Product category:
Vision and scanning systems
News Release from: Leuze Mayser | Subject: Leuze proCHECK machine vision system
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 16 September 2003
Machine vision allows 100% product
inspection
Machine vision system allows plastics folder manufacturer to implement 100% inspection - a major advance over its previous random sampling operation.
With the introduction of a Leuze proCHECK machine vision system to its production lines, German plastic folder manufacturer Widmann Welding Machine has been able, for the first time to implement 100% inspection - a major advance over its previous random sampling operation It is now more confidant that products of the highest quality leave its premises
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 12 Apr 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The efficiency of the Leuze image processing system is particularly obvious when looking at how the humble plastics wallet is constructed - its manufacture and hence quality of weld taken for granted.
The required inspection parameters are just as many-sided as are the formats in which the helpful office clear plastic folders are offered.
An advantage of the proCHECK image processing system is that it can be parameterised so fast that often changing inspection parameters are no longer an obstacle to 100% inspection with the aim of zero fault production.
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At Widmann the inspection process had to look at: a.
welded longitudinal and transversal seams.
a.
the position of welded longitudinal and transversal seams relative to their one exercise-book perforation.
a.
the positioning of the white paper insert stripe at the edge area of the foil.
a.
the position of the imprinted company logo.
b.
the print quality of the logo.
Each production line at Widmann is designed to handle a variety of formats with manufacturing throughputs up to 450 items per minute in different ranks or lot sizes.
This flexible manufacturing required high levels of investment in terms of skilled inspectors, even to implement just random sampling.
It highlights one of the frailties of flexible production lines, which, in their own right display strength by the fact that they can easily be adapted to new formats or products but do not easily allow economical 100% inspection of manufactured parts, until now.
Today, the welded foils are checked as endless material before separation into individual items.
The inspection is carried out on two lines with the image processing system proCHECK which includes a Pentium-based industry-type personal computer, two black and white cameras, flashlights and the CVT software module.
Both production lines run at 450 items per minute, each producing an individual control signal for "good", "warning" or "bad" quality evaluation.
The transmission of the signals is carried out by Interbus S to the master plc.
The key towards achieving zero fault production - a distinct advantage of the Leuze proCHECK system is that several lines can be monitored with only a single system, whilst still allowing the tolerance features and inspection criteria for each line to be set individually.
The Leuze proCHECK image processing system is an industrial standard machine vision system utilising high-speed cameras allowing up to 60 inspections per second, well in excess of the 450 folders produced every minute at Widmann.
It has been developed as a modular structured PC-based system and is configured using powerful Windows based software.
It enables up to nine cameras to be used in individually tailored processes - for standalone inspection through to managing complete production lines.
It has the capability to integrate bar code readers, scales, labellers, boxing units and control systems to create a fully integrated detection and inspection facility.
The major benefit to Widmann of installing proCHECK was that it enabled 100% inspection to be achieved for the very first time.
The most obvious result of this quality assurance measure is the drastic reduction in the number of faulty products.
Should they decide to expand their production facilities they are already well equipped to handle new inspection tasks since the proCHECK system can be expanded to work with up to 12 cameras - black and white, colour or mega-pixel cameras to suit individual requirements.
The efficiency of an image processing system is not just determined by the high number of functions incorporated and its processing speed, but must take into account how easy it is to accommodate changes in product flow.
The decisive advantage of the proCHECK image processing system lies in very simple parameterisation through an on-screen graphic display, giving easy user guidance for changing both formats and/or products on a single or multiple production lines.
The inspection system can be set and adjusted locally without any expert knowledge, a screen menu acting as the interface between operator and image processing system.
The screen menu-controlled operator guidance shortens the time required for the setting of parameters for image processing, downtimes will hardly ever occur even when formats must be changed, thus making the production line work with the very highest efficiency.
Optimising processes step by step - the image processing system proCHECK not only safeguards the zero fault production but also directly supports the analysis of error sources.
The images of parts identified as bad are saved in an image memory, allowing examination of cause; the consequence is a step-by-step reduction of faulty parts which contributes to production optimisation.
The proCHECK image processing system opens up a whole bundle of further advantages for flexible production lines.
Not only can product quality be optimised, but a.
the complete production process can be automated.
b.
information and data acquisition can be linked up.
c.
the production speed can be maximised.
d.
the production gain can be improved.
The full potential, efficiency and profitability of flexible production lines now reach new records. Request a free brochure from Leuze Mayser ...
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