Process Control Vision Systems

Be proactive instead of reactive in determining flaws in your process. Our machine vision systems allow for real time monitoring of continuous processes for a wide range of industries.

Applications:

• Process Control and Feedback: Process levels are adjusted based on camera measurements.
• Robot Guidance: Precise control of robot positioning with imaging systems.
• Data Collection:  Process control vision systems capture and communicate measured values to various data logging systems, capture historical data from your process and use data trends for process monitoring and proactive maintenance.
• Real Time Inspection: Reduce manual sampling with an image based inspection system that performs measurement or defect detection of 100 percent of your product.
• High Speed Image Recording: Event monitoring and event capture systems.

Selected Process Control Vision Systems Case Studies

Plastic Label Placement on Beverage Bottles

A major brewer wanted to ensure that labels were all placed symmetrically and did not overlap mold seams on glass bottles. At rates up to 900 bottles per minute, the EPIC vision system captured images of every individual container.  Cameras identified bottle features, calculated positions, and provided turn feedback for labeler servos to adjust bottle position with real time control. Despite incredible variation in molded glass bottles, label placement can be accurately controlled within +/- 1/8” and average alignment rates often exceeding 99%.

Key Features: process feedback, labeler vision, label placement, custom lighting, high speed communications

Crystal Growing Extrusion Process Monitoring

An OEM selected EPIC to work together on a process that dramatically improves long term productivity. They require real time imaging to measure and control the speed of their extrusion process.

National Instrument’s Labview environment and high resolution cameras and optics are utilized in crystal growth monitoring with highly technical custom calibration algorithms. EPIC’s solution provided a process monitoring vision system with high measurement accuracy and low standard deviation. The camera measurement results are utilized for process control.

Key Features: Active feedback measurements of an extrusion process, NI Labview cameras and optics,high measurement accuracy.

Multi-Lane Fill Level Control

A consumer goods manufacturer experienced fill variation due to granule size and environmental changes. By imaging every part on a multi-lane manufacturing process, the cameras provided fill level detection. Integrating the camera results with a Programmable Logic Controller, the measurements were utilized in a PID control loop.

Real time control of the filling process reduced product defects and virtually eliminated overfill and low-fill product containers from the process. EPIC’s designed a custom illumination system to reduce specular reflection from glossy product surfaces across a large field of view. Cognex, color smart cameras and Ethernet communications were used for feedback control for filling process on existing OEM filler equipment.

Key Features: PID control, feedback control, color sensors, cloudy day illumination, fill level control

Why EPIC Machine Vision? 

Small and large companies in: paper manufacturing, chemicals, power plants, consumer goods, beverages and many other industries benefit from a fully integrated process control vision system.

A properly constructed vision system communicates with electrical controls for a proactive method of actively improving product quality. Using feedback from this system, cameras can effectively control the process.

Systems can be configured for data collection and monitoring. Industry specific regulations, company standards or end-user requirements can drive the need for a vision system requirement. We invite you to speak with one of our qualified machine vision specialists today, to evaluate your needs.