Vision System

When a part arrives at a facility first of all it has to be identified. It may be done by visual or automatic inspection. For visual inspection, the number of items delivered and the name of the part are recorded by means of a computer terminal & sent to the central computer to be stored in a data bank. Automatic identification is possible by using a vision system or a code reader. With automated production, it becomes essential to track a workpiece from the begin of production to its ultimate assembly. A vision system might be interfaced with a robot to track a work piece in a better manner.

The major functions of a typical vision system are to locate the part, recognize it, direct the gripper to an appropriate grasping position, take up the part, and bring it to the work area. It might be applied in a number of areas, as assisting any robot in an assembly to carry out quality control tasks and defect recognition, to lead a manufactured through a material flow system, to carry out measurements of inaccessible fast-moving parts, to adjust tools on machines, and to identify printing errors in a printing shop.