Manufacturers and OEMs seeking to create a machine vision system to automate production or improve product quality are faced with numerous choices. Knowledge of the types of systems and the array of options can be confusing. There are so many factors to consider in keeping costs low without comprising inspection robustness.
Precision Lighting Matters In Machine Vision
As a provider of lighting solutions with 25 years experience, our perspective is precision lighting matters.
The human eye can see well over a wide range of lighting conditions, but a machine vision system is not as capable. It is necessary to use precision lighting to carefully illuminate the part being inspected. So the vision system can clearly ‘see’ the features you wish to inspect. Ideally, the light should be regulated and constant so that the light changes seen by the vision system are due to changes in the parts being inspected and not changes in the light source. While some vision algorithms can tolerate some variation in light, a well-designed system will remove any uncertainty. When selecting a light source, the goal is to ‘amplify’ the elements of the part that you want to inspect and ‘attenuate’ elements that you don’t care about.
Proper lighting makes inspection faster and more accurate, whereas poor lighting is a major cause of inspection failure. In most applications, it is recommended to avoid using ambient light, such as overhead light, as this can be inconsistent over time. Factory lights can beat, burn out, dim or get blocked. Similarly, if there are windows near the inspection station, outside light changes will have a negative effect on system robustness.
Engineering & Technical Support
Selecting the proper lighting requires knowledge and experience, our website provides tips for the various categories of machine vision illumination options.
- You can tap into our expertise at the design phase.
- Our tech support can help you evaluate options.
- We offer a loaner program with a “try before you buy” promise.
- You will discover we can support everything from basic factory floor installations to the needs of the most demanding OEMs.
Learn more about machine vision lighting from one of our technical experts: A Practical Guide to Machine Vision Lighting