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Vision system considerations

One of the key considerations for vision systems pertains to the industry’s predominant use of round bottles.

Being round, of course, they tend to spin on a conveyor. That means at least two and likely three cameras need to be mounted to a conveyor in order to capture the 2D DataMatrix code from any possible angle. Experts estimate this need for additional camera coverage can increase your total serialization budget by 5% or 10%, depending on how many lines are running round bottles.

A second issue pertains to how codes are printed onto folding cartons. Some have found that the printing area is not always uniformly presented to the print head when the printing panel is located on a closure flap of the carton. There can be varying degrees of curvature following closure. This curvature has an impact on the online inspection process, which is sensitive to changes in the light that is required to fully grade the 2D code. The result can be false rejects of otherwise acceptable cartons. Adjustments may be necessary to improve package handling to address the problem at the coding or lighting stage.

Specifying vision systems
When specifying a vision system, it is important to consider factors such as software accuracy, reliability, and local factory support.

Generally, today’s vision systems are divided into two groups: PC-based and smart camera. Key differentiators between the two include architecture, cost, capability, and development environment. The primary architectural difference between PC-based vision and smart cameras is one of centralized versus distributed image processing.

PC-based systems generally multiplex industrial cameras on a production line to a single processor to process images. These systems are often sold in proprietary industrial computers and offer limited redundancy for hard drives, lack support for virus/malware protection (a problem when networked), and use embedded operating systems that are not easily updated.  Some include swappable drives, which present a risk for validated systems if each drive has not been validated to confirm its configuration.

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