Machine vision systems

Machine vision can be defined as the application of computer vision to production problems. Its principle is to equip production machines with the ability to see, in order to automate quality or process control tasks.

This automation increases performance and production rates, makes production more reliable, improves product quality, ensures traceability and guarantees safety.

Today, machine vision applications are numerous, and have opened up to all sectors of industry. Technical advances in cameras, lighting systems and computer systems have considerably broadened the scope of machine vision applications.

The advantage of a machine vision system is that, with a single device, it is possible to systematically carry out several different continuous checks on all products, which would otherwise require different equipment:

• assembly conformity checks to verify the presence or absence of components making up the product to be manufactured, as well as their positioning and orientation;

• Appearance control is designed to examine surface conditions in order to detect defects in appearance such as scratches, holes, stains, defects in color shades or textures...

• dimensional inspection involves measuring the dimensions of a part, such as length, diameter, depth, angle or particular geometry;

• Part counting and sorting can also be carried out by a machine vision system;

• Vision systems are also used to control machines and robots. The camera becomes the robot's eye, enabling detection and localization of a part for handling, assembly or alignment. It can also be used to track a trajectory for a dispensing operation;

• identification is designed to recognize or verify characters, and to read bar codes, matrix codes or color codes. This operation makes it possible to reference a product and ensure its traceability and statistical processing, as well as to monitor inventory management or production flow;

• On industrial sites, but also in other fields, vision enables surveillance and security operations through access control (analysis of fingerprints, faces, hands, eyes, license plates) or tracking of crowds or streams of people.

Machine vision systems are therefore being deployed in production plants, and more specifically at critical stages where control is required:

• receipt of raw materials and parts needed to manufacture the product;

• during manufacturing to control the processing of raw materials...