The Technology Within Our Machine Vision Solutions

We use a skilful blend of these technologies in the design and build of our automated machine vision systems:

• Machine Vision Software

  

  Capturing good images is one thing, manipulating and analysing them to produce data from which decisions can be taken requires the application of the right blend of software. We are specialists in industrial machine vision software and image processing
  
  Unlike some machine vision system suppliers we are not tied to any particular manufacturer of machine vision software, we therefore have the freedom to use the most suitable proprietary image processing software, such as Scorpion, Halcon, Common Vision Blox, Cognex In-sight etc. and often supplement these with additional special programming using C++, Python and others
  
  This flexibility also enables us to design machine vision solutions using the most effective diagnostic and analytical programming methods. We may, for example, combine programming technologies to improve accuracy or to increase speed, especially where large amounts of data are being captured and processed

• Vision Cameras and Optics

  

  Industrial camera technology continues to evolve at a fast pace with an increasing diversity of specialist devices becoming available. As they get smaller, more powerful and less expensive, they are ideal for a widening range of machine vision applications. The faster communications interfaces and on-board processing of the smart versions make them a very powerful, cost effective tool when correctly applied
  
  Options include: CCD or CMOS sensors, colour and monochrome area scan cameras, line scan cameras, infra-red imaging cameras, high speed cameras, smart cameras with a built-in data processing capability and the latest of them all - 3D cameras
  
  We take great care to specify the optimum camera type for your application, considering 2D or 3D variants, resolution, interfacing, lenses, filters and shutter specifications, field of view and working distances. We will often test various device combinations before settling on a final solution

• Lighting

  

  The advent of modern day LED lighting technology has revolutionised the machine vision market, offering stable, uniform, controllable, fast responding light, able to withstand thousands of hours of use
  
  Good machine vision solutions often require lots of light, particularly for high speed inspection and measurement purposes. Available in a range of colours, LEDs also offer greater flexibility and can be tailored to suit specific applications, particularly where fast acting, high frequency switching is required
  
  LED lighting arrays are available in many different formats for controlling the intensity and direction of light, including spotlights, backlights, coaxial lights, ring lights, bar lights, dome lights, dark field lights and telecentric lights, to name but a few. This selection enables clever combinations of lighting techniques to be used

• Lasers

  

  Laser light technology also has a significant role to play in machine vision applications, with many different variants available (lines, grids, dots, circles, dot matrices etc.) making them increasingly suitable for a range of applications
  
  Understanding and using lasers effectively and safely is a very big subject but when applied correctly they are a powerful tool in the machine vision armoury
  
  We frequently use lasers in combination with filters and sometimes in conjunction with cameras for some of the more complex inspection and measurement applications where absolute precision is required

• User Interfaces

  

  Presenting information, tasks and actions in an interactive and friendly way is an important part of good machine vision system design
  
  Through detailed discussions with you and your operators we will design and tailor a user interface specifically to meet your needs for system control, data display and the management of warnings and alerts
  
  Each user interface is designed to be highly intuitive (especially considering the multi-lingual nature of many workplaces) and aims to minimise the time for operator training and gaining familiarity
  
  Advances in touch screen technology and its adoption across an increasingly wide range of consumer and industrial applications, has made these devices significantly more affordable and reliable, making them a practical choice for many machine vision system applications

• Processing

  

  Manipulating data from high resolution vision cameras and other data capture devices requires fast and reliable processing and control hardware
  
  We partner PCs (desktop, laptop or tablet formats) with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to create the required specification. And we can provide this hardware with secure communication enablement allowing us to remotely access the system to perform software upgrades and modifications, system recalibration, fault diagnostics and remedies, and training

• Automation

  

  Many of our machine vision systems require some form of mechanical manipulation to hold, move, stop, position, align or orientate the target object so it can be accurately imaged or scanned
  
  Machine vision applications will also often require additional mechanical handling for sorting, grading or ejecting from the process as a result of the analysis performed on the product. Invariably, this all needs to be executed at very high throughput rates in a robust and reliable manner
  
  With a strong background in automation we are able to offer the turnkey solutions so many clients desire, from simple manually operated devices through semi-automated systems into fully automatic, robotic work cells which can be stand-alone or designed to be incorporated into OEM production machines