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Editorial Nov. 1, 2005Lights, Camera, Action! Getting the most from your Vision Inspection EquipmentWhen it comes to visually inspecting a three-piece can, one might think it’s simply a matter of pointing a light source down into the can and letting a camera see what it can find. For vision inspection equipment suppliers, this simply isn’t the case. Trying to locate typical defects such as base and sidewall contamination, lacquer drips, grease, and flange splits (while allowing parts with normal process variations to pass) are just some of the unique challenges that are involved during the vision inspection phase of the three-piece can making process. Since 1988, Pressco Technology has been able to deliver state-of-the-art technology that provides a comprehensive and robust solution to the production challenges associated within the can making industry. Reducing costs has always been one of the top priorities of a can making business. With a vast array of coating colors, container shapes, and normal manufacturing process variations, existing vision inspection systems often fail to perform reliably. This dilemma is often attributed to the operator’s inability to understand how the vision system will respond to the above mentioned variables. This can result in false rejects and/or false accepts-and increased costs and spoilage. To help their customers easily optimize the inspection system, Pressco has created new software called RETRO-SPEC™ which allows the operator to make adjustments based on a population of inspected parts. The can line operator can collect data from parts that have been rejected online and compare it against the last 100 parts inspected. The operator can make sensitivity adjustments and immediately see the results. In addition, the operator can compare “Golden Master Sets” of good and defective parts against the last 100 parts inspected. This pre-emptive process monitoring system is available as an upgrade. By combining this new software with Pressco’s industry leading CHROMAPULSE™ inspection module, (which includes a five-year warranty) an operator is able to achieve incredible results... Pressco’s ability to tailor the lighting to the individual needs of different part coatings, sizes and shapes is controlled through the Graphical User Interface (GUI), SmartLight™. By using the SmartLight interface the user can control the angle of the light, the amount of light at a given angle and (what makes this extremely powerful) the color of the light. Once the CHROMAPULSE inspection tunnel is configured for the part to be inspected, the lighting configuration is stored with the inspection routines. The line operator simply selects the part type from a list of cans typically manufactured on that line. Instantaneously, the lighting color, angle and intensity (along with part program) are optimized for that part type. Because the inspection system is able to adjust to the new part type with a click of a button, the set-up time for the operator is minimized. Known for their innovative technology, Pressco continues to make advances by introducing new algorithms, upgrades and modifications to enhance it’s INTELLISPEC System. Not limited to only three-piece can inspection, these unique technologies can be used for end inspections as well. Pressco’s modular design inspection tunnels come in multiple sizes and can be configured in numerous combinations. Used together, CHROMAPULSE, SmartLight and RETRO-SPEC provide the ultimate in Vision Inspection. For more information, please contact:
Al Storey |
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