New product launches to set innovation bar for machine vision systems high

With increase in automation in industrial processes and demand for miniaturization have given rise to launch of novel machine visions systems. With complex processes taking place in industrial plants and automotive factories, achieving accuracy is essential. Technological advancements in machine vision systems have carried out. In addition, the emergence of Industry 4.0 has set new standards and design requirements. Market players have been designing their systems to meet them. Image processing solutions and systems equipped with features such as data protection, cloud connectivity, and real-time error detection have been launched. Solutions that offer quality as well as efficiency have been introduced with the launch of new products. Many innovative offerings have been included in the newly-launched products. The demand for machine vision systems is growing extensively. According to the research report by Allied Market Research, the machine vision system market would generate $18.7 billion by 2022. New product launches have taken place to meet requirements of technologically advanced systems.

Launching new products is one of the wisest strategies adopted by market players to gain competitive advantage. Balluff Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Balluff GmbH, launched an online machine vision configurator tool. This tool enables users to select the combination of products needed for configuration of an entire vision system for meeting application needs. Basic parameters including distance and image size can be applied as inputs. Then the configurator filters out lenses, cameras, lighting devices, and cameras that are proven to work better. As the system that meets application needs is built, users can put products in the web cart. They can view pricing and availability along with availing an option of exporting the product list to an Excel. As industrial image processing become indispensable part of the modern manufacturing with assurance of quality and efficiency, Balluff aims to offer the wide range of industrial image processing solutions through a single source. This tool simplifies the selection of vision system product along with ordering process.

Another company based in Miami named Industrial Control developed a machine vision system for gauging for an automotive spiral spring manufacturer. The length of the inner and outer hook ends, angle of hooks to spring center, and radius of hook end loop needed to be measured. A PVD series single-piece part verification sensor array is used for activation of the system when a part is inserted into the tray. Then MX-40E vision controller gets a signal for activation of WLS27 series white LEDs inside the cabinet. As the tray is put into cabinet, a grayscale camera is triggered for capturing the image of the part. There is a 12-MP CMOS sensor in camera that collaborates with MTL-24018C-008 large format, bi-telecentric lens from Moritex to provide a 240 mm field of view with a working distance of 375 mm. Moreover, there is a narrow-angle backlight with M12 connector for improving contrast and edges for measurement with an accuracy up to 45 μm. Mark Ermatinger, CEO, Industrial Control, outlined that there are machine vision systems with these capabilities in the market, but this one is designed for large parts such as piston rings. In addition, Industry 4.0 requirements such as data collection, real-time error notification, and cloud connectivity are addressed.

Modern machine vision systems can offer continuous clarity for robots for performing tasks with efficiency. Adaptive lenses offered by Dynamic Optics, a part of Opto Engineering Group, provides rapid focusing on complex applications. These lenses offer adjustment in camera angle of robot arm and tracking of items with its capability of changing optical power in 1/100th of a second. The integration of adaptive optics technology on robotic arm helps optical probes in facilitating surface inspection, cavity inspection, and precision in measurement. The AO Series focusing module of Dynamic Optics can be installed in front of a particular focal length lens and utilized vertically or horizontally.

Another firm Axiomtek launched an expandable vision system, IPS962-512-PoE, aimed at offering efficiency to modern production plants. It is equipped with camera communication interfaces, flexible expansion capacity, and real-time vision-specific I/O with LED of the scale of micro-second and lighting control. Its real-time vision system offers inspection of desired quality and ensures there are no manufacturing defects. It has compatible ports for industrial cameras. With a temperature range from -10°C to +55°C, it offers stable performance in extreme conditions. Moreover, the company ensured it will be fit for the space constrained environments. Commenting on its vision I/O, Wayne Chung, a product manager of Product PM Division at Axiomtek, explained that if the adjustment regarding objects is required and shifted to random position on the production line, the vision controller has an ability to delay the acquisition for a definite programmable time period. While utilizing the I/O function, an incremental encoder can be used for delaying the acquisition based on the number of encoder ticks with respect to the position offset of detector. Moreover, the lighting control can be configured during camera exposure time.

 

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