Quality September 2011

SEPTEMBER 2011, VOLUME 50/NUMBER 9 WWW.QUALITYMAG.COM STYLI ADD TOUCH OF PRECISION p. 26 Q U A LI TY M A V IS...

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SEPTEMBER 2011, VOLUME 50/NUMBER 9 WWW.QUALITYMAG.COM

STYLI ADD TOUCH OF

PRECISION p. 26

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50 YEARS OF QUALITY: DIMENSIONAL GAGING p. 22 REALIZE GD&T’S PROMISES p. 34 INTEGRATING LEAN p. 38

Visit us at Quality Expo, booth #600

TABLE OF

CONTENTS QUALITY MAGAZINE

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SEPTEMBER 2011

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VOLUME 50

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NUMBER 9

DEPARTMENTS

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6

FROM THE EDITOR

Collaborating Colleagues 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

Improvements Projected for Manufacturers’ OwnCompany Revenue

FEATURES

Ford Works to Develop New Tire Material

50 YEARS OF QUALITY

Suppliers Improving but

22

DIMENSIONAL GAGING IN REVIEW

Still at Risk

This month 50 Years of Quality takes another look at dimensional gaging. 16 FACE OF QUALITY

QUALITY MEASUREMENT

Successful Organizations Are

26

STYLI ADD THE TOUCH OF PRECISION TO PROBE SYSTEMS

Customer-Centric

Important considerations in choice and use of a stylus can help ensure consistent precision with a measuring system.

18 OTHER DIMENSIONS

QUALITY TEST & INSPECTION 30

LEAK TEST PROCESS: USING LEAN AND 5S TO DRIVE

20 QUALITY INNOVATIONS

MANUFACTURING PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

Laser Tracker Features

For organizations with leak-testing operations, customer demands are best addressed through an established lean-manufacturing environment.

On-board Intelligence

QUALITY SOFTWARE & ANALYSIS 34

Reading Between the Lines

GD&T: REALIZE ITS PROMISE

71 CLASSIFIEDS 72 ADVERTISING INDEX

GD&T is the only means we have to say precisely what we want so that others can do precisely what we say.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT 38

LEAN’S INTEGRATION IN AN ENHANCED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Organizations need an effective business management system for addressing the challenges of the day.

NEXT MONTH Air Gaging

48

QUALITY EXPO PRODUCT SHOWCASE

X-ray

Take a look at some of the products and services that will be available at Quality Expo, Sept. 20-22, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Calibration Quality Methodologies

SEPTEMBER 2011, VOLUME 50/NUMBER 9 WWW.QUALITYMAG.COM

ABOUT THE COVER STYLI ADD TOUCH OF

PRECISION p. 26 50 YEARS OF QUALITY: DIMENSIONAL GAGING p. 22 REALIZE GD&T’S PROMISES p. 34 INTEGRATING LEAN p. 38

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In machining terms, the end of the stylus is the tool tip when collecting measurement data with a probe. And with the proliferation of probe-based measurement devices—as well as the many different types of probes, such as kinematic, strain gage and scanning—an understanding of stylus designs, materials and applications can make the difference between consistent precision and frustration. Source: Renishaw

QUALITY | September 2011

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IN FORCE MEASUREMENT Introducing the latest innovation in force measurement - the Starrett FMS Series. It incorporates new performance-based capabilities and user-friendly features to help you perform critical force [LZ[Z^P[ONYLH[LYHJJ\YHJ`HUKLMÄJPLUJ`0[»ZZVWOPZ[PJH[LKLUV\NOMVYKLTHUKPUN8*HWWSPJH[PVUZ but also durable enough for high-volume production shop environments. It can perform all of your IHZPJMVYJLTLHZ\YLTLU[[LZ[ZHZ^LSSHZTVYLJVTWSL_T\S[PZ[HNL[LZ[Z[VPU[LYUH[PVUHSZ[HUKHYKZ ;OL-4::LYPLZPZH]HPSHISLPUMV\YJHWHJP[PLZ!5R5R5HUKR5 So, if you’re looking for what’s next in force measurement, start your search with Starrett.

To learn more, call 978-248-3551 or scan. Visit us at Quality Expo, booth #200

QUALITYMAG.COM

ONLINE TOC VISIT WWW.QUALITYMAG.COM FOR DIGITAL EDITIONS AND WEB EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Available On-Demand

Lean Initiative Enables U.S. Manufacturer to Stay Competitive New Jersey-based Douglas Electrical Components aligns quality, lead times and pricing with a lean initiative. Readers Respond: Can Six Sigma Be Adapted to Look at Innovation? Members of Quality Magazine’s LinkedIn Group offer their take on how the two concepts relate to each other. Share your opinions today.

CAD-Based Inspection Using Contact Measurement Eddy Current Testing: Its Many Benefits and Applications Measurement 101: Essential Knowledge

Off-Topic Quality: Customizing the Manufacturing Process Weaknesses in an optimized server appliance company’s third-party manufacturing software had caused increasing scheduling, quality control

CONNECT WITH QUALITY:

and workload distribution problems.

Connect with us to receive updates and to network with other industry professionals just like you.

Industry experts share their views on the latest in quality and manufacturing: • Jim’s Gems: Weekly Updates! • Shifting the Paradigm

• Quality Remix • NDT: Key to Quality and NDT Round-Up • Learning with Lecky, Vision RoundUp and Perspectives in Vision

Podcasts are easy to listen to directly from your computer or downloaded as an MP3 file.

Videos show you the latest products and technology to improve manufacturing processes.

NOW PLAYING ON Q-CAST

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Calibration Management Software: Important Factors Manufacturers Need to Know

Take a look inside Jay Leno’s Garage Jay uses a Faro 3-D scanner to duplicate a part to restore a 1922 engine.

As 9100 Revision C–What You Need to Know The Importance of SPC to Quality Management Systems Three-Part Interview with Quality Professional of the Year

4


Paul Jr. Designs Paul Jr. Designs looks for the latest technology to advance the level of customization it can provide to its customers.

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With Hommel-Etamic, your production quality never had a greater chance for improvement. For measurement reliability, uncompromised precision, and worldwide technical support, call on Hommel-Etamic.

Precision is Our Business. Visit us at Quality Expo, booth #300

FROM THE EDITOR

COLLABORATING

COLLEAGUES COLLABORATION IS NOT AN OPTION, IT’S A NECESSITY.

W GILLIAN CAMPBELL

hen is the last time you thought of your competitors as collaborators? For many of us, sharing information with the “enemy” is unthinkable. But for others, it’s a way of life. I recently attended the CMSC in Phoenix. For those of you not familiar with the Coordinate Metrology Society, it is a membership of users, service providers and OEM manufacturers of close-tolerance industrial coordinate measurement systems, software and peripherals. The society gathers each year to gain knowledge of the advancements and applications of any measurement system or software solution that produces and uses 3-D coordinate data. This is truly the coming together of a community—industry, academia and government— with a willingness to share information for the better of the industry. The competitor is no longer the enemy, but rather the colleague who likely is going through some of the same challenges you are. Who better to discuss challenges with than someone who has walked the walk? It is always interesting to hear the practical side of the industry—new products and technologies—but I find it fascinating to talk to the folks involved in research. While many can only speak of their work in general terms, the research they are conducting and the technologies they are developing will be the next big must-have products in the years to come. The sense of collaboration goes beyond industry. I talked with Georgia Harris, president of NCSL International, and one of her initiatives is educating schoolaged children on careers in metrology.

NCSLI, in conjunction with ASQ, has developed an ambassador program to help address the future worker needs of the industry—those individuals who, in the future, will be attending the CMSC and sharing their own ideas to shape the industry. We need to encourage future generations that this is the industry to be in. NCSLI has some great resources on the different careers in metrology at www.metrologycareers.com. The site includes a video that describes what metrology is, as well as how it is part of our everyday lives. It also includes a questionand-answer section with metrologists. Questions include: what do you like best about your job; how did you get started in metrology; what’s your work like; and what advice do you have for someone considering a career in metrology? Collaboration is not an option, it’s our future. What are you doing to help further the mission of the industry? Do you collaborate with your competitors? Share your thoughts with me at campbellg@ bnpmedia.com, or with other members of the Quality community at the Quality Magazine LinkedIn Group page, the Quality Facebook page and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/QualityMagazine.

Gillian Campbell, Editor [email protected]

Editorial offices: 155 N. Pfingsten Rd., Suite 205, Deerfield, IL 60015 (248) 362-3700 • fax (847) 405-4100 • www.qualitymag.com

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COMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER 20-22 QUALITY EXPO, Chicago, UBM Canon (310) 445-4200 www.canontradeshows.com/expo/qexpo11 OCTOBER 5-6 2011 NORTHEAST SHINGO PRIZE CONFERENCE Springfield, MA, The Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (617) 287-7630, www.neshingoprize.org 16-20 MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2011 Columbus, OH, ACerS, (614) 794-5894 www.matscitech.org 24-28 ASNT FALL CONFERENCE AND QUALITY TESTING SHOW, Palm Springs, CA The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (800) 222-2768 www.asnt.org/events/calevents/ calevents.htm NOVEMBER 8-10 [MC]^2 MTCONNECT: CONNECTING MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE Cincinnati, OH, MTConnect Institute (703) 728-8885, www.MTConnect.org VISION 2011 Stuttgart, Germany, Messe Stuttgart +49 711 18560-2541 www.messe-stuttgart.de

PEOPLE NEWS Geomagic (Research Triangle Park, NC), a provider of 3-D software for creating digital models of physical objects, has appointed industry veteran, JOHN ALPINE, as its new vice president of engineering. Alpine comes to Geomagic after a five-year term with Dassault Systemes, as vice president of product development at Spatial, and VP of platform and partner strategy at SolidWorks. e2v (Santa Clara, CA), a global provider of technology solutions for high-performance systems, has appointed ROBERT (BOB) TAVARES to the position of president, e2v Aerospace & Defense Inc. Tavares will be based at the company’s Santa Clara, CA, facility, and will oversee the continued expansion of e2v’s business in the U.S. aerospace and defense markets. Tavares has more than 25 years of experience and success with high growth technology companies in the aerospace and defense markets. Sparta Systems Inc. (Holmdel, NJ), the maker of TrackWise quality management software, has appointed EILEEN MARTINSON (formerly McPartland) to the role of CEO. With more than 25 years of experience driving professional, People News Continued on p. 12

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BUSINESS NEWS | COMING EVENTS | PEOPLE NEWS | MERGERS

IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTED FOR U.S. INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURERS OWNCOMPANY REVENUE NEW YORK, NY—The latest edition of the PwC US Manufacturing Barometer reports that despite ongoing uncertainty about the global economy, a vast majority of U.S. industrial manufacturers expect positive own-company revenue growth for 2011 and the next 12 months. While several key factors including higher costs of raw materials and commodities, oil and energy prices, higher costs of services worldwide and the economic impact of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami have contributed to the uncertainty about the world economy over the past 12 months, U.S.-based industrial manufacturers continued to grow international sales in the second quarter of 2011 and are projecting continued strength for overseas revenues. “U.S. industrial manufacturers are showing confidence in the strength of their businesses by reporting positive expectations for their company revenue, international sales and gross margins, as well as plans for greater spending, even against a backdrop of building uncertainty for the U.S and world economies,” says Barry Misthal, U.S. industrial manufacturing leader for PwC. “While several headwinds are expected to grow over the next 12 months, as cited in PwC’s latest survey, U.S. industrial manufacturers aren’t as concerned about demand over the next 12 months as in past quarters. Furthermore, they are planning major new investments to introduce new products and services, expand their geographic reach and undertake business acquisitions to bolster growth.” The composite average growth estimate for own-company revenue growth in the

calendar year rose to 6.3% in the second quarter of 2011 from 5.3% in the previous quarter, the fifth consecutive quarterly increase and nearly four times higher than the second quarter of 2010. Eighty-eight percent of respondents forecasted positive own-company revenue growth for 2011, an increase of four points over the first quarter of 2011 and 23 points over the second quarter of 2010. Of those, 33% are forecasting double-digit growth for 2011, which is flat compared to the prior quarter, while 55% are forecasting singledigit growth, up four points over the prior quarter and 20 points higher than the same time a year ago. Only 8% forecast negative growth in the second quarter of 2011 vs. 13% in the first quarter of 2011 and 20% in the second quarter of 2010. Looking at the next 12 months, 90% of those surveyed expect positive revenue growth for their own companies, up a point compared to the first quarter of this year and 17 points higher than the second quarter of 2010. Twenty-eight percent forecast double-digit growth, while 62% forecast single-digit growth, compared to 33%, who forecast doubledigit growth and 56% forecasting singledigit growth in the first quarter of 2011. Gross margins for the second quarter remained positive. They were higher for 32% of respondents and lower for 20%, for a net plus 12%, which is above the prior quarter’s plus 8%. According to the report, industry growth estimates for 2011 rose significantly to 5.4% in Q2 from 3.9% in the prior quarter of 2011. Eighty-seven percent of panelists expect positive industry growth for 2011, compared to 79% in the prior quarter and 65% in the second quarter of 2010. U.S.-based industrial manufacturers that sell abroad continued to grow revenue

View the latest in quality industry news by visiting our headlines at qualitymag.com—updated daily. Just click the tag now and see what you’re missing. If you don’t have the mobile app on your smart phone, visit http://gettag.mobi to get started.

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in the second quarter of 2011, with half of respondents reporting an uptick in sales over the past three months, an eightpoint increase over the second quarter of 2010, but down slightly from the prior quarter. Forty-eight percent responded that sales remained the same in the second quarter of 2011. The projected contribution of international sales to total revenue in the next 12 months increased to 36% from 34% in the prior quarter. “Nearly every respondent noted that international sales were up or the same compared to three months ago, reinforcing our view that with the right strategies, plans and understanding of the various risks involved in doing business overseas, industrial manufacturers can find robust opportunities to drive revenues in today’s global marketplace,” adds Misthal. Looking at the next 12 months, 48% of industrial manufacturers expressed optimism about the U.S. economy, down nine points from the first quarter of 2011, but three points higher than the same period in 2010. Uncertainty about the U.S. economy was cited by 45% of panelists, an increase of seven points over the first quarter of 2011, while 7% remain pessimistic in the second quarter of 2011, an increase of two points from the prior quarter. Thirty-eight percent of U.S.-based industrial manufacturers who market abroad are optimistic about the prospects for the world economy over the next 12 months, a decline of six points from the prior quarter but flat compared to the same period last year. The majority (55%) are uncertain, up slightly from 51%, while 7% are pessimistic about the global economic outlook. In the second quarter of 2011, 57% of respondents believed the U.S. economy was growing, down from 65% in the prior quarter. For the second consecutive time in five years, no panelist believed it was declining. Forty-three percent believed the U.S. economy did not change from last quarter, an increase of 8% over the first quarter. Over the next 12 months, more than half of the panelists (52%) are planning major new investments of capital, an increase of three points over last quarter and 19 points higher than the same period last year. The increase marks the sixth straight quarterly increase in spending projections. Operational spending also is expected to increase,

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September 2011 | QUALITY

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NEWS with 88% planning an increase, up from 86% in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 80% in the second quarter of 2010. Operational spending plans are led by new product or service introductions, which was cited by 60%, an increase of 11 points over the prior quarter. This was followed by an expected increase in spending on information technology (48%), business acquisitions (45%) and geographic expansion (43%).

ASSOCIATION NEWS Five mobility engineering professionals received the SAE INTERNATIONAL Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Award during the SAE 2011 World Congress (Warrendale, PA) in Detroit. The awards were given to Guofei Chen; Garrick J. Forkenbrock; Angelo Onorati; John P. Rugh and Thomas Wallner. Originally established in 1984 as the SAE Distinguished Speaker Award, the award name was changed to the SAE Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Award in 1993 to honor the late Lloyd L. Withrow. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding presentation skills at SAE technical sessions.

SSeventy-three h percent off respondents d expect to participate in new business

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initiatives, with merger h 45% planning l and acquisition (M&A) activity during the next 12 months, an increase over the prior quarter of nine points. This M&A activity response was the highest rate in four years and was ranked equally with those planning to expand to new markets abroad, which increased from 33% in the prior quarter. Plans for new facilities abroad rose 13 points to 35%, while plans for joint ventures (38%) also rose. Fifty-two percent of respondents plan to add employees to their workforce during the next 12 months, up slightly from the first quarter of 2011 and five points higher than the same period last year. The percentage of participants who are planning a net reduction stayed the same as the second quarter of 2010 at 7%, but increased from 3% in the prior quarter. “With concerns that the U.S economy may have stalled in the second quarter of this year and a number of barriers being cited that have the potential to limit growth in 2011, industrial manufacturers are looking to the M&A market to fuel growth,” continues Misthal. “The right deals can not only add scale but build efficiencies and help businesses gain access to new markets.” Concern over oil and energy prices contributed to 70% of panelists citing this as the greatest potential barrier to business growth over the next 12 months, rising five points from the prior quarter. Oil and energy price concerns outweighed legislative and regulatory pressures, which was cited by 60% vs. 54% in the first quarter of 2011. Taxation policies showed the biggest increase over the prior quarter, up 20 points to 53%. Concerns about demand continued to decline for the third consecutive quarter to 40%. A third of the panel (33%) cited decreasing profitability, up 11 points from the prior quarter. In the second quarter of 2011, 33% of U.S.-based industrial manufacturers reported higher costs, and 8% reported


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NEWS lower costs. This compares to the prior quarter when a majority (51%) of U.S.based industrial manufacturers reported higher costs, and 8% reported lower costs for a net plus 43%. In the second quarter of 2011, 28% raised prices and only 7% lowered them, for a net plus of 21%. This compares to the prior quarter when 43% raised prices, and only 11% lowered them, for a net of plus 32%. “As rising commodity costs continue to pressure the bottom lines of U.S. industrial manufacturers, there is an obvious need for companies to look at their current operational effectiveness and cost management programs,” adds Misthal. “Stronger, updated programs that reflect the current environment of higher commodity costs can uncover real opportunities to make business adjustments that offset these challenges.” Overall, 70% of U.S industrial manufactures either sell in Japan (67%) or manufacture in Japan (30%). Nearly half (47%) of U.S. industrial manufactures surveyed responded that their company has been directly affected or expects to be affected during the next 12 months

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PEOPLE NEWS

services, sales and operations at global industry leaders such as SAP America, Oracle, Misys and Siebel, Martinson has a long-standing record of developing global business strategies and directing the worldwide growth of enterprise technology companies. She succeeds James E. McGowan as the company’s CEO. G&F Industries (Sturbridge, MA) has announced the promotion of five key employees. MARK BERRY was promoted to vice president of operations from his previous position of director of operations; ANDY DOW to vice president of quality assurance from director of quality; and CHARLIE FEELEY to vice president of IT and materials from director of information systems and logistics. Also promoted were PAULA PARKER, manager of accounting and human resources from accounting manager and KIM DAVIS to office manager from office assistant. Tecumseh Products Co. (Ann Arbor, MI) has appointed JAMES J. CONNOR to the role of president and CEO. Connor has broad experience with manufacturing companies at the CFO and CEO levels and as a strategic adviser to numerous other companies. He most recently served as the chief financial officer for Tecumseh Products Co. since January 2010. LMI Aerospace (St. Louis), a provider of design engineering services, structural assemblies, kits and components to the aerospace, defense and technology markets, has appointed RYAN P. BOGAN to the position of chief operating officer of LMI. Bogan was previously CEO of D3 Technologies, a subsidiary of LMI. Bogan will relocate to LMI’s corporate offices in St. Charles, MS, and will report to LMI’s CEO Ron Saks. Guill Tool & Engineering (West Warwick, RI) has appointed retired Naval officer JAMES R. HOUSTON to the role of vice president of engineering. In addition, Houston will handle business development for the company. Houston served as operations officer for the war gaming department at the Naval War College from January 2005 until April 2010, where he directed and mentored a department of more than 80 officers, professors and enlisted personnel. In addition to monitoring and integrating the strategic growth of both technology and staff, he managed million dollar facility upgrades, coordinating virtually all modifications.


QLT06094Unit.indd 1

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by the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear fallout. Overall, the impact on these 47% of industrial manufactures was cited as severe by 11% and moderate by 32%. A production disruption inside Japan was cited by 50% and outside of Japan by the same 50%, while a sales disruption in Japan was cited by 57% and outside Japan by 43%. Thirty-nine percent of panelists noted an overall revenue drop off from these events. The disruptive events in Japan caused panelist companies to examine their own worldwide business continuity plans for supply chains (40%) and for operations at company sites near a nuclear plant or in earthquake zones (32%). “One-time events like the tragic situation in Japan have ramifications that extend across business communities as well,” says Misthal. “We’re seeing more companies look at their own worldwide business continuity plans for supply chains and the geographical risk of their operations.” PwC’s Manufacturing Barometer is a quarterly survey based on interviews with 60 senior executives of large, multinational U.S. industrial manufacturing companies about their current business performance, the state of the economy and their expectations for growth during the next 12 months. This survey summarizes the results for Q2 2011 and was conducted from April 7 through July 14, 2011.

“We are developing our own in-house expertise on tire materials and compounds,” says Dr. Cynthia Flanigan, technical leader of elastomers research. “And through our research we want to be the catalyst, working with chemical and rubber suppliers as well as tire manufacturers, to pull new technologies and solutions through the industry.” Flanigan and her team are focused on the materials aspect of tire con-

struction. While the actual recipes of these complex systems are often proprietary, the Ford research team seeks new technical advances for tires in the future. The mandate to become more engaged with tire suppliers and manufacturers and to better understand the benefits of low-rollingresistance tires has been under way since after the last spike in fuel prices in the summer of 2008.

The moment you trust the integrity of the results even before you start measuring. This is the moment we work for.

FORD WORKS TO DEVELOP NEW MATERIALS FOR TIRES DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. has established a cross-functional team whose mission is to develop new tires that improve safety, boost fuel economy and enhance vehicle handling. Located at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, MI, the tire team works closely with Ford’s chassis engineering and vehicle engineering functions, as well as leading tire companies, to test new compounds, new tread designs and other innovations. The three key attributes to any road tire tread are traction or grip, wear and rolling resistance. The challenge to building a better tire is that often improving one attribute may compromise another. A tire with better grip, for example, may have a higher rolling resistance and therefore, energy consumption.

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IND IN DUSTRY

NEWS “Based on the feedback we received from chemical suppliers and tire companies, Ford is now at the forefront of understanding tire technologies on a deeper level and pushing hard for new technologies,” Flanigan says. Flanigan’s group, which is part of research and innovation, was formed in October 2009 and works with Ford’s vehicle engineering and chassis engineering teams. Ford has developed technologies for soy-based seats, and this team is applying these concepts to tires and other rubber products. The research team has already developed patent-pending technologies for EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer—used in weather stripping) rubber using bio-oils. Ford research into other rubber parts could provide new solutions for tires.

SUPPLIERS IMPROVING BUT STILL AT RISK SOUTHFIELD, MI—North American manufacturing suppliers have generally become healthier since 2009, according to the latest BBK Ratings data. In

BUSINESS NEWS SIGMATECH’S (Huntsville, AL) UltraMap-TSV system won Best of West at SEMICON West, presented by industry association SEMI and Solid State Technology. The UltraMap-TSV system from SigmaTech is a fully automated through silicon via (TSV) and deep-trench metrology system capable of characterizing both TSV and deep-trench features from both the front and back sides of subject wafers, up to 300 millimeters in diameter. Advanced composites components engineering ALPHA COMPOSITES (Buckinghamshire, UK) has been awarded AS 9100 Revision C Certification, the quality management system specifically written to meet aerospace industry production and manufacturing standards. Alpha Composites provides design, tooling, manufacturing and engineering solutions to meet component requirements. JENOPTIK’S (Rochester Hills, MI) Industrial Metrology division has been awarded a contract to supply fully automated roughness measurement systems for three engine plants in North America. The contract is valued at $6.5 million, and includes integration into the production lines, as well as comprehensive after-sales. Delivery of the systems to the plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico will start during the course of this year and be completed by the end of 2013.

spite of this, many manufacturers are still concerned that their suppliers’ financial health can deteriorate quickly and potentially disrupt their operations. This is reflected by the increased demand for BBK to rate suppliers. “BBK ratings requests are up this year, indicating there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the economy and that more companies want to proactively evaluate their suppliers to eliminate surprises,” says Michael Wagner, BBK director of proactive services.

BBK completes its ratings by gathering and evaluating suppliers’ financial data at the request of the suppliers’ OEMs, tier one and tier two customers. BBK Ratings provide them with current, objective, comprehensive, confidential evaluations of their suppliers’ financial status and the factors influencing it. Rated companies represent several industrial sectors: manufacturing, services, agricultural and retail. “Private companies are recovering nicely from the nation’s economic collapse: 65% are now rated as financially stable compared to 46% in 2009, however, 24% are still showing some level of financial distress,” says Wagner.

GM TO INVEST $328M IN FLINT TRUCK PLANT DETROIT—General Motors will invest $328 million to prep its Flint, MI, plant to produce the next generation Chevrolet and GMC full-size pickup trucks. According to GM, the investment will create or retain 150 jobs at the plant, which currently has 2,047 employees. Presently, the Flint plant builds heavyduty versions of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. The investment is part of $2 billion GM is spending in eight states throughout the next 18 months. According to GM’s press release, Michigan has been a major beneficiary in the current round of investments, designated for $744 million. The Flint Engine, Bay City Powertrain, DetroitHamtramck Assembly, Lansing Grand River Assembly, Saginaw Powertrain and GM Components Holdings in Wyoming, MI, all were designated for manufacturing investment along with a $130 million data center on GM’s Warren, MI, Technical Center campus. Visit us at Quality Expo, booth #408

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Olympus ultrasound | phased array | eddy current | eddy current array | remote visual inspection | X-ray fluorescence

Olympus designs, manufactures, and globally markets a range of innovative nondestructive testing and remote visual inspection instruments developed with a commitment to technology, design, and user friendliness. These products are used for inspection and maintenance in industrial and research fields ranging from aerospace and energy to transportation and manufacturing. Olympus instruments contribute to product quality and add to the safety of infrastructure and facilities. Olympus has earned industry-wide reputations for providing cost-effective solutions and

excellent support and customer service. Solutions

Technologies

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X-Ray Fluorescence See us at Quality Expo Show, booths 1024, 557

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FACE OF QUALITY

SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS ARE

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC CUSTOMERS DON'T JUST BUY PRODUCTS; THEY BUY PROMISES.

I JIM L. SMITH

16

t shouldn’t come as a surprise, but no business can exist without customers. For the majority of companies there is a realization that its lifeblood is its customers. In actuality, virtually all quality management approaches, regardless of being product or service oriented, focus on the customer, but this doesn’t mean they are customer-driven or committed to delivering customer-value. Because external customers have free will and can generally do business anywhere, it is no longer adequate just to meet customer needs. It is about creating a rewarding experience that comes from being customer-driven with a commitment to delivering value as perceived by the customer. In today’s environment, the customer is concerned with more than the quality of the product or service. Certainly the quality of the product or service is fundamental to survival, but from the perspective of the customer, customer service transcends the product or service that an organization provides. Customer service is becoming a predominant factor in the buying decision and often exceeds price consideration. Customer service is often a primary factor that separates one organization from another and, in many cases, exceptional customer service has justified an organization to charge premium prices for its products or services. Many organizations still act, however, as though all it takes to attract or retain customers is to offer a good product or service at a reasonable price. It takes more than great products and services to keep customers coming back. Organizations must create the ultimate customer experience. What does the ultimate customer experience look like? Maybe it’s an individual making a personal connection with a customer on behalf of the business. Perhaps it’s an employee going out of the way to make sure a customer has everything needed and is more than satisfied with the transaction. Essentially, it’s an organization keeping its promise—whether that promise is implied or stated outright. Organizations that are customer-centric have an embedded culture of serving its customers. It’s not something that happens quickly. The following are some considerations to improve customers’ perceptions of quality customer service, establish the proper culture and solidify brand loyalty. • Executive management must set the tone. They must display a visible commitment to champion exemplary customer service. This commitment must be demonstrated with personal actions and appropriate funding to support the effort.


• Strategic plans, goals and objectives re-inforce the vision and mission statements. These plans are cascaded downward into tactical actions to support the goals and objectives. A system of tracking, measuring, analyzing and reporting the voice of the customer ensures effective deployment of customercentered actions. • Exceptional customer service begins within an organization. When internal customers receive quality service from internal providers, the results are typically transferred to external customers. Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, a pioneer in Japanese quality, stressed that the next operation should be considered the customer. Every function in an organization is both a receiver and provider of products or services. With everyone focused on delivering expectations, there will be a positive output to the customer. Years ago this author initiated the idea that “if the external customer is king, surely the internal customer is a prince.” People were trained to be aware of their role in the customer-centered process and encouraged to be owners of their process. Results of this effort had a significant impact to the bottom line. • Empower the total organization to provide the best service possible. Not long ago a study revealed that 70% of customers leave a brand due to poor service quality, not poor product quality. Customer-contact employees need to understand that each interaction is a moment of truth in which customers get an impression, good or bad, of the organization. Companies that invest in training that stresses how to handle these situations generate significantly higher profits than those that don’t. • Customer retention is as important as attracting new customers. Organizations need to think about the lifetime worth of a loyal customer. If a family spends $125 per week at its favorite grocery store for the next 20 years, they’re worth $130,000 to that business. Knowledge of your customer’s experience is powerful. If your organization improves their customer’s level of service, the rewards will come to your bottom line through customer retention and repeat business. It’s just good business, so why isn’t every organization customer-centric? Jim L. Smith has more than 45 years of industry experience in operations, engineering, research & development and quality management. You can reach Jim at [email protected].

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ROMER Absolute Arm

With Integrated Laser Scanner The ROMER SI series Absolute Arm with integrated laser scanner offers the convenience of a no-warm-up time scanner coupled with the Absolute Arm’s no homing procedures - out of the case and scanning in no time. The scanning feature pack docked to the arm’s base includes the scanner control and batteries, so you can inspect anywhere without need for a power connection. That’s absolute portability! Each complete scanning system is specified and factory certified to B89 standards. A complete range of six models with measuring range from 6.6 ft (2m) to a huge 14.8 ft (4.5m) are now available. Call 800-274-9433 to schedule a demonstration in your facility. Find more information at www.HexMet.us/qm511. ROMER is a brand of Hexagon Metrology, Inc.

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OTHER DIMENSIONS

READING

BETWEEN THE LINES DECIPHER THE FICTION FOUND IN CALIBRATION LABORATORIES’ CLAIMS.

I

t probably started with comic books when I was a kid and took off from there. Now, I usually have a couple of books on the go with one or more waiting to be read. Since I’m an old-fashioned guy, I should make it clear that I’m talking about old-fashioned books—you know, the type that don’t need batteries to be read. I always pack a book with my jammies and HILL COX carry one to read while travelling. Today’s high-speed air travel usually means waiting around airports for twice as long as you are airborne so you need to have a book ready at all times. While nonfiction books are my preference, I do appreciate some of the fiction found in claims made by calibration laboratories in their scopes of accreditation. Laboratory accrediting agencies are not too enthusiastic over such While nonfiction books literary efforts but someare my preference, I do times it gets through appreciate some of the fiction their filters. I thought some found in claims made by recent examples might calibration laboratories in their be of interest. If you have examples that I’ve scopes of accreditation. missed please let me know as I’m always adding to my library. • Outside micrometers. One-inch capacity micrometers generate a lot of variation in the uncertainty related to their calibration. Four labs quoted 51, 33, 37.1 and 75 microinch, respectively, for the task. What makes this interesting to me is the range between them when they all claim to be using gage blocks for the calibration. Interestingly, only one referred to the micrometer resolution that was involved. When a 6-inch micrometer was calibrated, the uncertainties reported were 167, 59.8, 52.6 and 150 microinch, respectively. Having all this wonderful information is not too helpful since you don’t know who forgot what, who was being ultra-conservative or realistic, or who was playing fast and loose with the laws of physics. • Calipers. Uncertainty claims for this type of calibration make comparisons more challenging. The labs noted earlier cited uncertainties of 553, 523 and 310 microinch, and one indicated 0.001 inch for a 6-inch caliper. You might think that the lab quoting 0.001 inch was being very conservative until you realized he claims the same uncertainty for all calipers up to an 80-inch capacity.

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In this case, I’d be considering those labs in the 500-microinch range subject to seeing their uncertainty budgets because, once again, only one of them referenced the caliper resolution. It should be remembered that while some labs indicated they used gage blocks for the caliper calibration, others used masters made for the purpose. One didn’t indicate which hardware was used, and the one that has the same uncertainty for up to 80-inch calipers used a “length standard” for the work. No, I don’t think they mean an 80-inch gage block, but then again, I don’t really know what they mean. When such simple instruments produce a wide range of uncertainties, you’d expect an even greater spread when dealing with something more involved such as a thread plug gage. This is not often the case as the uncertainties claimed from a number of labs are pretty close to each other. This applies even though, in some cases, the hardware cited is inadequate. I think this may be a situation where one lab is copying from another and doesn’t really have a budget for the value quoted. I find it curious that a lab using the same device for calibrating a plain plug gage, as well as a plain ring gage with all that entails, ends up with the uncertainty shown for the plug gage higher than that for the ring. Sometimes, what’s missing may be more important than what the scope shows. Gage blocks come to mind, usually a 1:1 calibration process. What’s missing from most scopes is the material of which the blocks are made. Steel is the assumed material, but because the process is 1:1, I wonder how they deal with carbide or ceramic blocks if they don’t have a full set of them as masters. So much for reading scopes. To answer the obvious question: yes, I have read a good book lately. In fact it’s a great book and should be required reading for anyone in government or the media. It’s called, “Future Babble: Why Expert Predictions Are Next to Worthless, and You Can Do Better,” by Dan Gardner. It’s all about the experts you hear predicting the end of the world or oil, the economy and on they go. Gardner shows just how wrong they usually are, which is good for a laugh. But the scary part is that politicians tend to believe the predictions. Hill Cox president of Frank J. Cox Sales Ltd. (Brampton, Ontario, Canada). He may be reached at [email protected].

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Surface Measurement

Customizable to Meet Your Application Needs

• Fast, accurate and cost effective measurement of surface roughness parameters and geometric features such as distance, angles and radii • Touchscreen MarWin software makes operation simple, and offers powerful analysis capabilities • Compact portable units to fully automatic CNC systems are available to match your application requirements in the lab and on the shop floor

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See us at Quality Expo Booth #600

INNOVATIONS The Radian Laser Tracker’s Innovo Technology is on-board intelligence that guides you through the measurement process and “gives you a new way to think about measurement and inspection.” Source: Automated Precision Inc.

grated camera and enhanced software algorithms, Innovo technology makes the Radian Laser Tracker smarter, faster, more accurate and more flexible. The technology also is highly userfriendly. Whether it is the first time a technician has operated a laser tracker or owns several, Innovo technology takes the guesswork out of using a laser tracker and allows the technician to focus on the job, not the tool.

LASER TRACKER

USES ON-BOARD INTELLIGENCE The new and advanced technology is touted as a platform that will change the way people use laser trackers. BY DARRYL SELAND, EDITOR IN CHIEF

A

lready boasting one of the lightest and most portable laser trackers on the market with its Tracker3, Automated Precision Inc.’s (API, Rockville, MD) Radian Laser Tracker with the Innovo technology platform is even lighter and has a smaller profile than its predecessor. The Innovo technology platform features on-board intelligence that brings increased confidence to the laser-tracker operator with advanced features that include I-Vision, ADMMaxx and a host of key activity and self-diagnostic features. “All of these features are designed to create a laser tracker that is more

20


intelligent, easier to use and optimizes the measurement and inspection processes. Radian lets the user focus on the job and not the tracker itself,” says Dr. Kam Lau, president and CEO of Automated Precision Inc. “API is changing the conversation that people will have about what to expect from a laser tracker.” INNOVO TECHNOLOGY The Radian Laser Tracker’s Innovo technology is on-board intelligence that guides the operator through the measurement process and “gives you a new way to think about measurement and inspection.” Anchored by its inte-

I-Vision I-Vision makes it possible for the Radian Laser Tracker to automatically find and lock on to the measurement target, ensuring high-accuracy whether the operator is climbing through scaffolding or measuring a large part. I-Vision has more than a 30-degree angle of view, which allows Radian to stay with the operator. If the beam is broken, the unit automatically relocates and reacquires the target. I-Vision also allows the use of multiple spherically mounted retro-reflectors (SMRs), which increase job efficiency and reduce the time to complete a task. Image Capture The technology captures both still and video images, allowing the ability to document the actual use of the Radian Laser Tracker, thereby allowing a company to meet the external requirements of its customers, who want to know the details of the processes. Image capture also can assist in troubleshooting challenges in the field and can help provide a visual aid for training purposes. Self-Diagnostics Radian provides information about itself, the environment and other parameters before they become critical. Self-diagnostic parameters include excessive vibration, elevated temperature, laser beam deviation, detecting a bad SMR and laser intensity, so operators can be sure of the measurements they are making before they start their tasks.

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SPECIFICATIONS The Smart Check feature validates SMR targets before work begins to ensure each step provides valuable data. ADM-Maxx provides a stable measurement environment and provides accuracies over greater measurement distances. ADM-Maxx delivers accuracies of better than ±10 microns. A Shake to Drive feature allows the flexibility of multiple-point measurement by simply “shaking” the new target. Radian drives to the new target, takes the point and waits for the next command.

dimensions, angles, surfaces and sections. The RapidScan’s use of » Azimuth Range: ±320 degrees (640 degrees end to end) white light means dark or » Elevation Range: 79 degrees/-60 degrees ref lective parts are no longer a problem. The structured light » Angular Resolution: ±0.018 arc seconds is a bright, white light that » Angular Accuracy: 3.5 microns/meter eliminates the problems usu» Maximum Lateral Target Speed: 6 meters/second (20 feet/second) ally encountered when scanning bright metallic objects. » Static Measurement (IFM): ±5 parts per million (2 sigma) RapidScan is not limited by » Resolution: 0.08 micron (0.0000031 inch) the type of surface, or by the » Accuracy: Better than ±0.5 parts per million ref lectivity or darkness of the surface being scanned. » Lock-on Accuracy: Better than ±10 microns (±0.00039 inch) The structured light allows for expanded usability in areas such as aerospace, automobile and electronic assembly, packaging, ship machine tool applications for quality building, pharmaceuticals, medical control, in-process inspection, tool and THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT and systems integration. die inspection, reverse engineering and Looking to the future, both the Radian RapidScan technology allows the production prototyping. Laser and I-Vision will integrate with operator to collect accurate higha new technology in development from density 3-D point cloud models of API, RapidScan. For more information, contact: large panels, molded parts, structural This noncontact, 3-D measureAutomated Precision Inc. (API) components, fixtures, molds and dies ment system is designed for almost 15000 Johns Hopkins Dr. in seconds. The system can quickly any environment with a wide range Rockville, MD 20850 scan curved, contoured and complex of industrial applications, including (800) 537-2720 surfaces and can collect millions of aerospace, automotive, wind energy, www.apisensor.com points of data on geometric features, » Linear Range (Diameter): 100 meters (328 feet) [Also available: 40 meters (132 feet) and 160+ meters (526+ feet)

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September 2011 | QUALITY 21PM 1/13/09 2:05:07

50 YEARS OF QUALITY

Dimensional Gaging in Review

This month 50 Years of Quality takes another look at dimensional gaging. BEYOND THE BASIC BENCHTOP, NOVEMBER 2004 Benchtop gages sure have changed! The effects of the electronics revolution on them were on full display at the recent International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) T Beyond the Basic held in Chicago, Sept. 8 h Bench Top tto 15, 2004. Twenty years aago, benchtop gages conssisted of such things as mechanical micrometers, m B vvernier calipers, 6-inch rrulers and dial indicators iin test stands. Today’s versions off th those same devices contain i digital readouts and can transmit their measurements to computer networks at the touch of a button. The changes don’t stop there, however. The range of metrology equipment that fits on a benchtop has grown tremendously and has expanded the notion of what constitutes a benchtop gage. Miniaturization, information technology and applications engineering have allowed manufacturers of measurement devices to repackage technologies previously confined to large systems. Profilers, vision systems and coordinate measuring

QUALITY TEST & INSPECTION

Today’s bench-top gages sport top-end electronics and multipurpose measuring capabilities. BY JAMES R. KOELSCH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Retoolable bench-top gages provide versatility and economy for a broad range of measurement and inspection tasks. Because the gage shown here was assembled from pre-engineered modular components, retooling is a matter of replacing the appropriate details. Photo: Marposs Corp.

ench-top gages sure have changed! The effects of the electronics revolution on them were on full display at the recent International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) held in Chicago, Sept. 8 to 15. Twenty years ago, bench-top gages consisted of such things as mechanical micrometers, vernier calipers, 6-inch rulers and dial indicators in test stands. Today’s versions of those same devices contain digital readouts and can transmit their measurements to computer networks at the touch of a button. The changes don’t stop there, however. The range of metrology equipment that fits on a bench top has grown tremendously and has expanded the notion of what constitutes a bench-top gage. Miniaturization, information technology and applications engineering have allowed manufacturers of measurement devices

32 QUALITY | November 2004

to repackage technologies previously confined to large systems. Profilers, vision systems and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) all come in bench-top models. At the most basic level, electronics have given conventional hand gages features they did not have before. Consider measuring a bolt-hole pattern with a conventional height gage that displays its readings on an indicator. “You’d have to take one dimension, referencing from a gage block or a height standard to determine a number,” says Scott Robinson, technical support specialist, The L.S. Starrett Co. (Athol, MA). “Then you’d have to do the same to find the bottom of the hole, do the math to find out the dimensions of that hole and write the position on a piece of paper.” The computers and trigger probes on highend height gages today do all of that automatically. The touch-screen computers on these gages www.qualitymag.com

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machines (CMMs) all come in benchtop models. At the most basic level, electronics have given conventional hand gages features they did not have before. Consider measuring a bolt-hole pattern with a conventional height gage that displays its readings on an indicator. “You’d have to take one dimension, referencing from a gage block or a height standard to determine a number,” says Scott Robinson, technical support specialist, The L.S. Starrett Co. (Athol, MA). “Then you’d have to do the same to find the bottom of the hole, do the math to find out the dimensions of that hole and write the position on a piece of paper.” The computers and trigger probes on high-end height gages today do all of that automatically. The touchscreen computers on these gages run Windows CE and have software that allows users to program measurement routines and run full statistical analyses. Most also have USB and printer ports on them for connecting to off-the-shelf printers, so users can print hard copies of the statistics or generate validation reports directly from the gage.

The electronics on these and other gages have communication ports for connecting to any PC and dumping the data directly to an Excel spreadsheet or other software. Although wires are still the most common means of establishing such a connection, wireless data transmission could become an option for replacing them soon, especially on hand tools like calipers and micrometers. “These products allow the operator to move freely and collect data on a timely basis, but not be tethered down by a wire,” explains Kurt Braun at Mahr Federal Inc. (Providence, RI). Wireless transmission avoids not only the worry of ensuring that the wires are long enough to accommodate every contingency, but also the bother of preventing the wires from becoming tangled in fixtures. HEIGHT GAGES MEASURE UP, FEBRUARY 2006 Height gages measure the height of components and product features by Height Gage measuring the distance from a reference point, usually a granite surface plate, to the component or product. Height gages range from simple surface gages for measurement transfer and marking to motorized digital height gages. Height gages and their surface plates are versatile and relative|

CASE STUDIES

|

The Digimar CX2 height gages have fully motorized measuring slides that minimize operator influence on part probing for greater measurement precision and repeatability. Source: Mahr Federal

G

Outpaces CMM For Quality Inspection

Hardness testing...

ment. The line is well suited for both gage lab and production measurement use. “We’re very pleased with the Digimar,” says Kim. “It’s very simple to use, very simple to program and much quicker to program than the CMM.” But the real advantage is its speed of measurement. Kim says Gerhardt Gear uses the CX1 in its lab for a wide range of measurements—including inside and outside diameters, linear measurements and positions, and center-to-center distances—and that “it has cut our inspection time just about in half.” Kim cited one example where it took the CMM nearly 20 minutes to perform • A fast, accurate, portable a certain measurement. “The Digimar gauge for testing aluminum tries.and Maximum-minimum measuredid the same measurement in less than brass, copper steel. ments also are supported, as are perpena minute,” he says. • Test a variety of shapers, dicularity measurements in conjunction All Digimar height gages from Mahr extrusions, tubing and Federal feature fully motorized measurflat stock. with a digital-dial indicator. Canned routinesto fortest basic features and simple ing slides that minimize operator •influModels available thickness teach-and-learn up to one inch. techniques make it easy ence on part probing for greater measto program the CX1 for a wide range of urement precision and repeatability. Key WEBSTER INSTRUMENT, INC. measurement tasks. measuring functions can be executed

doesn’t have to be hard

11856 Mississippi Avenue

Gear likes the height gage so with a single press of a button andLos readAngeles, Gerhardt California 90025 much it is considering another one for the ily programmable measuring routines www.webstertesters.com EST. 1932 shop floor, Kim says. “Operators aren’t as make it possible to sample batches of Tel.d (800) 394-3541 d i kl d • ilFax (310) 478-1365 Quality Quick Clicks 328 at qualitymag.com

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erhardt Gear (Burbank, CA), a 54person operation, has been known for its specialty gear work since 1982. General manager John Kim says the company had been using a large coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for many of its dimensional measurements until about a year ago when it was “basically replaced” by a CX1 Digimar height gage from Mahr Federal (Providence, RI). Gerhardt Gear is a third-generation and family-owned small manufacturing shop that specializes in developing and manufacturing precision and commercial gears, splines, serrations, sprockets and timing belt pulleys. The Digimar CX1 is part of a family of motorized, programmable height measuring systems which offer a combination of features and performance previously available only in higher-priced equip-

Far Left: Gerhardt Gear uses a Digimar CX1 height gage from Mahr Federal for a wide range of measurements, including IDs/ODs, linear measurements and positions, and center-to-center distances. Source: Gerhardt Gear Immediate Left: With the Digimar CX2 digital height gage, readily programmable measuring routines make it possible to sample batches of mass-produced parts. Source: Mahr Federal

kind to equipment as the folks in the lab, but we think the Digimar is rugged enough and is so easy to operate that it will do just fine. Because every measurement is programmable, it will really help with our in-process inspection.” Mahr Federal Inc. (800) 333-4243 www.mahr.com Reply 11

Quality Quick Clicks 329 at qualitymag.com

QUALITY | February 2006

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WHY AIR GAGING STILL MATTERS, APRIL 2006 Air gages first started ensuring quality in 1919. One of the first air gage systems was regulated by “bubbling” aair through a specific WHY llevel of water within a cylinder in which STILL MATTERS tthe air was passed. The specific gravT A iity of the water has a known constant vvalue. However, “This process could not prep ventt the evaporating and th water t from f thus changes to the readings by the air gage occurred over time,” says Jack A. Gaughan, sales manager of custom gaging at Edmunds Gages (Farmington, CT). “Other early air gages used bourdon tube technology to expand and contract based upon back pressure.” Practical dimensional air gages began to appear in the late 1930s. “This was when flowmeter instruments with operating pressures of 10 psig were developed,” says Don Moors, president of Western Gage Corp. (Camarillo, CA). “About the same time dial-type backpressure instruments with gage pres-

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Q UA L I T Y M E A S U R E M E N T

|

AIR GAGING After 90 years, air gaging remains the correct choice for hole condition measurement.

to be built up in the channel from the air supply. This backpressure can be graphed on a pressure distance curve and as the open-air jet becomes more restricted, the backpressure builds up. The pressure distance curve created by this effect is repeatable and usable for displacement measurement. “The pressure distance curve is what makes up the air gage and is what ensures its practical use on the shop floor,” says George Schuetz, director of precision gages at Mahr Federal Inc. (Providence, RI). “We have introductory information from the 1940s about air gaging, and the tooling and applications have not changed dramatically from those times, it’s simply built upon the laws of physics. “The air tooling itself is nothing more then a precision cylinder that

holds—usually— two open air jets which feed to a common channel. The clearances are important, but the restriction placed on the open-air jet causes pressure to be built up which can be measured. Back in the 1940s, people understood the importance of the two jets for differential measurement. They also knew that more jets could be added for finding geometric condition—or that taper, straightness and other relationship conditions could be measured with air tooling.”

HOLE MEASUREMENT HISTORY

Air gages first started ensuring quality in 1919. One of the first air gage systems was regulated by “bubbling” air through

TECH TIPS

The different types of air gages are

Air gaging has increased in popu-

based upon variations of two basic principles of compressed air: pressure and flow.

larity as part tolerances have gotten tighter.

30

QUALITY | April 2006

to another level and for the first time operators were able to measure 0.00002 inch on the shop floor—well before electronic amplifiers and probes. One thing that hasn’t changed considerably in the past 90 years is air gage’s tooling. While there have been upgrades in materials, coatings and processes, according to George Schuetz, director of precision gages at Mahr Federal Inc. (Providence, RI).

Eliminate the guesswork – verify metal alloys for manufacturing quality assurance.

Air gages can be grouped by the method of calibration. Source: Western Gage Co.

B Y M A R K RO B I N S, S E N I O R E D I TO R

fter measuring holes for 90 years, air gages remain a powerful metrology tool. Air gages use compressed air to measure changes in pressure or flow rates. Such tests can determine attributes and measure distances between precision orifices and the workpiece. Air gaging offers sufficient magnification and reliability to measure small tolerances. It can easily determine dimensions with tolerances smaller than 0.005 inch and when gaging tight tolerances, a resolution as small as 0.00002 inch can be achieved. Because air gaging is a noncontact form of gaging, it is ideal for measuring extremely thin-walled parts for soft materials. It is fast, accurate and readily used in production environments. Air gages measure length. Closing off of an open-air jet causes back pressure

sures at the midpoint of the scale ranging from 20 to 25 psig were developed. Both of these designs proved practical for many gaging applications, with many proponents of both systems.” During the 1940s, there was increased demand for tighter tolerance from war-related needs. After this, aeronautical requirements forced tolerances to get even tighter. Air gaging and their displays took measurement

©2010 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved.

ly inexpensive, yet precise enough to be used as a rough incoming inspection tool or for final product approval. “Low-end height gages can range from little more than a simple transfer stand with an indicator to a powerful data calculating tool with auto scanning functions,” says Walt Wardzala, major instruments product manager at Mitutoyo America Corp. (Aurora, IL). “Digital displays help to eliminate errors as well as keep track of reference points. Higher end instruments feature accuracy down to almost 1 micron and perform tedious operator measurements with a keystroke.” Price and accuracy are key considerations when selecting height gages. “Pneumatic gliding systems require a granite plate for movement,” adds Wardzala. “The benefit is greater ease of use and increased speed. Digital mechanical models are lightweight and durable. Accuracy and repeatability are more important than resolution. Make sure the model you select meets your tolerances. Mechanical digital, dial and electronic models are so affordable that few people bother with Vernier height gages.”

In addition to being sensitive to the

surface finish, air gages are also affected by any impurity in the air or what is on the part.

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Now you don’t have to risk your business and its reputation on the accuracy of your suppliers’ material. Our easy-to-use Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzers are the leading tools available today for rapid, nondestructive positive material identification (PMI) and alloy composition analysis to: tValidate incoming alloy material tRecover lost material traceability tVerify proper weld dilution More than ,000 Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzers are in use daily. For more information on our analyzers, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/niton or contact us at +1 978-670-7460.

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BALL GAGE INSTEAD OF A CYLINDRICAL PLUG GAGE. Save time with the self centering spherical surface of the ball gage. When measuring a large number of holes it can be 100 times faster. Put one or two flats on the ball and find any out-of-round holes. Measure how parallel the space is between two surfaces and or the size. You can get into inside diameters or inside spherical surfaces of rod end bearings.

QUALITY 101 “You could take a piece of tooling used in 1945, put it on a gage built in 2006 and it would still function. Also mechanical-style, analog displays have not changed too much over this period. Air gage displays today still use some type of pressure-sensing mechanical device with a magnifier to move a needle to display a length change. These are very similar to ones made 60 years ago. What really has changed are the options for displays that can be used. In the past 50 years, the electronic readout is what brought air gaging to a new level by providing more information in an easier-to-understand format to the operator. “The electronic pressure sensor is what brought the air gage display into the 21st century. Combined with the power of microprocessors and computers virtually anything can be done with the air pressure change,” Schuetz says. It’s true that one innovation today not present 90 years ago is that air gage systems can convert pressure readings to an electronic signal easily converted to a display on an electronic column or

a microprocessor-based gaging system. “These displays are more of a one-sizefits all, where the resolution can be easily changed and the displays increased or decreased without changes to the min/max masters or the gage itself,” says Don Kumpula, sales manager at Air Gage Co. (Livonia, MI). “The gage results can now be stored and the data downloaded to a network system to be analyzed for statistical process control.” INS & OUTS OF ID/OD COMPARATIVE GAGING, FEBRUARY 2007 Circles are the most frequently produced machined form. Generated by many different processes—including turning, milling, centerless grinding, boring, reaming b aand drilling— tthere are, ccorrespondingly, a wide variety of of ID/OD Comparative Gaging ggaging methods C used to measure u iinside and outside diameters. At the d |

QUALIT Y MEASUREMENT

|

INS&OUTS Most IDs and ODs can be accurately measured using one of several varieties of comparator gage.

ircles are the most frequently produced machined form. Generated by many different processes— including turning, milling, centerless grinding, boring, reaming and drilling—there are, correspondingly, a wide variety of gaging methods used to measure inside and outside diameters. At the low end, a hole could be measured with a scale or a fi xed go/no-go gage. At the other extreme, any number of precision measuring machines, including coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and optical or vision machines are available. However, in production

BY GEOR GE SC HUETZ

environments, most inside diameters and outside diameters (ID/ODs) can be accurately measured using one of several varieties of comparator gage. ID/OD comparator gages come in two basic flavors—benchtop and portable—and are meant to be used in high-volume, high-performance applications by operators with shopfloorlevel skills. Because they provide a comparative measurement, these gages require a master to set a zero reference point for determining part deviation. Comparator gages have relatively limited travel, but this allows the use of

high-resolution dial or digital indicators or very high resolution electronic probes with amplifier readouts. The choice between benchtop and portable styles depends mainly on the size of the part being measured, and whether the part will be brought to the gage or vice versa. Benchtop comparative gages are typically used on small parts and are generally restricted to measuring single dimensions or features that are less than 255 millimeters, or 9 inches, in diameter and not more than 25 millimeters, or 1 inch deep. Portable ID/OD gages can go as large as 2,500 millimeters, or 8 feet, and as deep as 125 millimeters, or 5 inches. If a manufacturer needs to go deeper than that, bore or plug gages are a better choice.

TECH TIPS

In production environments, most ID/ODs can be accurately

measured using one of several varieties of comparator gage.

The choice between benchtop and portable styles depends

mainly on the size of the part being measured, and whether the part will be brought to the gage or vice versa.

32

Benchtop gages are capable of higher precision than portables.

If the part is large or awkward to manipulate, or if it is set up on a machine and is to be measured there, then a portable, beam-type gage is needed.

QUALITY | February 2007

032-QM0207measure.indd 32

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1/19/07 1:42:10 PM

Bend the stem to reach inaccessible

locations,

in

confined areas, down in a hole, inside a cavity or in a buried feature which cannot be seen. Mount the ball on a wire for flexibility to go around corners in pipe and tubing, for example. Easily measure the width of grooves or the surfaces of spherical and toroidal features. Accurately

measure

the

pitch diameter of bearing races, threaded surfaces and of gears. Bal-tec Division Micro Surface Engr., Inc. 1550 E. Slauson Ave Los Angeles, CA 90011 323-582-7348 www.precisionballs.com


24


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low end, a hole could be measured with a scale or a fixed go/no-go gage. At the other extreme, any number of precision measuring machines, including coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and optical or vision machines are available. However, in production environments, most inside diameters and outside diameters (ID/ODs) can be accurately measured using one of several varieties of comparator gage. ID/OD comparator gages come in two basic flavors—benchtop and portable— and are meant to be used in highvolume, high-performance applications by operators with shopfloor-level skills. Because they provide a comparative measurement, these gages require a master to set a zero reference point for determining part deviation. Comparator gages have relatively limited travel, but this allows the use of high-resolution dial or digital indicators or very high resolution electronic probes with amplifier readouts. The choice between benchtop and portable styles depends mainly on the size of the part being measured, and whether the part will be brought to the gage or vice versa. Benchtop comparative gages are typically used on small parts and are generally restricted to measuring single dimensions or features that are less than 255 millimeters, or 9 inches, in diameter and not more than 25 millimeters, or 1 inch deep. Portable ID/OD gages can go as large as 2,500 millimeters, or 8 feet, and as deep as 125 millimeters, or 5 inches. If a manufacturer needs to go deeper than that, bore or plug gages are a better choice. LEVELS OF PRECISION: A FIELD GUIDE TO DIMENSIONAL GAGES, JUNE 2010 Conceptually, the dimensional measurement process is quite simple. You get a drawing for a part—an electronic computer-aided design (CAD) file, blueprint, napkin doodle or whatever—which indicates certain ccritical part dimensions aand tolerances: a particular diameter, p ffor instance, must be 2.2370 inches b Levels of Precision: ±0.0002 inch. All the ± manufacturer needs to m do is to machine the d parts to that dimension, p |

QUAL ITY M E AS UR E M E NT

A FIELD GUIDE TO DIMENSIONAL GAGES

onceptually, the dimensional measurement process is quite simple. You get a drawing for a part—an electronic computer-aided design (CAD) file, blueprint, napkin doodle or whatever—which indicates certain critical part dimensions and tolerances: a particular diameter, for instance, must be 2.2370 inches ±0.0002 inch. All the manufacturer needs to do is to machine the parts to

Find the right dimensional gage for the process at hand. B Y G EO R GE S C H UET Z

that dimension, then measure them to document that they are within the specified tolerance. What could be easier than that? Probably a lot. Not only does the tolerance of the part need to be considered but also the number of parts

to be measured, the time needed for measuring, the skill of the operator, the environment of the measurement and how much money is to be spent. All these questions go into finding the right dimensional gage for the process.

Gages are indirect-reading instruments. The gage evaluates not the dimension itself, but the difference between the mastered dimension and the workpiece dimension.

The ten-to-one rule recommends that the measuring instrument resolve to approximately 1∕10 of the tolerance being measured.

TECH TIPS

Measuring is a direct-reading process in which the inspection instrument consists of or incorporates a scale—a continuous series of linear measurement units.

28

QUALITY | June 2010

dimensional gage for the process. The subject is complex and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, even for the same dimension on the same type of part, measured under similar conditions but in different shops. There are, however, some broad distinctions that can be made in terms of levels of precision, speed and throughput required that can help make the gage selection and measurement process easier. Q

Throughout its 90+ year testing machine history, Shimadzu has been developing technology that satisfies the most demanding physical measurement and evaluation requirements. Shimadzu’s testing instruments include: QHigh-precision universal testing machines QServohydraulic testing systems QFatigue/endurance testers QMicro testing systems QHigh-speed impact testers QHardness testers QViscosity & flow testing systems QParticle size analyzers QThermal analyzers With this comprehensive range of world-class testing and inspection machines, Shimadzu can provide you with a solution for any environment or application.

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028-QM0610measure.indd 28

then measure them to document that they are within the specified tolerance. What could be easier than that? Probably a lot. Not only does the tolerance of the part need to be considered but also the number of parts to be measured, the time needed for measuring, the skill of the operator, the environment of the measurement and how much money is to be spent. All these questions go into finding the right

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MEASUREMENT

Stylus balls are made from ruby, silicon nitride, zirconia, ceramic or tungsten carbide, while materials for the holders and stems include titanium, tungsten carbide, stainless steel, ceramic and carbon fiber. To prevent stylus bending, it is recommended to use the shortest stylus possible, particularly with touch-trigger probe systems. Source: Renishaw

26


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Styli Add the

Touch of

Precision to Probe Systems

The correct choice and use of a stylus can help ensure consistent precision with a measuring system. BY DENNIS

I

dinate measuring machines (CMMs), steel and tungsten carbide are primary choices for shorter stems, with ceramic or carbon fiber recommended for longer stems. For strain gage probes used on machine tools and CMMs, carbon fiber styli are recommended. Carbon fiber styli, whether hollow or solid, have low mass, making them best suited for use with strain gage probes. Carbon fiber also is the preferred material for long styli and extensions because it is stiff, light and thermally stable. Styli for portable arm CMMs require robust design and construction and » The ruby ball is most comtypically use a tungsten monly used for the stylus carbide stem with a tip. It is exceptionally hard Zirconia ball. The Grade and smooth, with excellent 5 Zirconia balls are highcompressive strength and abrasion resistance. ly fracture-resistant. The balls are bonded to the » The more accurate a CMM high-strength tungsten is the more significant the carbide stem with impact effect of ball grade. resistant adhesive, and » Straight styli are the simspecial construction plest and most frequently techniques are used used type for measuring to ensure the joint is simple features where extremely rigid and virdirect contact can be made with the part. tually indestructible.

n machining terms, the end of the stylus is the tool tip when collecting measurement data with a probe. And with the proliferation of probe-based measurement devices—as well as the many different types of probes, such as kinematic, strain gage and scanning— an understanding of stylus designs, materials and applications can make the difference between consistent precision and frustration. In this overview, we’ll explain many of the most important considerations in choice and use of a stylus that can help ensure consistent precision with a measuring system. TECH TIPS

STYLUS STEM MATERIALS BY APPLICATION For traditional kinematic inspection probes used on machine tools, ceramic stems and ruby ball styli are the first choice. Ceramic stems are lighter than tungsten carbide, have stiffness comparable to steel and are thermally stable—ideal for use in a harsh machine tool environment. For coor-

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BOBO

Scanning probes introduce other variables that affect the choice of ball materials. STYLUS BALL CONSIDERATIONS The ruby ball is most commonly used for the stylus tip. It is exceptionally hard and smooth, with excellent compressive strength and abrasion resistance. Ruby balls are manufactured to various levels of precision defined by their grade, which relates to the maximum deviation of the ball from a perfect sphere. Any error in sphericity will increase measurement uncertainty, and it is possible to lose as much as 10% of a CMM’s accuracy as a result of this error. It is important to remember that the more accurate a CMM is the more significant the effect of ball grade. The two most common ball specifications are grade 5 and 10 (the lower number is better). Grade 5 (sphericity of 0.13 micron) is ideal for most applications. For higher accuracy CMMs, a grade 3 ball (with sphericity of just 0.08 micron) is recommended. Styli equipped with these balls utilize a special manufacturing technique because research has shown the form of the ball can be distorted by drilling and gluing—the standard way of mounting the ball on the stem. The high-accuracy stylus uses an undrilled ball, bonded to a spheri-


27

MEASUREMENT Straight styli are the simplest and most commonly used. Straight shouldered stems and tapered stems are available. Styli with tapered stems offer better rigidity when the workpiece is easily accessible. The measuring travel direction should be near parallel to the part’s coordinate axes and at right angles to the work surface. Source: Renishaw

Ceramic hemispheric styli offer a large effective ball diameter with minimal weight. They are used for measuring deep features and bores, and are ideal for probing very rough surfaces where the ball diameter averages out the effects of the roughness. Source: Renishaw

the other through local welding or transfer of minute particles from one surface to the other. Adhered material cannot be removed with normal cleaning. Thus, as surface material from the workpiece adheres to the ball and remains in contact with the part surface, like materials will attract and further buildup can EFFECTS OF SCANNING occur. Adhesion of material will eventuSurface scanning with a probe results ally degrade the form of the stylus ball in a more aggressive type of interacand compromise measuring results. tion with the part that can ultimately In the real world, significant measureaffect the ball’s shape and accuracy, so ment errors due to material adhesion are it introduces a variable in the selection rare, and the amount of material transfer of ball materials. to the ball produces negligible change Scanning produces three interac( 1.2 2M > 1.4 4M > 2M M > 4M M > 5M M>

8M > 12M

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VISION & SENSORS

FROM THE EDITOR

The Clash Conflict is all around us. It is prevalent in nature and human nature, particularly in politics. Don’t worry, I’m not going to break that unwritten rule not to talk politics at the dinner table, although this cliché is further evidence of how conflict has permeated our lives. I bring up politics because, like many other Americans, it has been on my mind recently with the socalled debt debate. On August 2, both the House and Senate passed a bill that, it has been said, narrowly averted default on the country’s debt obligations, although it remains to be seen what affect the “compromise” will have on the nation, the economy and our individual lives. Compromise is one of the most common solutions to conflict. In fact, it is so common it has its own cliché —a successful compromise is when both parties are equally dissatisfied. This is the perfect way to describe the passage of the debt bill. Tea Party members wanted large spending cuts with no tax increases; Liberals wanted to increase taxes on the richest Americans without cuts to the country’s largest government programs, namely Social Security and Medicare. So indeed, no one got what they wanted. But at its bare bones, that is the nature of conflict resolution—someone wins, someone loses or there is compromise. This dynamic can also be seen in nature, and is the subject of yet another recent news item. The September 2011

same week there was a near-term resolution of the debt debate, Astronomers Martin Jutzi and Erik Asphaug, both of the University of California, Santa Cruz, announced a theory that the Earth once had two moons. The hypothesis started with the observation that the Moon is smooth on one side and filled with craters and mountains on the other. It has been described as taking a basketball and smacking one side with a handful of mud. The new theory asserts that this is evidence that, at some point in time, the two moons crashed into one another, the winner of the “conflict” being the Moon we know today. These examples of conflict remind me of the behavior of bubbles. If you watch bubbles interact when they get close to one another, they will inherently do one of three things—one will burst, both will burst or they will fuse together. This behavior is analogous to the progression of technology. In many situa-

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HARNESSING THE POWER OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE LINE-SCAN CAMERAS p. 8VS MACHINE VISION STILL NEEDS FRAME GRABBERS p. 12VS

tions, one technology will bring about the demise of another. The automobile made the horse and buggy obsolete. Beta was outshone by VHS, which was killed by the DVD, which is now threatened by the advent of streaming video and the digital copy. In other situations, technology found harmony amongst other technologies. The telephone evolved into the cell phone. The calculator paved the way for the computer which, in turn, gave rise to the Internet. Today, all of these technologies exist in one device, the smartphone, which allows us to make phone calls, surf the Web and more. This same harmony exists in the pages of this month’s Vision & Sensors. Learn how frame grabbers are still benefitting the industry in Inder Kohli’s feature, “Machine Vision Still Needs Frame Grabbers” and see how LED technology is permeating the marketplace and still growing in Norm Axelrod’s article, “LEDs 101.” It’s a regular win-win situation. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Darryl Seland, Editor in Chief

Vision & Sensors Editorial Advisory Board David Dechow Aptura Machine Vision Solutions

4VS

VISION & SENSORS | September 2011

Ned Lecky Lecky Integration

Perry West Automated Vision Systems Inc.


AUTO RACKING IS EASY... WHEN YOU HAVE A VISION

Auto racking is a proven, cost-effective method to load and unload parts. We’ll customize a solution so you can: • Increase safety - No need to lift heavy parts • Improve quality - Place parts exactly where you need them • Speed up production - Quicker than manual loading and unloading • Reduce costs - No need to retool rack when product geometries change The Pepperl+Fuchs VMT group has over 20 years of success in applying turnkey 2D and 3D robotic vision-guided technology. With our easy-to-use test and calibration process along with multiple redundancies, uptime and reliability are assured. Download a free white paper that discusses how to successfully implement vision-guided auto racking at: www.sensing.net/autorack-i

Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc. Ann Arbor, MI 330.486.0001 www.sensing.net/autorack-i

VISION & SENSORS

NEWS

JAI Cameras Added to PPT VISION’s Embedded System SAN JOSE, CA —JAI has announced a strategic partnership with PPT VISION Inc. of Minneapolis, MN, to provide high-performance camera technology for integration into PPT VISION’s M-Series embedded machine vision line. Under the arrangement, JAI will initially provide a UV-sensitive camera and a remote-head camera to enable PPT VISION to expand the applicability of the M-Series line to a variety of specialized applications. Additional JAI cameras may be incorporated at a future date. The 1.4-megapixel, 16 fps ultraviolet camera selected by PPT VISION utilizes the shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet light to “see” smaller surface details or to image items that radiate light below the visible spectrum. These capabilities make the cameras ideal for semiconductor inspection, biomedical analysis and other sophisticated applications. Also being added to PPT VISION’s M-Series line is one of JAI’s high-speed remotehead cameras. The camera is designed for applications involving limited space and/ or high-speed repetitive motion, such as pick-and-place machines, pipe inspection, or other industrial endoscopy tasks.

NEWPORT CORP. TO ACQUIRE OPHIR OPTRONICS IRVINE, CA—Newport Corp. has signed an agreement to acquire Ophir Optronics Ltd. (“Ophir”), a global precision infrared optics, photonics instrumentation and 3-D noncontact measurement equipment company. The consideration to be paid by Newport is $8.43 per share, or a total of approximately $230 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2011, subject to receiving required regulatory approvals, the approval of Ophir’s shareholders and other customary closing conditions. Newport expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to its earnings following the closing. Ophir is headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel, with manufacturing operations in Israel and the United States, and sales offices in the states, Japan and Europe. Its shares arepublicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “OPIR”. For the 12 month period ended March 31, 2011, Ophir had revenue of $111.8 million and operating income of $12.5 million. For its fi rst quarter ended March 31, 2011, Ophir reported revenue of $30.2 million and operating income

6VS

of $3.9 million. Over the five year period from 2006 to 2010, Ophir’s compound annual growth rate in revenue was approximately 19%. For fiscal year 2010, approximately 48% of its sales were to customers in the U.S., 34% to customers in Israel and Europe, and 18% to customers in Asia. The company has approximately 650 employees worldwide. The acquisition will be completed through a merger of Ophir with a newly formed subsidiary of Newport, with Ophir becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Newport following the closing

ALLIED VISION TECHNOLOGIES EXPANDS AHRENSBURG LOCATION AHRENSBURG, GERMANY— Allied Vision Technologies is expanding its research and design (R&D) center in Ahrensburg near Hamburg. Beginning August 2011, the camera manufacturer’s branch location will occupy the entire fi rst upper floor of the City Center Ahrensburg (CCA) at Klaus-GrothStraße 1. This will open up an additional 100 1,080 square feet of space for offices and laboratories. The additional space is urgently needed. The worldwide market for digital cameras for industrial and scientific applications is booming,


and Allied Vision Technologies (AVT) is further expanding its position as one of its leading manufacturers. Despite a minimal drop in demand during the crisis year of 2009, in 2010 the company posted an increase in sales of just more than 60% compared to the previous year. For AVT’s engineers and technicians, that means more projects and more product and software development. Due to increased demand, several new colleagues were hired over the past few months and more qualified personnel are still being sought.

BOULDER IMAGING APPOINTS SENIOR OPTICAL SOLUTIONS ENGINEER BOULDER, CO––Boulder Imaging, a quality inspection, machine vision and high-speed imaging solutions company, announced that Neil Vanasse has joined the company as a senior optical solutions engineer. Vanasse is an optical and mechanical engineer with more than 15 years of experience. Vanasse will be designing imaging solutions around the company’s flagship product lines Vision Inspectort Intelligent Machine Vision and Quazar High Performance Digital Video Recorder (HPDVR). Vanasse previously held the position of optical/mechanical engineer at Rocky Mountain Instruments working on design, analysis, and testing of ultraviolet, visible and infrared optical systems. He was employed for nine years with Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies where he designed, assembled and tested optical/LADAR systems along with a variety of laser and thermalelectric technologies.

MATROX CELEBRATES 35TH ANNIVERSARY MONTREAL, CANADA—With the introduction of Matrox’s fi rst product Video RAM (a specialized video display device for fi rst-generation microcomputers) in 1976, cofounders Branko Matic and Lorne Trottier launched a company that has continued to develop throughout


the past 35 years. The company’s three divisions: Matrox Graphics, Matrox Imaging, and Matrox Video—now provide specialized hardware and software solutions for use in an array of professional markets, including media and entertainment, fi nance, digital signage and medical imaging.

and unique ways. Additionally, the software development environment is exceptional: It comes with extensive source code examples and a detailed documentation.” “Adept Turnkey Pty Ltd provides a powerful sales team which pen-

CANNATA JOINS BAUMER AS FIELD SALES ENGINEER

etrates their market in an outstanding effective way,” says Dr. Olaf Munkelt, MVTec’s managing director. “More than that, Adept comes with a strong technical department and fully understands machine vision technology and industry.”

High Speed CMOS Cameras Highest Resolutions with over 300 fps

Southington, CT—Michael Cannata has joined Baumer Ltd. as a Field Sales Engineer. In his new position, Cannata will oversee product sales for the company’s sensor and motion lines in the Ohio/Michigan region. Cannata brings to his new position more than 20 years of sales experience in the automation, motion and safety controls markets. Prior to joining Baumer, he held sales management positions with Phoenix Contact, Pilz Automation Safety, Yaskawa and Rockwell Automation. Cannata has worked extensively with customers in the automotive, tire/rubber processing, packaging, and food/beverage processing industries.

MVTEC EXPANDS MARKETING ACTIVITIES IN AUSTRALIA Beginning June 2011, the distribution of MVTec machine vision software products in Australia and New Zealand will additionally performed by Adept Turnkey Pty Ltd. Besides the distribution of HALCON and ActivVisionTools, Adept will also provide high-level technical support for these software products. “As products that facilitate advanced vision solutions, MVTec’s HALCON and ActivVisionTools are a very good fit to Adept’s current software product offerings and for its customers,” declares Marc Fimeri, Adept’s CEO. “We are excited about the advanced tools, performance and hardware independence HALCON provides and believe that the capabilities of the software will allow our customers to tackle vision applications in new


www.baumer.com The new HXC cameras with CMOSIS sensors feature Q Highest frame rates with CameraLink® Full 10tap interface Q 2 megapixels @ 337 fps and 4 megapixels @ 180 fps Q Color, monochrome and monochrome with enhanced NIR sensitivity Q Excellent image quality with Global Shutter and CDS Q Robust industrial suited housing measuring 52 x 52 x 37 mm

Inspired? www.baumer.com/cameras

September 2011 | VISION & SENSORS

7VS

VISION & SENSORS

LINE-SCAN CAMER AS

Harnessing the Power

less, two-dimensional images of moving objects. Since the line-scan camera is capturing images one line at a time, the object being scanned is usually moved past the camera WHY HIGH-PERFORMANCE, HIGH-SPEED LINE-SCAN CAMERAS ARE IDEAL FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF APPLICATIONS AND HOW THEY WILL and a series of pictures is taken to provide useful data for an inspecPERFORM IN THESE APPLICATION ENVIRONMENTS. By Xing-Fei He tion. Perhaps the most common example of line-scan imaging is the fax machine. Line-scan cameras typically When Utechzone’s COBRA AOI system provide for very fast scanning locates and identifies repairable of the pixels so that many picdefects, the panel is re-routed for possible repair. In the case of a nontures may be taken over a short repairable defect, the glass cutting period of time as the object patterns are adjusted to avoid the moves in the field of view of defects. Source: Teledyne DALSA the camera. These pictures are then combined by the machine vision system to analyze the picture and perform the inspection. High-sensitivity line-scan sensors use time delay and integration (TDI) technology; these sensors are built into some line-scan cameras for highperformance image capture. TDI is a method of scanning that provides greater sensitivity than that available from other line scanning methods. This permits much greater scanning speeds with normal lighting or allows reduced lighting levels (and costs) at conventional speeds. The huge advanHigh-performance line-scan cameras are used in a vari- tages in sensitivity provided by TDI 100–500 times more sensitive ety of demanding industrial inspection applications. (often than traditional line scan) allow for These include flat panel display, electronics and solar truly superior speed and image qualcell inspection, along with print and postal inspection. ity, without the need for expensive, high-power illumination.

of High-Performance Line-Scan Cameras

The speed, resolution and sensitivity of high-performance line-scan cameras set them apart and make them ideal for certain applications. Color line-scan cameras are also available for applications that require color imaging. First, we’ll take a look at how these cameras work.

tech tips

HIGH-PERFORMANCE LINE-SCAN CAMERAS: WHAT MAKES THEM DIFFERENT? Line scan cameras operate quite differently than area-scan cameras. With an area-scan camera, a matrix of pixels provides a view of an object that contains both length and width. Line-scan imaging uses a single line of pixels to build seam-

Advantages Line-scan image capture has many benefits, including: • Higher speed and higher system throughput • Enabled low-light imaging • More detail with fewer cameras in a multi-camera system, resulting in cost savings • Superb color fidelity

Line-scan imaging uses a single line of pixels to build seamless, two-dimensional images of moving objects.

Line-scan cameras are ideal for imaging objects at highspeed or for the web inspection of a continuous surface.

The most common example of line-scan imaging is the fax machine.

Line-scan image capture has many benefits, including higher speed and higher system throughput and superb color fidelity.

8VS



Reaching NEXT THE

LEVEL

IN RESOLUTION

Leadership. It’s about more than meeting the toughest standards. It’s about exceeding them. By a wide margin.

Introducing Kowa’s JC10M Lens Series

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M AT R O X

I M A G I N G

VISION & SENSORS

LINE-SCAN CAMER AS

For a given field of view, one 2k line-scan camera cost-effectively provides the same resolution as two mega-pixel area scan cameras, without image smear or the redundant processing of frame overlaps. Source: Teledyne DALSA

Trade-offs The trade-offs in-line scan imaging usually relate to lighting and optics. Illumination must remain reasonably uniform over the entire field of view, although in-camera flat-field correction available on some line-scan cameras can compensate for poor uniformity. Integration times in line-scan imaging are typically very short, so illumination intensity generally needs to be high. However, high-sensitivity TDI line-scan products can address this problem.

IDEAL APPLICATIONS FOR HIGHPERFORMANCE LINE SCAN CAMERAS Line-scan cameras are ideal for imaging objects at high-speed or for the web inspection of a continuous surface, such as paper, glass or metal. In the applications outlined in the following, manufacturers need to ensure high quality, often with zero defects, but they are also trying to keep costs low. Flat-panel display inspection Manufacturing flat-panel displays involves precise layering of materials including glass, semiconductors, metals, and polarizing films and subjecting them to many sophisticated etching and electrochemical processing steps. As consumers demand bigger, better TV displays at lower prices, manufacturers must make continual improvement in quality and yield. Automated optical inspection (AOI) is the most effective, efficient approach, and manufacturers are moving to 100% inspection of each panel after every major process-

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Wafer inspection can identify and characterize defects such as micro-cracking before further processing, increasing process yields. Source: Teledyne DALSA

ing step. The goal is to inspect more often, with greater precision, and still reduce the overall time of inspection. AOI is required in flat-panel display production partly because of the industry’s zerodefect policy. Electronics inspection Electronics inspection applications typically involve AOI at multiple manufacturing stages, from bare printed circuit board inspection to solder paste inspection to populated board inspection (post-reflow), and automated x-ray inspection (AXI). The trend is toward more points of inspection, but the key is always to capture yield-limiting defects, and avoid false positives, while reducing the overall time for inspection. As components and traces shrink, inspection systems need to provide ever-greater resolution while maintaining or even increasing total system throughput—thus the need for speed. Higher speed requires higher sensitivity to make up for the reduced number of photons. Delivering better images in less time with less light presents conflicting goals, but these are the goals inspection systems must meet. Solar cell inspection Governments, private industry and consumers are all seeking energy sources that are “greener” but still affordable, and as a result, solar cell manufacturers are under pressure to increase the quality of their products and reduce costs. Yield is critical, and optical inspection is an important tool.


Much like flat-panel display manufacturers, solar cell manufacturers are moving to 100% inspection of each panel after every major processing step. AOI can help in several ways. It allows developers to speed their production process by removing the inspection bottleneck. It also offers higher reliability, precision and accuracy than manual methods. This permits detection of errors earlier in the production process, reducing waste and allows safe handling of thinner wafers while reducing production delays due to wafer breakage and subsequent clean up. The vision systems performing the inspections can also provide immediate feedback on errors detected to support continuous process monitoring and improvement. The result of these benefits is lowered production costs. Print inspection Print inspection systems are an excellent fit for high-performance line-scan cameras. One interesting type of print inspection is the inspection of banknotes. Traditionally, banknote quality has largely been determined by means of manual visual inspection. By definition, this check focused on the visible aspects of the product and was also influenced by human subjectivity and lack of consistency. Today, automatic inspection and sorting systems are used in many printing works to verify 100% of the final product. Banknotes identified as defective, according to specified parameters, are sorted and removed for destruction.


Postal and Parcel Inspection Automation is vital to modern postal and parcel sorting. While bar codes have simplified scanning in the retail environment, postal sorting equipment must deal with much more challenging conditions and targets. Postal and parcel inspection systems typically still lift an image of an entire address (possibly handwritten) from letters, magazines, and parcels and use sophisticated algorithms to interpret it and automatically send the item down the correct path. High-speed, high-resolution linescan cameras enable systems to easily capture barcodes on any parcel. One of the challenges is the variation in parcel height, which makes it challenging to capture a focused image. Stopping down a lens to give a larger depth of field reduces the amount of light through the aperture, making it hard to capture a clear image at high speed. High-speed, high-resolution line-scan and TDI cameras enable inspection systems to easily capture barcodes on any parcel. The huge advantages in sensitivity provided by TDI allow superior speed and image quality, even with stopped down lenses, and without the need for expensive, high-power illumination.

Companies like PARVIS have developed banknote inspection systems to handle the inspection of the intricate security features that have been introduced to combat counterfeiting. Source: Teledyne DALSA

TDI technology and color imaging when needed, along with a high performance to price ratio. V&S Xing-Fei He is a Senior Product Manager at Teledyne DALSA and is responsible for the company’s line scan and TDI product lines. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. Degree in Semiconductor Devices from Zhongshan University (Guangzhou, China) and a Ph.D. in Photonics from the

Australian National University (Canberra, Australia). For more information, visit: • Line-scan technology: http://www.teledynedalsa.com/mv/knowledge/linescanprimer.aspx • Time Delay and Integration (TDI): http:// www.teledynedalsa.com/mv/knowledge/ TDIprimer.aspx • Teledyne DALSA line-scan cameras: http:// www.teledynedalsa.com/mv/products/cameras.aspx

SUMMARY Automated optical inspection will continue to play a critical role in industrial inspection. With the help of high-performance line scan cameras, AOI serves as an enabler for the cost-effective manufacture of complex flat-panel display and solar panels and electronic components. The benefits of highperformance line scan cameras also help increase inspection yield without compromising production throughput for the print and postal industries. When selecting a high-performance line scan camera, make sure the features and benefits of the camera and machine vision system you select are a match for the needs of your application. Look for speed, responsivity,



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VISION & SENSORS

FR AME GR ABBERS AND IMAGING BOARDS

Machine Vision Still Needs

Frame Grabbers DESPITE MUCH INDUSTRY SPECULATION ABOUT THEIR IMMINENT DEMISE, FRAME GRABBERS REMAIN AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS. By Inder Kohli

Far from being a fading technology, frame grabbers are continually evolving and playing a vital role in machine vision. Source: Teledyne DALSA

Once simply used as analog video digitizers and image buffers, frame grabbers now range in function from vision-specific interface boards to full-featured embedded image processing devices that present buffered, conditioned images and metadata to a host system for analysis. Further, frame grabber design has continually evolved to keep pace with changes in camera technology and to offload

tech tips

the host processor for increased system performance. In addition to the image acquisition, frame grabbers perform three major tasks in machine vision systems. One is image reconstruction,

Frame grabbers present buffered, conditioned images and metadata to a host system for analysis. The use of direct-to-computer camera interfaces may have reduced, but has not eliminated the need for frame grabbers in the vision industry.

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which with the original analog video technology meant digitizing the analog signal from the video camera, de-interlacing and re-formatting, if needed. The second task of the frame grabber is to simply buffer the images until the host CPU is ready to receive them. The frame grabber’s third task is to provide real-time control of the camera for such activities as exposure control and shutter activation and to react to external events deterministically. As digital technology began to replace analog technology in camera design, the role of the frame grabber changed somewhat. With modern digital cameras, image reconstruction involves taking camera data from one or more serial channels and reordering the pixels into an image. The need for image buffering and camera control, though, has remained and must be done in an ever shorter period of time to enable high-speed camera operations. Frame grabber and camera designs have evolved together to enhance the digital link between them (Figure 1). The evolution of vision-specific digital interfaces has been greatly influenced by vision systems’ needs for higher sustained throughput, longer cable distances, lower heat generation and smaller physical footprints than standard computer peripheral interfaces could provide. The first such visionspecific digital interface to become an industry standard provided highspeed triggering and control signals to the camera as well as a data path to the frame grabber. Ubiquitous presence of PC peripheral interfaces such as Ethernet, Firewire and USB—and the advent

With modern digital cameras, image reconstruction involves taking camera data from one or more serial channels and reordering the pixels into an image. With new interfaces increasing the amount of video data vision systems must handle, frame grabbers will also evolve to offer even more image storage and preprocessing capabilities. www.visionsensorsmag.com

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VISION & SENSORS

FR AME GR ABBERS AND IMAGING BOARDS

of multi-core processors—have led many camera and vision system designers to leverage these technologies to provide more cost effective solutions, thus reducing the need for a frame grabber when data rate is not elevated. Such designs seek to lower cost by using the host computer for both buffering and image processing. Some of these PC interfaces also had the advantage of supporting a longer distance between camera and vision system. Gigabit Ethernet, for instance, supports data rates up to 100 Mbytes/second per cable to distances of 100 meters, with data rate scalability possible through the use of multiple cables. The GigE Vision camera interface standard arose to give the generic Ethernet link the kinds of camera control features that vision systems require, supporting a variety of Ethernet speed grades.

CAMERA PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES PC’S PROCESSING The use of direct-to-computer camera interfaces, however, may have reduced, but has not eliminated the need for frame grabbers in the vision industry. Image sensor technology is continually increasing both the speed and resolution of the images cameras can provide. Without a dedicated frame grabber, the tasks of capturing and reformatting the image data and of responding to external

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events deterministically can inevitably represent a considerable burden to the PC. Handling these tasks without dedicated hardware leaves little remaining CPU capacity for image processing and other tasks. With a frame grabber offloading the camera interface and image assembly tasks, however, much of the host’s capacity becomes available for vision processing and other tasks. There are a growing number of applications that require such high, or even higher, performance cameras. The inspection of flat panel displays during fabrication, for instance, needs cameras with ever-increasing resolution. The advent of HD-quality displays in handheld devices such as smartphones now calls for inspection of color sub-pixel filters less than 1 µm across. Meanwhile, the need for manufacturing speed and efficiency calls for cameras imaging as wide a field as possible as rapidly as possible. The result is extremely high data rates. One system currently in operation for automated optical inspection of flat panel displays uses multiple line-scan cameras and must handle nearly 7 Gigabytes/second. The inspection of electronic circuit boards or web inspection applications has similar needs for both high speed and high precision. As with flat panel inspection, the speed at which the vision system can operate determines the rate at which the factory can produce boards. Processing speed in the host system is typically the limiting factor, so anything vision system designers can do to minimize the demands on the host processor contributes directly to manufacturing throughput. The offloading that a frame grabber provides can make a major contribution toward that throughput.

FRAME GRABBERS OFFLOAD VISION TASKS There are also opportunities for the frame grabber to offload from the host processor tasks beyond image assembly and handling of the camera interface. Many applications have a need for deterministic but time-consuming operations such as color space conversion, multispectral image extraction, and the generation of image meta-data. Such tasks can be embedded into the frame grabber, providing pre-processing that helps simplify and accelerate subsequent image analysis in the host processor. Embedded image processing with wide applicability may be built into the frame grabber by the manufacturer, or the frame grabber can serve as a platform for users to develop and embed their own custom image processing. A food-inspection system, for instance, could use a frame grabber to simultaneously prepare both visiblecolor and monochrome infrared images from the camera data. The host system, then, can then run different inspection algorithms on each image type without having to manipulate the raw camera data twice. By having the images already separated and assembled, the host processor can complete its inspection tasks more efficiently. This ability to offer pre-processing as well as image assembly is indicative of the ongoing evolution in


frame grabber functionality. Frame grabbers are also continuing to evolve as new camera interfaces arise. These new interfaces are needed in part because continual increases in the resolution and frame rates of vision system cameras are pushing the bandwidth limits of existing camera interfaces. Even where high-performance cameras are not required, though, some system designs are calling for greater distances between the camera and the frame grabber or vision processor than the traditional twisted-pair wiring.

NEW CAMERA INTERFACES BOOST PERFORMANCE To meet these growing requirements for higher bandwidth and longer cable lengths with a consistent interface design, several new camera interface standards are set to emerge. CoaXpress is yet another example of a new machine vision standard out of the Japan Industrial Imaging Association (JIIA) that requires dedicated frame grabbers. The CoaXpress specification allows transmission of up to 6.25 Gbits/ second over a single coax cable to a distance of 100m. Systems can use as many as four cables in parallel to achieve higher bandwidths. A 20 Mbps “uplink” from host to camera allows for control and configuration data, and power can be provided over the cable at 24V, up to 13W per cable. The AIA’s GigE Vision Standard can currently support high bandwidths using a 10-GigE interface, which supports 1200 Mbytes/ second; the 10-GiGe standard in itself does not provide support for real-time trigger signaling without the use of special hardware. The adoption of 10-Gigabit Ethernet in mainstream machine vision cameras, however, has been slow, due in large part to its bigger protocol, higher power and heat footprint. When and if the 10-GigE interface becomes a mainstay in machine vision cameras, reconstructing data packets into a


The digital interface between camera and frame grabber is evolving to provide higher bandwidth and longer separation distances with the advent of new standards like CameraLink HS. Source: Teledyne DALSA

usable image with the amount of data coming across the 10-GigE link will be a task best left to a frame grabber. While a standard off-theshelf NIC can serve as the camera interface if host CPU utilization is not a key consideration, a 10-GigE frame grabber provides an efficient way to move the images, not just data, into the host computer. With these new interfaces increasing the amount of video data vision systems must handle, frame grabbers will also evolve to offer even more image storage and preprocessing capabilities. Such parallelism greatly simplifies the creation of multi-camera systems for applications involving precision inspection of large objects or continuous web inspection. The role of frame grabbers in machine vision, then, is far from over. Increasing demand for higher

performance image sensors and the resulting increase in data bandwidth ensures that frame grabbers have a role in real-time image capture, control, formatting and buffering data to make the usage host efficient. In addition, frame grabbers continue to evolve and adapt to provide greater value in vision systems by offloading computer intensive image processing tasks and preparing the images for efficient vision analysis. Even when the camera can plug directly into a PC for data capture and analysis, the processing capacity a frame grabber can bring to a vision system design gives the frame grabber a valuable role as a key enabler of high-speed, high performance vision system designs. V&S Inder Kohli is with Teledyne DALSA.


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VISION & SENSORS

MACHINE VISION TIPS

Advances in

Vision Sensing CONTINUAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO NOT ONLY COMPETE IN A THRIVING MARKETPLACE, BUT ALSO TO MAINTAIN AND EXCEED THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. By Dan Holste

With connectivity over three distinct channels (command, data export and image export), results can be delivered to HMIs and PCs at faster speeds and with greater frequency for unparalleled access to inspection information. Source: Banner Engineering

One way to ensure customer satisfaction is to produce a product that consistently meets consumer demands. With assembly lines moving faster, the margin for error is shrinking and utilizing vision sensing is a vital component to reliable mass-production that steadily delivers a quality product. Designed with enhanced features to improve inspection capabilities, vision sensors provide a wide range of application solutions from simple presence detection to

tech tips

complex pattern recognition—making them an important addition to any manufacturing process. Vision sensing (or electronic imaging) provides control to manufacturers over multiple processes from machine tools and robots to product quality and inspection. Comprised of a camera, which determines the

range of the product features and performance, and a control system that is used to interface the sensors with machine controls, vision sensors allow users to set product specific parameters for inspection. The inspection process consists of the following three-step process: 1. Acquire: A camera snaps a picture of the part. 2. Analyze: The picture is transferred to memory where it is processed, analyzed and compared to previously set product parameters. 3. Determine: Finally, the vision sensor utilizes user-defined tolerances for each parameter to output a pass/fail result for each inspection. Vision sensors are a superior manufacturing detection tool due to their unparalleled abilities to handle high-speed assembly lines—allowing the sensor to inspect products with 100 percent accuracy in comparison to human inspection capabilities, which at its best, is approximately 80 percent accurate. Additionally, vision sensors are able to conduct simultaneous, repetitive, multiple and consistent inspections on objects (same or differing), providing reliable results for complex detection needs. Their user-friendly, easy-toinstall application offers a universal vision solution—delivering costeffective, powerful vision capabilities for the manufacturing industry.

PHOTOELECTRIC VS. VISION SENSING Photoelectric and vision sensing are inspection tools used in manufacturing processes. While both use and interpret light (or the absence of it) to control machines and processes for product detection, the differences regarding sensing methods,

Vision sensing provides control to manufacturers over multiple processes from machine tools and robots to product quality and inspection.

At the Analyze stage, the picture is transferred to memory where it is processed, analyzed and compared to previously set product parameters.

At the Acquire stage, a camera snaps a picture of the part.

At the determine stage, the vision sensor utilizes userdefined tolerances for each parameter to output a pass/ fail result for each inspection.

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VISION & SENSORS

MACHINE VISION TIPS

Ethernet enabled vision sensors deliver remote managing options to provide instantaneous pattern updates or access stored inspections. Source: Banner Engineering

inspection capabilities and analytical potential are significant. Each sensor is equipped with specific strengths and purposes, providing precise services that meet individual manufacturing needs. Photoelectric sensors produce only one beam of light, which results in only one point for inspection. Therefore, multiple sensors may be needed if a machine or product requires several points of inspection. Photoelectric sensors operate by conducting an analysis of light intensity for determining object detection, triggering the vision sensor when an object’s presence is established. The sensor will give a simple discrete signal, a binary output based on the presence or absence of light. Given photoelectric sensors simplistic detection method, it can be a solution for processes where a mere verification of the presence or absence of an object is desired. For example, users can employ a photoelectric sensor to recognize whether or not a box of cookies is present in a simple inspection application. Alternatively, vision sensing is not limited to simple presence detection, but can also analyze the color, shape, size or position of an object’s feature. Vision sensors do not rely on the object to trigger inspection, but instead use dedicated light to illuminate and capture the entire image for complete visual feedback. A single vision sensor can inspect multiple points on an object, reducing equipment requirements while

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Vision sensors offer extensive inspection variety and flexibility. Source: Banner Engineering

gaining expanded range. The vision sensor “sees” an area, and senses many thousands of distinct points (or pixels) in the specified area. Further, users can change the lens of the sensor, making the field of view smaller or larger, to accurately obtain the microscopic level of detail needed. Upon image capture, the vision sensor provides a binary output with enhanced communication capabilities, allowing users to send large amounts of data about an object’s parts or features serially or via computer protocols such as Ethernet. This enables data to be communicated to the entire manufacturing enterprise. Using the above box of cookies example, a vision sensor is capable of conveying detailed inspection results. Instead of a simple detection of the box, a vision sensor can detect the presence of the box, determine whether any cookies are missing and the orientation of the missing cookies, as they are not always located in the same position. Therefore, a vision sensor is ideal for inspection applications requiring a detailed analysis of features, sizes, shapes or positions. The increased capabilities of vision sensing provide vast benefits for manufacturing inspection applications with enhanced flexibility of use. Users are able to set inspection parameters to detect specific features, such as the position of a label or verifying that all the teeth of a comb are the same length. Further, the advanced inspection options


offered by vision sensors can lead to a reduction in production costs and overhead expenses by eliminating rework, reducing scrap and identifying defects in products early in production before it increases in value.

ADVANCEMENTS IN VISION SENSING Vision sensing technology has continued to advance and adapt, accommodating various production needs and providing enhanced inspection capabilities, for diverse manufacturing applications. These added features are intended to make communication, control and adaptation easier and faster than ever before. New innovations provide vision sensors capable of superior performance coupled with unique features, while remaining simplistic in use. Vision sensors provide an easy to set-up, self-contained solution to inspection challenges—requiring no PC for inspection, configuration or modification. Complete with a camera that acquires up to 100 frames per second, an innovative touch screen, high-resolution images, increased performance processing and adjustable lens for the ideal viewing field, vision sensors are a smart technology that take production inspection to unparalleled heights. Vision sensors equipped with Ethernet connectivity capabilities can provide effective, immediate communication between sensors and PLCs, PC and other factory devices.


Ethernet allows the vision sensors to share information such as images or inspections quickly, providing immediate results. Ethernet enabled vision sensors deliver remote managing options to provide instantaneous pattern updates or access stored inspections. With connectivity over three distinct channels (command, data export and image export), results can be delivered to HMIs and PCs at faster speeds and with greater frequency for unparalleled access to inspection information. In addition to connectivity developments, vision sensors also have improved inspection technology to enable them to adapt to enhanced manufacturing speeds and complex detection requirements. Vision sensors offer extensive inspection variety and flexibility. Capable of storing an unprecedented 30 inspections at a time, vision sensors can easily accommodate high speed assembly lines and rapid product changeover. Vision sensors offer multiple configuration options, including Area, Blemish, Match and Sort, permitting vision sensors to tackle challenging and intricate inspection needs. Area can be used to identify a particular feature(s), such as quantity or size. Blemish will recognize any potential flaws on the part, such as a scratch on a CD; while the Match configuration is used to verify that shapes or patterns in a part replicate the reference pattern. Lastly, Sort can distinguish between pattern variations, classifying as many as 10 patterns in a single inspection—distinguishing between items like nuts and bolts. User-friendly installation and configuration is accomplished through a series of menu-driven tools that guide users through selecting specific inspection designations for each product. These sophisticated vision sensors are designed to allow manufacturers to define regions of interest for the inspection, classify and adjust precise tool parameters, and select the minimum and maximum pass count for each inspection. Updating inspection requirements is fast and


simple, and can be done remotely using the sensor emulator, which allows offline updates and modifications—preventing production downtime and reducing expenses. Given the broad range of industries that rely on sensor technology to produce consistent, quality products, vision sensors offer customization options through their expansive application options. Manufacturers can select vision sensors to fit their precise product needs from a diverse range, including sensors that detect feature presence to sensors with capabilities of overseeing the entire assembly process. Other options can include recognizing a feature based on color, date code or size code, location analysis, which orients production through the next assembly step or sensing capabilities that identify features based on shape, color or size. Vision sensors now offer remote monitoring possibilities in which a remote touch screen is paired with one or more sensors to allow the same innovative inspection capabilities to examine previously un-inspected or difficult-to-monitor areas. Once vision sensors have been set up, users can operate the remote features to configure, monitor and update inspection requirements for all vision sensors— providing a new comprehensiveness to product inspection. With sensing technology offering a broad spectrum of inspection possibilities, from the simplistic, dependable presence detection capabilities of photoelectric sensors to the complex, analytical deduction abilities of vision sensors, finding the ideal inspection solution for manufacturing has never been easier or more thorough. Understanding a vision sensor’s features and strengths will enable manufacturers to easily match-up machine processes to the right inspection tool— ensuring continued enhancements to production quality and retaining customer satisfaction. V&S Dan Holste is Director of Engineering for Banner Engineering.

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Q Superior images

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Q Strobe Capability QAll colors and

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b\PaceXbX^][XVWcbR^\ September 2011 | VISION & SENSORS

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VISION & SENSORS

LEDS

LEDs 101

The rate of LED improvements is similar to the rate of improvements of silicon-based electronic TO SEE THE INCREASING USE OF LEDS, JUST LOOK AROUND. devices. Light output per LED has THEIR GROWING POPULARITY IS DRIVING EFFORTS TO doubled about every two years IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, REDUCE COSTS AND FURTHER since 1970 (Haitz’s Law), reminisEXPAND APPLICATIONS. By Norman N. Axelrod cent of Moore’s Law for doubling of the number of transistors (on an integrated circuit) about every eighteen months. The continuing improvements in efficiency, maximum optical power and long life have also translated into more applications, larger production volumes and expanding markets. To see the increasing use of LEDs, just look around. They can be seen as illumination in mobile phones, LCD flat screen television displays, computers, cameras, The Philips EnduraLED 800 automobile lights and traffic A19 with 800 lumens is a lights. This pattern drives replacement for a standard 60 watt incandescent light continuing efforts to improve bulb. It requires 12.5 watts of performance, reduce costs and power. Source: Philips further expand applications.

LED FEATURES

LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, are light-emitting semiconductor devices. They use electronic properties of semiconductors to convert electricity to light rather than thermal emission as do incandescent light bulbs. LEDs, which are diodes, use control electronics since they have non-linear responses to changes in applied voltage. LED development, in some ways, is similar to the development of

tech tips LEDs use electronic properties of semiconductors to convert electricity to light rather than thermal emission as do incandescent light bulbs.

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semiconductor transistors. Work on the original transistor at Bell Laboratories was motivated by wanting to replace the heated elements in the electronic vacuum tube amplifiers with amplifiers that did not require significant heating to function.

LEDs can be seen as illumination in mobile phones, LCD flat screen television displays, computers, cameras, automobile lights and traffic lights.


LED lighting has advantages over incandescent and other lighting: 1. Cool. LEDs are cool—literally and figuratively. They require 5 to 10 times less electrical power to provide the light output equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. 2. Long life and low ongoing maintenance costs. As with most semiconductor devices, LEDs have a long lifetime, typically about 25,000 average life with some specifications reported up to 50,000 hours. Incandescent lamps of 40 Watts have typically 1,000 hours. Fluorescent lamps of 17 to 36 watts are rated from about 3,000 hours to 8,000 hours. It has been noted that if you install LED lighting in a new home, you will probably still have most, if

The worldwide high-brightness LED (HB-LED) market for packaged devices jumped from $5.6 billion in 2009 to $10.8 billion in 2010 as reported in LEDs Magazine.


The Cree CR6, in a 6 inch recessed housing, is a replacement for a 60 watt incandescent bulb. It provides 575 lumens at 120 volts (10.5 watts) and is dimmable. Source: Cree

not all, of the installed lighting when you sell it. 3. Rapid switching capability. LEDs can be switched on/off in less than 1 microsecond. This opens opportunities/applications for short-range optical communications, eliminating shutters in fast cameras, automotive lighting, etc. More rapid switchingon of automobile stop lights can improve safety. The decrease in response time with LEDs (over incandescent bulbs) by one-half second permits stopping one car length earlier at usual highway speeds. Accident statistics appear to this claim. 4. Availability in many colors plus white in different geometries. LED units are commercially available that produce light from the ultraviolet to the nearinfrared plus white. In particular, there are modules in the ultraviolet (at 395 nanometers (nm)), blue (470 nm), green (520 nm), yellow (590 nm), orange (625 nm), red (660 nm), infrared (880 nm) and white. 5. Small, flexible units. The units generally make effective use of space. When color and switching speed or space requirements are involved, then the LEDs also can replace other components. Again, this can simplify and reduce hardware, software and costs.


TOP APPLICATIONS OF HIGH-BRIGHTNESS LEDS The worldwide high-brightness LED (HB-LED) market for packaged devices jumped from $5.6 billion in 2009 to $10.8 billion in 2010 as reported in LEDs Magazine. • Mobile applications led in 2010 with $4.2 billion (39% market

bulbs were projected to have significant growth after 2014 when initial costs are anticipated to be more competitive than for incandescent and fluorescent lamps.

IN SHORT In short, use of LED lighting is growing rapidly. Its costs are rapid-

“Light output per LED has doubled about every two years since 1970 [Haitz’s Law], reminiscent of Moore’s Law for doubling of the number of transistors about every eighteen months.”

•

•

•

•

share). This includes mobile phone displays, computers and tablets as well as portable DVDs and eBooks. TV and monitor back-lighting of LCDs was second with $3.56 billion (33% market share). The lighting market was about $900 million in 2010 with architectural and replacement bulbs accounting for over 50% of this market sector. The largest growth expected in the next couple of years was reported to be in backlighting. Architectural and replacement

ly decreasing. It is green: it is more energy efficient and has a much longer average life than competitors, and it does not use mercury as with compact fluorescent bulbs. It has other advantages not available to competitors including response time and size, and its price is dropping rapidly. V&S Dr. Norman N. Axelrod (New York, NY) does contract development and consulting on challenging electro-optical sensing & control systems. For more information, visit www. axelrodassociates.com, call (212) 741-6302 or e-mail [email protected].


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VISION & SENSORS

CASE STUDY

Smart Camera Helps the Wheels Go are synchronized with the conveyor and follow the car’s movement during assembly. Attached to each robot is specialized lighting with polarized MOUNTS and infrared filters. A Matrox Iris GT smart camera also is attached to each robot. The smart camera locates the rim’s center point and calculates its position (X, Y), rotaThirteen different wheel combition (Rz) of the bolt nations—seven rim designs and circle and distance to four types of lacquer—are identified. The entire automated the camera (Z) in calwheel assembly process has a ibrated coordinates. cycle time of only 54 seconds. Source: IBG Automation GmbH Before these coordinates are given to the robot, the smart camera checks to see whether the rim design that it has located matches the rim that is expected to be given by the PLC. This last test prevents the wrong rim design from being mounted on the vehicle. Thirteen different wheel combinations—seven rim designs and four types of lacquer (white, silver, anthracite, and black)—are identified. The entire automated wheel assembly process has a cycle time of only1 minute.

’Round and ’Round MACHINE VISION-BASED ASSEMBLY SYSTEM FITS AND WHEELS ONTO CARS IN CONTINUOUS OPERATION.

SMART-CAMERA-BASED IMAGE PROCESSING

Using manual assembly methods to mount wheels onto cars in continuous operation is extremely costly for automotive manufacturers. This is mainly because several assembly workers are required to perform the work. IBG Automation GmbH (Neuenrade, Germany), an automation solutions provider, has designed a sophisticated assembly system for the automotive industry that automatically fits and mounts wheels onto car bodies moving continuously along the line. This flexible system can be used for a variety of vehicles and wheel types. By

automating this process, automotive manufacturers not only see labor costs drastically reduced, but overall manufacturing quality improve as assembly errors are eliminated. Two six-axis Kuka industrial robots—one located on each side of a car body—gather wheel bolts and rims from their supply stations and screw them onto the car. The robots

The image processing system is based on the Matrox Iris GT smart camera. The application was developed with Matrox Design Assistant, an integrated development environment (IDE) that is bundled with the camera. The IDE lets users create machine vision applications by constructing a flowchart instead of coding programs or scripts using languages like C++. Once development is finished, the project (or flowchart) is uploaded and stored locally on the Matrox Iris GT. The project is then executed on the smart camera and monitored from the Web-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) running on a PC.

benefits  By automating the process, automotive manufacturers not only see labor costs drastically reduced, but overall manufacturing quality improve as assembly errors are eliminated.

22VS

 The smart camera locates the rim’s center point and calculates its position (X, Y), rotation (Rz) of the bolt circle and distance to the camera (Z) in calibrated coordinates.


 An algorithm based on the Geometric Model Finder and Metrology steps was required to only use the indicative features belonging to the rim in the foreground while discarding those that belong to rims behind it.


A number of Design Assistant tools or flowchart steps are used. Image acquisition and processing are triggered by a command from the network link, which contains information about the measurement job and the expected rim type. Several Model Finder steps are used to locate the wheel’s bolt circle and to verify the expected type of design. The Metrology step then calculates the rim’s position and orientation based on data provided by the Model Finder occurrences. A TCP/IP connection ensures communication between the smart cameras and the PLC. Results and images are logged to a shared network folder—using TextWriter and ImageWriter steps— and can be downloaded by remote maintenance staff for fault analysis.

that belong to rims behind it. Other challenges included having different settings for image acquisition and Model Finder steps on each side of the assembly line and for each rim type, in addition to ensuring reliable depth measurement with a 2-D camera. “The Vision Squad provided an alternate and optimized method of using the metrology tool so that we were able to improve overall robustness,” explains Kluwe.

DEPLOYMENT By automating the wheel installation process, automotive manufacturers not only see labor costs drastically reduced, but overall manufacturing quality improves as assembly errors are eliminated. Source: IBG Automation GmbH

SOME CHALLENGES IBG is a longtime user of Matrox smart camera technology. Kai Kluwe, head of software development machine vision/measurement at IBG, explains, “Our experience with Matrox Iris smart cameras and its software has been very positive— we’ve deployed successful projects in the past using Design Assistant’s efficient edge-based search tools.” IBG also is pleased with the level of technical support that was offered to them. In addition to the skilled local assistance that they received from Rauscher GmbH, Matrox Imaging’s master distributor in Germany, IBG took advantage of expertise available from Matrox Imaging’s Montrealbased, Vision Squad, a team of algorithm gurus who help customers assess application feasibility and determine how to best use Matrox software to solve application challenges. In this case, these challenges included IBG’s need to handle different design and color combinations along with overlapping rims resulting from their placement on the skid. A clever algorithm based on the Geometric Model Finder and Metrology steps was required to only use the indicative features belonging to the rim in the foreground while discarding those


The Matrox Iris GT smart camera locates the rim’s center point and calculates its position (X, Y), rotation (Rz) of the bolt circle and distance to the camera (Z) in calibrated coordinates. Before these coordinates are given to the robot, the smart camera checks to see whether the rim design that it has located matches the expected rim type. Source: IBG Automation GmbH

The assembly unit’s vision system is based on the Matrox Iris GT smart camera. The application was developed with Matrox Design Assistant, an integrated development environment (IDE) that is bundled with the camera. Source: Matrox Imaging

In summer 2009, the assembly system deployed at Magna Steyr (Graz, Austria) for the fi rst time—mounting wheels on BMW X3s. The assembly line was then modified in summer 2010 to accommodate the different rim designs for the new Mini Countryman. This modification required extensive customization in the Design Assistant project. In March 2011, IBG collaborated with Rauscher GmbH and Matrox Imaging’s Vision Squad to rework the locating algorithm, which resulted in significant improvements in cycle time. Throughout the entire process, IBG has taken advantage of the enhanced features and functionality offered in the newer version of Design Assistant software. This Matrox Iris smart-camerabased inspection system is currently deployed on one production line at Magna Steyr to automatically mount wheels onto continuously moving vehicle bodies, and at Volkswagen (Emden, Germany), two more production lines use the system in wheel supply stations to detect the rotation of the wheel’s bolt circle. Volkswagen’s fi rst system has been in operation since 2009 with an availability of 99.9%. Due to that system’s success, Volkswagen commissioned IBG to install a system on their second production line at the beginning of 2010. Matrox Imaging (514) 685-7230 [email protected] www.matrox.com/imaging


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2011

CASE STUDIES S PECIAL ADVERTISING S ECTION This Case Studies Special Advertising Section features manufacturing companies with real-world challenges using quality equipment, software and services to solve their problems and improve their processes. These problem-solving stories describe myriad manufacturing challenges and how the correct application of a supplier’s product or service made the difference, providing quantitative benefits to quality and manufacturing issues. The suppliers in this special section present these real-world problems and solutions to help Quality Magazine subscribers who may have similar experiences.

ADVERTISER CASE STUDY INDEX ADVERTISER

PAGE

Avt/Prosillica

26

TriVision Packaging Inspector

Dalsa

25

Putting the Screws to a Challenging Vision Application

JAI Pulnix

27

Food Inspection Systems Adopt Multi-Spectral Cameras

Kowa Optimed Inc

28

Kowa's 10 Megapixel Lens Series

Matrox Imaging

25

Case Packing made better with machine vision

Microscan Systems

28

End of Line Barcode Reader Ensures Lableing Accuracy

Pepperl+Fuchs

29

Sheet Verification with Vision Sensors

Point Grey Research

27

Firefly MV Camera Mimics the Human Eye

Smart Vision Lights

26

Smart Vision Lights LED Based Structured Lighting

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CASE STUDY TITLE


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Putting the Screws to a Challenging Vision Application

Prime Engineered Components in Watertown, CT manufactures approximately 800,000 parts per week, primarily for automotive industry customers. Each part has to be flawless, or Prime runs the risk of costly and time-consuming returns, as well as strained relations with its customers. Using the compact, flexible, and economical BOA vision system from Teledyne DALSA, Prime has met its goal of 100% quality while making inspections easier for programmers and users alike to implement Prior to implementing the BOA solution, Prime had been using another manufacturer’s vision equipment in its Watertown plant to inspect components, the majority of which are knurled. These grooved and patterned parts present significant lighting and measure-

ment challenges – challenges that Prime’s previous vision system wasn’t able to surmount. The BOA is a highly integrated optical inspection tool for controlling quality and increasing productivity. It comprises all the elements of an industrial machine vision system in a tiny (44 x 44 x44mm), smart camera-style package. Inspections of these parts are performed using Teledyne DALSA’s iNspect application software. Embedded within the BOA, iNspect features an easy-to-use graphical interface and a toolset for a wide range of applications. Kathy Dibble, Director of Quality for Prime, says that the BOA’s ease of use and programming, along with its accuracy, were the primary reasons she decided to take a chance on a new camera. “We haven’t had a single glitch with the BOA system,” Dibble says. Prime is installing two more Teledyne DALSA cameras for inspections on high-volume automotive inspection machines at its Watertown plant.

Teledyne DALSA 978-670-2002 www.teledynedalsa.com [email protected]

Case packing made better with machine vision to an existing case packer to solve these issues. The intuitive Human Machine Interface (HMI) and inspection system uses a Matrox Iris GT smart camera for imaging and tool algorithm execution. The solution was installed within the case packer to count and verify the orientation of 40- and 50-count cases of shrink-wrapped and non-shrink wrapped juice boxes. The system has been able to detect the following errors: box flap/tab up, crushed boxes/extra boxes/rotated boxes (result in crushing), missing boxes, splices, and damaged and floating trays. The system automatically saves failed inspection images for subsequent evaluation. The HMI provides log-in access control to prevent unauthorized personnel from altering the system, and includes detailed product counters for data collection and trend estimation. The solution has received extremely positive feedback from the customer since it has resolved their packing orientation and count Matrox Imaging authorized integrator develops complete smart

errors. The vision system not only works to identify product issues,

camera-based beverage inspection system

but it also helps to quickly identify a process issue and, often, the root cause of the failure.

A beverage manufacturer was experiencing issues with case packing orientation and count errors, which were resulting in customer com-

Matrox Imaging

plaints and machine downtime due to jams. Acquire Automation, an

www.matroximaging.com

automation solutions and services provider headquartered in Fishers

1-800-804-6243 or +1-514-822-6020

(Indianapolis), IN, developed a complete inspection system integrated

[email protected]



25VS

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2011 CASE STUDIES

Smart Vision Lights LED Based Structured Lighting Provides Truly Precise Measurement laser-driven counterparts. The SP30 provides much crisper images, with sharper edges, and more uniform illumination without the blurred edges, decay, and speckling present in laser emitters. Results of these tests showed z-axis measurements over 0.001” to 0.050” well within 0.001”. The range of maximum deviations of any single reading from true was +/- 0.0003 linear through the entire measurement set and was spot on in differentiating gage blocks of 0.001”. It demonstrated truly spectacular results.

InoSys, Inc. was hired to develop a measurement system to inspect features on a perforated plate using Machine Vision. Flatness was a required measurement. Different parts varied from 0.001” to 0.050” thick with a flatness tolerance within 0.001”. Rich Schwarzbach of InoSys utilized a CCD camera and a common “Non Gaussian” red line laser. Mottling and poor uniformity across the width of the line, could not provide repeatable measurements. Software techniques improved results, but could only achieve a best of +/- .001”. A pricey blue line laser was evaluated next. The manufacturer specified it would generate the least amount of interference with the thinnest line, increasing the accuracy. Although it was significantly better than the red laser, it provided insufficient results. Lastly, a white SP30 LED based single line generator from Smart Vision Lights was evaluated. The SP30 LED projector uses etchmasked patterns and optics to provide a focused structured light. This LED based structured lighting has many advantages over its

InoSys, Inc. 911 US Highway 1 Sebastian, FL 32958 [email protected] www.inosys.com

Smart Vision Lights 1887 Holton Rd, Suite D 353 Muskegon, MI 49445 www.smartvisionlights.com

TriVision Packaging Inspector For the inspection of square butter boxes, two Stingray F-046B cameras are positioned below a conveyor belt and inspect the inside surface of the box as it passes above them. Simultaneously, a Stingray F-201B inspects the printed artwork from above to check the correct positioning of the label, barcode, etc. The lids used to seal the containers are controlled on separate lines using Stingray Based in Taastrup, Denmark, Superfos a/s is Europe’s largest manufacturer of injection-molded plastic packaging

F-201C color cameras.

supplying

Round cream cups are checked using a combination of Stingray

high-quality packaging for food, non-food and healthcare markets.

F-146B and Marlin F-145C cameras. The Stingray F-146B camera

Superfos partnered with TriVision a/s, a leading Danish machine

inspects the inside surface of the cup as it passes below it on a con-

vision solution provider, to implement an advanced machine vision

veyor belt, while a lateral Marlin F-145C camera checks the presence

inspection system dedicated to inspect containers for butter and

of the label on the outside surface.

other dairy products. TriVision’s Packaging Inspector is a state-of-the art optical inspection system that can detect defects such as over-moulding in injection-moulded plastic containers and check printed labels. The system includes several inspection stages ensuring a 100% inspection of all containers and all lids leaving the production lines. The plastic cups are inspected from up to three different viewing angles using a total

Allied Vision Technologies GmbH [email protected] www.alliedvisiontec.com

of 53 digital FireWire cameras from Allied Vision Technologies .

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Firefly MV Camera Mimics the Human Eye The Center for Clinical Neurosciences at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich developed a unique and award-winning camera system called EyeSeeCam that mimics the motion of human eyes in real-time. The camera system, using a 0.3 MP Firefly MV camera by Point Grey, can point in any direction and is capable of imitating the fastest human eye movements, which can reach speeds of 500 degrees per second. Unrestricted user mobility and field of view as well as the utilization of biological image stabilization reflexes are main benefits of EyeSeeCam. The EyeSeeCam combines two technologies – an ultra-mobile eye tracker that measures 3D eye position at unprecedented frame rates of up to 600 Hz as well as a 3DOF motion control unit with 3 ultrasound servo motors that steer a head-mounted Firefly MV camera running at 60 fps to the target of gaze. The motion control unit has been developed in collaboration with the Institute of Applied Mechanics at the Technische Universität München, read more on the IEEE Spectrum website. The system precisely reproduces the eye movements using a superfast actuator-driven mechanism with yaw, pitch, and roll rotation, like a human eyeball. When the real eye moves, the robot eye follows suit. An off-the-shelf notebook records video files with resolutions of up to 752×480 pixels to hard disk. A novel picture-in-picture functionality combines the image of the gaze camera with another image from a wide-angle scene camera. Just as a magnifying lens, this "hybrid perspective" gives the impression of a sharp image at the target of gaze.

Eye tracking systems are used to capture eye movements and gaze behavior in order to diagnose dizziness, vertigo, or eye movement disorders, or - in combination with a wide-angle scene camera - to examine the perception and interaction in natural scenes, with new devices, or with advertisements.

Point Grey web: www.ptgrey.com email: [email protected] phone: +1 604.242.9937 phone: +1 866.765.0827 (toll free)

FOOD INSPECTION SYSTEMS ADOPT MULTI-SPECTRAL CAMERAS Two recent examples include a supplier of pecan sorting and inspection systems, and a manufacturer of potato sorting and packaging equipment. For the maker of pecan-sorting systems, the AD-080 has been incorporated into their third-generation in-shell pecan sorting system. By performing two inspection tasks in a single step, the new system has doubled the capacity of the company’s original sorting system to 12,000 pounds of pecans per hour. This multi-spectral approach is currently being developed into a wide range of other systems designed to sort and inspect everything from cherries, apples, and green beans, to rice and coffee beans. Manufacturers of systems for grading and sorting various fruits,

Contact JAI for more information.

grains, nuts, and vegetables know that the task is best accomplished when both visible and near-infrared inspections can be performed. Visible light is typically used to sort by color, size, and shape, as well as to look for “cosmetic” defects such as spots or russet. Nearinfrared light can penetrate the surface of organic items to locate hidden bruises or rot, and can also help to easily discriminate stems, stones, or other foreign objects that need to be removed. Traditionally, this has required two separate inspection steps, or at the very least, two cameras co-located somewhere within the inspec-

JAI

tion system. Now, many of these systems are replacing the two cam-

625 River Oaks Parkway

era approach with a single, prism-based multi-spectral camera like

San Jose, CA 95134

JAI’s AD-080. This camera captures color and near-infrared images

1-800-445-5433

simultaneously along the same optical path to bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to food inspection.


www.jai.com [email protected]


27VS

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2011 CASE STUDIES

End of Line Barcode Reader Ensures Labeling Accuracy for UK Food Manufacturer throughout the plant floor, reading 3mm codes on one site, and reading 1D EAN-8 barcodes on others. The code is located on either the top or bottom of the packaging, on either printed film or labels. The color of the code is usually black on white, but some dark blue or green codes are read as well. The encoded data is typically a 6 digit number to identify the packaging. Once scanned, the number is checked against a database to ensure there is a match. If a match is not detected, a signal can be sent to stop the line to prevent incorrect labels from going out. The QX Hawk was chosen for its ability to read multiple codes, including both 1D and 2D codes at once. Other application challenges such as varying position of codes and high speed operation were aided by the QX Hawk’s large field of view, fast decode speed and variable focus.

End of line verification solutions provide food and beverage manufacturers with the peace of mind that their products are accurately Microscan

labeled and coded when they leave the factory. One such system,

700 SW 39th Street

installed at the Kerrygold UK cheese packing facility, uses a barcode

Renton, WA 98057 USA

imager from Microscan - the QX Hawk - to detect incorrect labels and

tel: +1.425.226.5700

immediately stop the assembly line, providing extra security to the

[email protected]

packaging operation.

www.microscan.com

In this application, the main type of code being read is the 2D Data Matrix code. The QX Hawk is installed in conveyor applications

Kowa’s 10 MEGAPIXEL LENS SERIES ARE DESIGNED FOR EXTREMELY DEMANDING APPLICATIONS NIR and reduces chromatic aberration from close distance to infinity. In addition, each lens has a short minimum focus distance with a compact design that allows for easy installation in systems with limited space. Kowa Optimed has an impressive tradition of innovation providing precision products that advance the state of innovation within key industries. The company’s mission reflects that of its parent company, which has established a track record for innovative success that dates back to 1894. Founded in 1980, Kowa Optimed is Kowa Kowa’s 10 megapixel lenses with advanced optical innovations were Company’s presence in the western hemisphere, representing one of designed to set the standard in a wide range of applications such as the largest privately owned companies in Japan. With this size comes machine vision inspections, high-end surveillance, 3D systems, and power and innovation, as evidenced by the breakthrough devices more.

With 10-megapixel resolution the lenses can provide crisp offered by Kowa Optimed: these are the products from the Electronic

images that are of the highest quality. The JC10M Series uses Kowa’s & Optics Division, which traces its roots to 1946. Kowa offers lenses XD (eXtra low Dispersion) glass to drastically reduce chromatic aberfor FA industrial, machine vision, and video security applications. ration and minimize distortion. Kowa’s new 2/3”, C-Mount JC10M lenses feature 200lp/mm

For more information, contact

resolution and low distortion to maximize performance. They also

Kowa Optimed, Inc.

incorporate Kowa’s special broad band coating and floating mecha-

20001 S. Vermont Avenue, Torrance, CA 90502,

nism design, which ultimately increases transmission from visible to

Phone: (800) 966-5692 or visit www.kowa-usa.com

28VS



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Sheet Verification with Vision Sensors A sheet verification sensor doesn’t check print quality, it only determines if the right sheet is being loaded into the machine. Typically, during the teach-in process multiple pictures are taken along a sheet and the camera decides which one to use for sheet verification. Inputs are directly connected to the sheet verification sensor, enabling it to operate as a stand-alone unit. Much of the intelligence that was previously required from a PC workstation, custom confi guration software, or expensive Sensors can be as simple as an inductive proximity sensor sensing a metal target. They can be as complicated as complete vision systems connected to a PC that evaluates results coming from a camera.

middleware is now transferred to the vision sensor itself.

This

reduces the installation time, system complexity, and overall cost of machine ownership.

A vision sensor is a combination of the two technologies that reduces the output of a very complex product with various mathematical evalu-

Tim Cicerchi, Product Manager Pepperl+Fuchs

ations and complex algorithms, to a simple PASS or FAIL.

Twinsburg, OH

A sheet verification sensor teaches itself a target, such as a page

330-486-0001

in a book. Once taught, the camera takes a picture of every page being assembled and gives a simple digital output based on its evaluation. If the images are evaluated to be the same, a PASS is gener-

www.pepperl-fuchs.us [email protected]

ated; if the images are different a FAIL digital output is sent, causing the machine to stop while the operator fixes the problem.

Quality webinars are an easy, effective and convenient way

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webinars.qualitymag.com www.visionsensorsmag.com


29VS

VISION & SENSORS

PRODUCTS

VISION

NON-CONTACT INDUCTIVE SENSORS

VGA CAMERA Based on the Sony ICX618 CCD sensor, the new TXG02 from Baumer is one of the fastest industrial digital cameras with VGA resolution on the market. The combination of a high frame rate of up to 140 fps and improved image quality qualifies this new GigE camera model to master sophisticated image-processing tasks. Thanks to its integrated ExView HAD technology, the camera is exceptionally sensitive in the visible and near-infrared range of the spectrum. The Baumer Group | (800) 937-9336 | [email protected] | www.baumer.com

HIGH-SPEED CAMERA Photron, Inc.’s lower cost, high-definition, highspeed Fastcam SA6 camera is well-suited for automotive, military, broadcast, particle velocimetry (PIV) and digital image correlation (DIC) applications. The new high-speed system is available in both 36-bit color, and the more light-sensitive 12-bit monochrome. The Fastcam SA6 provides up to 1,500 frames per second (fps) at high definition resolution (1,920 pixels wide x 1,080 high) from the 1,920 x 1,440 native resolution CMOS sensor. Photron provides both C and F lens mounts with the new, large format camera. Photron, Inc. | (800) 585-2129 | [email protected] | www.photron.com

TURCK has expanded its Q-track™ family of linear position sensors to include the newest QR14 and the Q17 models. Measuring just 14 mm and 17 mm in height, the compact, non-contact inductive sensors deliver dependable, repeatable measurements in applications with spacing limitations and harsh environments. TURCK’s linear inductive sensor operation is based on the RLC resistance inductance capacitance principle. Unlike potentiometric or magnetostrictive technologies, the sensors incorporate precisely manufactured printed emitter and receiver coil systems. The emitter coils are activated with a high frequency AC field and produce an inductive RLC circuit with the positioning element. The element is inductively coupled with the receiver coils, which are arranged so different voltages are induced in the coils, depending on the position of the actuator. The voltages serve as a measure for the sensor signal. TURCK 800-544-7769 [email protected] www.turck.us

INTEGRATED HIGH-SPEED CAMERA & DIGITAL MICROSCOPE The KEYENCE VW-9000 high-speed microscope is one of the most versatile tools available for any manufacturing or inspection application. This fully-integrated system incorporates a built-in light source, LED monitor, analysis software and PC components and can be used not only for standard high-speed applications, but also doubles as a digital microscope for inspection and development work. With a newly re-designed CMOS sensor, the VW-9000 is capable of recording high-speed processes at up to 230,000 frames per second and can capture video for up to 13 hours. Keyence 888-539-3623 x80219 [email protected] www.digitalmicroscope.com/PRVKX

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DUAL COAXPRESS CAMERA According to the company, Adimec’s Quartz Q-4A180/CXP area scan camera is the industry’s first camera to support a dual CoaXPress interface . This camera delivers the performance and cost benefits of the CoaXPress standard and combines global shutter CMOS technology with the proprietary Adimec True Accurate Imaging® approach. This results in CCD-like image quality and speed. The Q4A180/CXP transmits 180 frames per second (FPS) at a 2048 x 2048 resolution with 10 bits per pixel over two standard coaxial cables with lengths over 60 meters without repeaters. Adimec +31-40-2353900 www.adimec.com

THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA The Optris GmbH optris PI200 thermal imaging camera with BI-SPECTRAL technology displays infrared images with up to 96 Hz (images per second) with 160x120 pixels. The time synchronic real time image recording takes place with up to 32 Hz with 640 x 480 pixels. The free available full version of the optris PI Connect software offers two modes for the image display: the monitoring modus and the cross-fading modus. Optris GmbH +49 030-500 197- 21 www.optris.de

The new KEYENCE VK-X Series 3-D laser scanning microscopes combine the capabilities of SEMs and non-contact roughness gauges with the simplicity of an optical microscope. This newly released system now boasts an unprecedented 0.5 nanometer Z-axis resolution with a magnification range spanning 200x–24,000x. The usability and ease-of-use have been further improved with the addition of the AI-Scan function, allowing users to image and measure a target with just a click of the mouse. Keyence 888-539-3623 x80219 [email protected] www.digitalmicroscope.com/PRVKX


In the quest for a solution that would eliminate the need to relearn and rewrite individual applications to be used on a variety of cameras, Lecky Integration’s software development team created VCam, a standard and unified interface that is learned once and used for all camera styles. VCam is a series of libraries created using Voyant, Lecky Integration’s own unique library of machine vision software. The company’s founder, Ned Lecky, PhD, faced years of frustration when developing vision programs that worked seamlessly in a variety of environments (C, C++, Windows or Linux), and on a variety of web, GigE, USB, and IP cameras. Using VCam, a developer simply has to name the camera they want to use, setup desired camera parameters, and call start. The functions used are exactly the same for an industrial camera as they are for a $10 web cam. Lecky Integration (315) 505-4710 www.voyantvision.com www.lecky.com

Laser-line profile camera for precise profile measurement 3D view of the target plus intensity image Profile frequency up to 4kHz

SOFTWARE

3-D LASER SCANNING MICROSCOPE

2D/3D LASER PROFILE SENSORS

NEW Series LLT 2700/2710 Compact sensor design with integrated controller / embedded analysis

BLUE LASER TRIANGULATION SENSOR Revolutionary blue-light triangulation laser for measurement on glowing hot surfaces (3200F) Minimizes laser spot penetration on organic materials such as human skin Compact sensor, with integrated electronics Ranges from 20 to1000mm

www.micro-epsilon.com MICRO-EPSILON Raleigh, NC 27617 / USA Phone +1/919 787 9707 [email protected]


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VISION & SENSORS

ADVERTISER Avt/Prosillica

AD INDE X

PAGE

PHONE

WEB ADDRESS

BC

(877) USA-1394

www.alliedvisiontec.com

(859) 371-5070

www.cincinnatiautomation.com

Baumer Optronic Gmbh

7

Cincinnati Automation Ltd.

14

Dalsa

3

Edmund Optics

1

(856) 547-3488

www.edmundoptics.com

JAI Pulnix

17

(800) 445-5444

www.jai.com

Kowa Optimed Inc

9

(800) 966-5692

www.kowa-usa.com

Matrox Imaging

IFC

(800) 804-6243

www.matroximaging.com

Micro-Epsilon

31

Olympus NDT

13

Pepperl+Fuchs

5

(330) 486-0001

www.sensing.net/autorack-i

Pixelink

11

(613) 247-1211 x400

www.pixelink.com

Point Grey Research

IBC

www.gazelle-cam.com

Smart Vision Lights

19

www.smartvisionlights.com

www.dalsa.com/boa/vs1

micro-epsilon.com

This index is provided as a reader service. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions

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Play to win

When you have only one chance to play, Guppy PRO is the one to grab. Based on the successful AVT Guppy, Guppy PRO has been retooled to be the prized camera for low-cost, plug-and-play applications. Featuring an even smaller package, six models now offer the faster FireWire 1394b interface while delivering up to 120 fps and offering VGA through 5 megapixel resolution. Each camera comes with AVT’s industry-leading smart features and superior robust housing. If you’re going to play, go for the biggest prize and visit www.AlliedVisionTec.com/PlayToWin.

S E E I N G

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Quality September 2011

Harper's Magazine September 2011

Ceramic Industry September 2011

Dairy Foods September 2011

Candy Industry September 2011

Food Engineering September 2011

Outdoor Photographer - September 2011

Appliance Design September 2011

Process Heating September 2011

Coatings World September 2011

Prepared Foods September 2011

Pollution Engineering September 2011

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Quality November 2011

Flexible Packaging September 2011

Scientific American, September 2011

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Tile Magazine September-October 2011

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Quality September 2011

Harper's Magazine September 2011

Ceramic Industry September 2011

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Quality June 2011

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Quality April 2011

Quality August 2011

Quality February 2011

Quality July 2011

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Quality October 2011

Quality May 2011

Quality November 2011

Flexible Packaging September 2011

Scientific American, September 2011

Oracle Magazine September 2011

Rock and Gem September 2011

Environmental Design + Construction September 2011

Tile Magazine September-October 2011

Asia Bond monitor: September 2011

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