vision sensor Archives - AUTOMATION INSIGHTS

To OCV, or OCR, that is the question

To OCV, or OCR: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler to use OCV (Optical Character Verification) to verify print,
Or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to decode a sea of print troubles.
And by decoding will turmoil end?
No more to have the camera sleep; we program the TTL (Time to Live)
That font won’t print correctly, ’tis a communication issue?
The undiscover’d font no longer puzzles the will as I can check with OCV.

OCR in Machine Vision software has a library of numbers, letters, fonts, and special characters. Sometimes print is not readable when quality checked using the ISO 1831:1980 specification library. Fortunately, we can teach printed characters utilizing OCV. To verify the quality of print, it can be graded following the ISO 15415,15416 AIM DPM-1-2006/ISO29158 standard. This standard also checks print quality when 1D or 2D barcodes are read.

Hence, methinks even Shakespeare would be impressed by modern-day OCV and OCR technology.

To learn more about machine vision visit www.balluff.us/vision.

Special thanks to Diane Weymier-Dodd for her contribution to this post.

Isn’t a bar code just a bar code?

Bar codes are normally read via a red line laser scanner, or a camera with decoding and positioning software.

There are 3 main types of bar codes.

1D (one dimensional), 2D (two dimensional) and a different type of 2D code is QR (Quick response) codes that we use today.

Each code has a little different attribute and how it’s read.

1D bar codes are the ladder line bar codes you typically see in a grocery store, on merchandise and packaging.

While there are many different types of 1D bar codes and how they decipher a code the appearance is typically like the picture below.

A 2D Data Matrix code is much smaller than a 1D and can hold quite a bit more information. They can actually hold up to 2,335 alphanumeric characters.

There is redundancy built into the code, in case the code is scratched or defaced.

The code below is an example of a 2D Data Matrix code.

The code is read by utilizing a camera and decoding / positioning software.

A QR Code can hold more information than a Data Matrix code.

It can decipher numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary and kanji.

While it was 1st developed for the automotive industry tracking parts during vehicle manufacturing, it is typically linked to a website when the code is scanned with a camera in a cell phone.

An example of the QR Code is pictured below.

The code is read by utilizing a camera and decoding / positioning software.

There are various types of vision sensors that can be used to read different types of bar codes. You can learn more on Balluff’s website at www.balluff.us/vision.

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:

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

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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

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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