FEATURE Machine Vision
Accessing rapid and fl exible vision inspection solutions
Dr John Dunlop, Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Bytronic Vision Automation, explains how to best meet the demand for short- term manufacturing changes
T
he pace of manufacturing has been increasing, but COVID-19 highlighted how agile companies must be. During the pandemic
we saw a lot of manufacturers having to quickly adapt to meet the new and constantly-changing challenges they were facing. For example, many had to change production overnight to produce PPE, medical equipment and even antibacterial products, to support government and consumer demands. Many also faced signifi cant challenges on-site with restrictions such as social distancing and isolation guidelines and reduced staff numbers.
Many companies are still experiencing supply-chain disruptions and material shortages. If they can’t get their components from their usual suppliers, quality issues arise when dealing with new suppliers. This can be frustrating since they might be unable to match their usual specifi ed standards.
Vision inspection systems To overcome such problems, manufacturers may need to implement additional manual sample inspections and control checks for factors such as measurements, tolerances or quality
26 March 2022 | Automation
control. This can be time-consuming and far from a perfect solution, since it often requires additional personnel, too. And, as per usual, there are the parameters such as human error and repetition fatigue to consider. As a result, most manufacturers are switching on to vision inspection, which brings impressive benefi ts and capabilities, including rapid inspections and high degree of accuracy and reliability. However, are these solutions suitable for manufacturers who only need a short-term production change or change product lines frequently?
Inspection As A Service Since the pandemic we have seen a signifi cant increase in demand for short-term vision systems in the form of ‘Inspection As A Service’. Simply put, these are fl exible vision solutions that can be implemented at short notice to meet manufacturing demands – as little as 24 hours.
These rapid solutions are ideal for manufacturers who may only need a vision system for a few weeks or months, for production tests or to overcome short- term challenges such as tolerance and measurement controls during production. Unlike fi xed solutions, which are
ordered to exact specifi cations in advance, temporary inspection systems can be fl exible and adapted to suit individual needs when installers arrive on site – be that cameras, lenses or set up of camera frames.
In-stock solutions
As a vision solutions developer and provider, we at Bytronic Vision Automation have access to a range of in- stock products from partners like Cognex and Teledyne FLIR, for quick turnarounds. As the systems are loaned on a short- term basis, they provide a low-cost vision alternative to suit just-in-time production needs.
As manufacturing continues to change at high speeds, fast and low-cost vision solutions will become a key asset to many for automating inspection processes. We expect demand for Inspection As A Service to continue to grow as companies fi nd innovative ways to meet ever- changing timeframes and challenges, but also stay ahead of the competition.
CONTACT:
Bytronic Vision Automation
www.bytronic.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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