Surface texture monitored in real time

Injection molded components with textured surface finishes can be checked for defects, classified, and their surface texture assessed during the manufacturing process with a new vision software package for inspecting the surface of materials from Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA).

"VisionPro Surface makes the cost savings and quality improvements of automatic surface inspection available to production lines where more complex surface inspection solutions are not practical or economically viable," says Markku Jaaskelainen, executive VP and business unit manager for Vision Software. "Manufacturers in high-end plastics can achieve a quick return on investment by monitoring process efficiency, and identifying and eliminating defective material before it is shipped to customers." 

Unlike traditional surface inspection technologies that use signal processing to detect defects, VisionPro Surface works by monitoring the visual appearance of the material. Using statistical analysis, it automatically identifies potential defects in the material's surface, and classifies the defects into groups based on similarity in contrast, texture, and/or geometry. During the training phase, the user simply adjusts the system's sensitivity for defect detection and assigns names or values for defects to distinguish between different types. During production, the system automatically classifies each defect according to the categories defined by the user. —immeditorial@cancom.com