The DAC Multi-Purpose Inspection Station is a one, two, or three camera system used to inspect various circuit boards and flat profile products.  The flexible design and software integration allows the inspection station to be fully customizable to your company’s unique inspection function. The inspection system utilizes National Instruments’ Vision Builder software and Cognex Identification Integration to conform to the SMEMA standard and provide a simple pass/fail status.

Operation is simple.  The product will be moved into the cell on an edge belt conveyor that automatically stops when the product reaches a sensor.  A bar code scanner will acquire the bar code and send the product ID to the Enterprise Resource Planning department (ERP) where the product will be acknowledged.  Cameras will then image the product while the PC runs custom vision inspection scripts to inspect the product and determine a pass/fail status.  The vision scripts can be easily created and modified using National Instruments LabView Vision Builder which has caliper and other measurement tools that can be programmed in the vision scripts to meet your unique inspection needs. A pass/fail will then be sent to the Enterprise Resource Planning department, if it passes the product will then be sent to the next station.

DAC can prepare the vision inspection scripts specific to your application, then deliver the system, tooling, manual, and Vision Builder Automated Inspection.

Application:

A universal system that can be placed in a manufacturing line to inspect multiple products.

Solution:

A fully automatic, standalone system that performs the following functions:

• Transports the electronic product on a conveyor into the cell. The conveyor is adjustable for different products
• Reads the product barcode on the product with the overhead camera or a barcode scanner mounted underneath
• Inspect the product based on a programmed inspection
• Provide inspection data as well as pass/fail

Hardware:

• Steel welded frame on casters
• High resolution camera with a zoom lens and LED lighting mounted on X and Y stepper motor driven actuators
• Edge Belt Conveyor
  • Stepper motor driven
• Industrial Computer with monitor
• SMEMA compliant

Software:

• National Instruments LabVIEW custom application
  • Master controller
  • Process control and status
  • I/O and maintenance interface
• National Instruments Vision Builder for vision processing
• Interface to customer’s plant wide system

Result:

• Simple machine standardized on National Instruments Vision Builder vision software
• In-expensive system to replace subjective operator inspection or areas where inspection hadn’t been performed in the past