding action. Request a free brochure from Cognex UK ...
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