Machine Vision Inspection System
A camera checks one defined question on the part, returns pass or fail to the PLC, and stores the decision with the cycle.
- Problem
- A feature has to be confirmed on every part — presence, a dimension, a defect the process is known to produce, or a barcode — and a person cannot do that at the line rate with a record of the decision.
- Solution
- The PLC triggers the camera when the part is in position. Vision software makes the inspection decision and returns it to the PLC, which holds, releases, or diverts the part according to the agreed rule. The decision is also logged.
- Hardware
- An industrial camera and lighting chosen for that feature, the station PLC, and a PC if the vision software or the log runs on Windows. The exact camera model depends on the field of view and the cycle time.
- Software
- Inspection software for the specific check, plus logging in C# / .NET or Python when results must be stored. The PLC program is updated so the trigger and the pass/fail bits match the sequence.
- Communication protocol
- Camera-to-PLC communication over Ethernet, serial, digital I/O, or Modbus, using the interface available on that station.
- Data collected
- Time, model, pass or fail, and the measurement or code that was read. Images are stored only when the quality plan asks for them.
- Result
- The machine acts on the camera result in the same cycle, and the decision remains in the log. Detection rates and customer names are not published here.
Inspection scope and pass/fail handling are explained on the machine vision page. Records that must follow the part into a batch history continue in production traceability.