When to use a Vision Sensor for Error-Proofing Applications

Vision sensors are powerful Poka-Yoke tools ideal for error proofing your process. However, traditional sensors still solve more applications at a much lower cost. So, how do you decide when to jump up to a vision sensor? There are three application categories that require the use of a vision sensor, which include:

  

  1. Parts are not well fixtured: If the part is not contained in a fixture, or there is no opportunity to bring the part into an inspection station that has better tolerance, then a vision system is the best choice.
    Example: parts directly on moving conveyor belt.

    Parts on free conveyor
    Parts on free conveyor

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To Avoid Trouble Later, Consider Your Application Conditions Up Front

Hardly a day passes by where we are not contacted by a desperate end-user or equipment manufacturer seeking assistance with a situation of sensors failing at an unacceptably high rate.  Once we get down to the root cause of the failures, in almost every case it’s a situation where the specific sensors are being applied in a manner which all but guarantees premature failure.

Not all sensors are created equal.  Some are intentionally designed for light-duty applications where the emphasis is more on economical cost rather than the ability to survive in rough service conditions.  Other sensors are specifically designed to meet particular challenges of the application environment and as a result may carry a higher initial price.

Some things to think about when choosing a sensor for a new application:

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”Well Jack Me Up!” – Error Proofing a Car Jack Kit

Picture this scenario.   You, your spouse, or one of your kids happens to be riding one night in the middle of nowhere when a tire blows on the car.  First, we can only hope that your loved one remembered the lesson they received on how to change a flat tire in a pinch (if we gave it to them in the first place), because on this particular night, there’s no cell coverage where they’re at, AAA isn’t going to get to them very quickly, there isn’t a can of Flat Fix in the trunk, and there isn’t much traffic on the road they’re traveling on for a good Samaritan to likely show up any time soon (the scenario is extreme, but not impossible).  The jack kit sitting under the spare tire is going to seem pretty doggoned important, don’t you think?

We take a lot for granted these days and for those of us who have been involved in the world of factory automation for many years, getting to work with customers to help solve Error-Proofing challenges on the plant floor is like one big “Class Trip” every single day!   It’s kind of like providing our customers with “toys for adults”.  And it’s a real hoot.  We get to see how stuff is made, get the opportunity to help manufacturers build better products through our Error-Proofing sensing technologies and learn over time which end products to buy and which ones to shy away from!  We also quickly realize the extreme importance of the DETAIL!  Like the components in the emergency jack kit!  What if the main handle was missing when you or your relative went to jack up the car?  What if there wasn’t any grease on the main lift shaft threads and the car couldn’t be raised?  What if other parts were missing from the kit? Not a good scenario.

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Finding Good Machine Vision Resources Isn’t So Hard Anymore

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Finding information that is not biased or a shrouded sales pitch for a companies products can sometimes be a difficult proposition in today’s open communication society. The world of machine vision is no exception. So when seeking un-biased information, sometimes it can seem like the deck is stacked against you.

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Sensors in Action – Automatic Size Changing

Written by: Andrew Bollinger

Opportunities for improvement are present wherever there is production of products. Within in the worlds of automation and manufacturing, industrial sensors have played a vital role in providing solutions and controlling various key functions.  Advancements in processes often require multiple technologies to be incorporated together to detect specific details of the production operation. The following is a list of proven examples of how industrial sensors have been instrumental in providing solutions.

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Reducing Planned/Unplanned Downtime with Vision Sensors; Part 3

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In parts one and two of this blog series, I described the typical packaging process, how actual runtime is defined, how vision is used to improve runtime, and how vision compares to the use of discrete sensors. In this last installment of this series, I will show some specific examples of how vision sensors have been used in packaging and show two case studies exemplifying the benefits customers achieved with the use of vision in their processes.

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Reducing Planned/Unplanned Downtime with Vision Sensors; Part 2

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In part one of this blog series, I described the basic definition of the typical packaging process and how many processes runtime actually get broken down and defined. In this second part of vision sensors in packaging, I will specifically describe how vision is used to reduce planned and unplanned downtime and compare discrete versus the use of vision to achieve the same goals of error proofing a process and runtime improvement.

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Reducing Planned/Unplanned Downtime with Vision Sensors; Part 1

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One of the things I am often asked about is “why use machine vision in packaging”? There are many reasons, including dealing with the perceived complexity of serviceability and cost. I will show you where the use of vision in packaging can significantly decrease a major cost factor called “planned downtime”, along with other benefits in this 3 part blog series – so stay tuned for my later posts.

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