Vision Sensors: The Case for Automation with Machine Vision

machine vision camera lens up close behind checkmarks and x's

Of the billions of products manufactured and inspected each day, few could be made without some level of industrial automation. Modern manufacturing demands high quality control standards. Manual inspection is slow, prone to error, and impeded by product size, space constraints, lighting conditions, and fast production line speeds. Automated inspection, by contrast, maximizes throughput, increases quality, and lowers manufacturing costs. Most manufacturers use automated machinery like sensors because they are well-suited for repetitive inspection tasks. Sensors are faster, more objective, and work continuously. They can inspect hundreds, or even thousands, of parts per minute, providing more consistent and reliable inspection results.

But all sensors are not created equal. Low-cost photoelectric sensors can perform only a limited number of simple tasks, such as position verification and basic counting. They cannot distinguish between patterns or colors. And with their rigid mounting setup, they cannot handle misalignment or variability common in most work cells. Vision sensors offer greater flexibility, perform multiple inspection types within a single image, and generate additional rich data for quality and process improvement.

Compared to the other types of sensors on the market, vision sensors greatly expand the types of simple inspections a manufacturer can perform and provide information beyond whether a part is simply present or absent. Vision sensors can inspect multiple elements per target, differentiate between colors, and respond well to misalignment and planned variability. By reducing defects and increasing yield, machine vision sensors can help manufacturers streamline their operations and increase profitability. With an array of vision tools and the possibility to perform multiple inspections per target, vision sensors can cut down on cycle time and improve product quality downstream.

Whatever your environment, resource constraints, and specific tool needs, Cognex vision sensors can help. At speeds up to 6,000 parts per minute, Cognex vision sensors set new standards for value, ease of use, and flexibility thanks to a powerful combination of proven Cognex In-Sight vision tools, simple set-up, and a flexible, modular design. In-Sight 2000 series vision sensors are compact, configured for inline and right-angle mounting installation in tight spaces. Field-changeable, integrated optics and lighting adjust to changing application requirements and eliminate the cost of external lighting. The In-Sight Explorer EasyBuilder interface provides a fast, step-by-step application setup which allows even novice users to achieve extremely reliable inspection performance in nearly any production environment. In-Sight 2000 vision sensors are configured with In-Sight Explorer software—the world’s most widely used environment for configuring and maintaining machine vision applications.

For more information about Cognex vision sensors, download our free guide, Introduction to Vision Sensors: The Case for Automation with Machine Vision.

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