Nov 30 2010
Maclean Vehicle Systems, a manufacturer of wheel fasteners, is deploying machine vision sensing devices for monitoring threads that have been difficult-to-image, in wheel fasteners.
Machine Vision sensor
Earlier, the company had carried out fastener checking employing an eddy current sensor, which failed to detect minute variations in distance between a threaded and an unthreaded component. By enhancing the sensitivity, the rejection of a major number of vital parts can be achieved.
According to T. J. Konieczke, MVS’ manufacturing controls engineer, machine vision has been chosen over retroflective or photodiode sensors, as both these sensors were not able to detect good and bad parts precisely.
Konieczke installed two Cognex Checker 101 vision sensing devices at a 450 angle down five inches from two parts on the assembly machine. The parts are sent to a sensing centre in a fixture and are positioned by a spring-enabled keeper, to have deviations in the height at their positions.
Konieczke has installed the vision sensor by dropping inspection tools onto the desired features. Initially, the variable positioning of the part has been done employing an edge finder tool for identifying the part’s edge, and a brightness tool has been used for detecting the light reflecting from the threads.
Maclean Vehicle Systems has improved the Cognex Checker 3G vision sensor application mainly for use in Cognex SensorView Teach Pendant Display Panel, for inspecting the vision application. The vision sensor has avoided the rejection of good parts, and has not passed even one bad element in manufacture or in challenge trials in basic working conditions.