Menu
Menu
Now that machine vision systems can detect the 3rd dimension of objects, it is possible to calculate their volumes, measure their heights and also perceive variations in their relief. Laser triangulation permits these measurements even with irregular or non-angular surfaces.
Fuel economy and safety standards have put tremendous pressure on automakers to turn to lighter-weight metals and specialty plastics – materials that join together with advanced structural adhesives rather than welding and fasteners. This makes accurate adhesive and sealant dispensing an absolute must to prevent leaks and corrosion and maintain overall product quality and performance.
Predator3D integrates machine vision verification into adhesive & sealant dispensing robotic systems. It ensures the proper adhesive and/or sealant volume is dispensed at the correct location in real-time with no cycle time impact, thus minimizing excess sealant. For aesthetic quality reasons, the adhesive/sealant often needs to be the same colour as the part so that any excess squeeze out is not readily visible to the customer. This “black-on-black” or “grey-on-grey” is challenging to conventional 2D systems to inspect. Predator3D uses 4 lasers to inspect bead size, volume, and location, and detects any nozzle skips or “neck-downs”. Z-tracking compensates for part variation by enabling the robot to adjust nozzle height in real-time during dispensing. Wide applications for use in industries where adhesive & sealant dispensing is common including automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer electronics.
Production dates applied to tyres have been notoriously difficult to inspect due to the challenges posed by the surface substrate. Using 3D vision some variation in focal height between the camera and object can be compensated for, and this technique has been incorporated into the DOT reading application. DOT (standing for ‘Department Of Transportation’) and the solution reads and verifies the codes. The DOT application reading quality is exceptionally high, which makes this application very important for the automotive industry.
Tell us about your challenges for multi-site project design, delivery and support. We’ll show how we can help.
