Industrial image processing

What is meant by “industrial image processing”?

Machine vision works quickly and contactlessly, delivering objective results with high reliability and availability. It is increasingly being used for quality assurance as well as for process regulation and control in various branches of industry.

Many products that are now an integral part of our daily lives owe their status to image processing in the production process. New applications are constantly being developed in various areas. The term ‘industrial image processing’ is used today, and the performance of this technology is constantly growing. The combination of different sensor types and a wide range of applications contribute to this.

In which processes / industries is image processing used?

• Shape and dimensional inspection
• Non-destructive testing
• Surface inspection, defect detection of complex structures
• Completeness check
• Object recognition
• Positioning
• Attendance check
• Non-destructive testing
• Detection of impurities
• Error checking of web goods
• Distance and position determination

Industrial image processing

Why is machine vision important?

Machine vision plays a crucial role for several reasons:

Comprehensive quality inspection: Industrial image processing enables 100% inspection of all parts in a production line. This eliminates time-consuming spot checks.
Defect detection and ejection: With the help of industrial image processing, defective preliminary products and end products can be detected and ejected at an early stage. This minimizes the risk of expensive customer complaints.
Predictive maintenance: The technology enables predictive maintenance, which leads to increased machine service life and reduced downtime.
Guidance of machines and robots: Machine vision enables precise guidance of machines and robots, which increases efficiency and accuracy in production.
Improving quality and increasing productivity: Overall, industrial image processing makes a significant contribution to improving product quality and increasing productivity.
Local production: The trend is increasingly moving towards producing where people consume, not least due to rising environmental and transportation costs. The use of image processing makes production competitive and prevents outsourcing to low-wage countries.

Definition and importance of industrial image processing

Industrial image processing refers to the use of hardware and software that together support the function of devices and systems by capturing and processing images. Digital sensors in industrial cameras and laser scanners, equipped with special optics, form the basis for image processing systems. This combination of hardware and software enables the processing, analysis and measurement of various features for decision-making.

Machine vision technology is primarily used for quality assurance in production. Depending on the application, either random samples or 100 percent inspections can be carried out. In any case, an industrial image processing system proves to be more reliable and traceable compared to visual inspection systems. It is not uncommon for industrial image processing to enable comprehensive quality assurance in various production areas.

Basics & methods of industrial image processing

➜ Essential components

The principles and methods of machine vision encompass essential components, including lighting, lens, image sensor, image processing and communication interfaces. The careful selection of these components is crucial in order to meet the specific requirements of an application.

➜ Lighting is an important factor

Lighting plays a key role by illuminating the test object to make the feature to be checked clearly visible to the camera. The lens captures the image and provides it to the sensor in the form of light. The camera sensor converts this analog image into a digital one, which is then sent to the processor for analysis.

➜ Software algorithms

The actual image processing is carried out by software algorithms. These check the image, extract relevant data and make a decision based on the results. Communication usually takes place via data that is sent to a higher-level control system (PLC). This uses the data to control the system.

Many of the hardware components, such as lighting modules, sensors and processors, are standard components. Machine vision systems can either be assembled from these standard components or purchased as fully integrated systems. Customized designs are also used to meet individual requirements.

Industrial image processing with QuellTech

QuellTech’s industrial image processing relies on innovative 3D imaging of measurement objects, realized by laser triangulation. This approach involves the targeted alignment of a laser beam perpendicular to the object, followed by the measurement of the diffuse reflection at a known angle. By precisely knowing the angle and distance between the laser source and the camera (light receiver), triangulation enables the exact calculation of the object height.

QuellTech’s 3D laser scanners project a laser line onto the measurement object, whereby the width (x) and height (z) of this line can be calculated using sensor algorithms. By recording many laser lines at short distances from each other, a precise 3-dimensional point cloud (x, y, z) is created. This laser line triangulation can cover measuring ranges from 5 to 1500 mm and guarantee impressive precision (from 1-3 µm). The technology also enables high measuring speeds.

Quelltech-Laser-Scanner

Advantages of industrial image processing from QuellTech

QuellTech’s 3D laser scanner measurement presents an extremely flexible measurement method that can be scaled from small measurement objects with a width of a few millimeters up to several meters.
The movement of the measurement objects can be cleverly used for measurement by existing conveyor belts, axis gantries or robots. In most cases, the impressive measuring speed of inline measurements enables such short measuring cycles that additional cycle times are not required.
QuellTech’s 3D laser scanner measurement is characterized by high robustness against ambient light, temperature fluctuations, welding spatter, vibrations, electromagnetic influences and moisture. Find out more about the advantages of this advanced industrial image processing solution from QuellTech.

Application areas and customer installations of industrial image processing at QuellTech

Quelltech’s industrial image processing is used in a wide range of applications and processes. Some examples of this are:

Adhesive bead measurement in automotive engineering
Measurement of aluminum blocks
Measurement of red-hot steel ingots
Weld seam inspection and weld seam guidance inline with robots or linear axes
Flatness test of measuring axes
Parallelism check of measuring axes
Surface defects on steel rollers and surfaces
Thickness measurement of battery foils
Thickness measurement of Li-ion batteries before and after charging
Sheet metal profile measurement on red-hot steel
Defect measurement on steel pipes underwater
Grinding wheel measurement for radius, concentricity and wear
Pipeline inline cladding monitoring
Crimp depth measurement on electric motor housings
Preventive maintenance and wear monitoring on mining machines
Wear inspection on lifting screw rotors
Particle layer thickness measurement of solar thermal power plants
Inspection of Seal Surfaces

Measuring a sealing surface

QuellTech products for industrial image processing

Q4 Laser Scanner: Small form factor, low weight, many housing variants, high laser power in blue, red and green, very high robustness against environmental influences

Q5 Laser Scanner: Medium form factor, high resolution, very high speed, laser measuring widths up to 800 mm

Q6 Laser Scanner: Medium form factor, very high resolution, high speed, many housing variants, measuring widths up to 1500 mm

QuellTech Software Vision 3D Area: Image processing software, a highly flexible platform for the efficient development of the evaluation of 3D point clouds generated by QuellTech laser scanners.

QuellTech Laser Scanner Q4-80s with small form factor (86 x 44 x 25 mm) for robotic welding

QuellTech Laser Scanner Q4-60 with optional cooler and protective window system

Do you have questions about industrial image processing, or would you like QuellTech to advise you on these topics?

If you have any questions about industrial image processing, or would like advice from QuellTech on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We would like to help you to precisely evaluate your specific measurement task. Through an initial free test measurement of your application, we can give you an early assessment of the feasibility.

There is always potential for improvement, we will help you with that. Contact us for more information or to make an appointment for a consultation.

Your personal contact:

Stefan Ringwald
Tel: +49 89 124 723 75

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