Machine Vision & Deep Learning Integrator
"Enabling clients to produce a quality product & gather data with
Industrial Machine Vision & Deep Learning technology"
Portfolio
QR code and human-readable text on the trading card would occasionally not match, either due to misconfiguration by the Operator or buggy remote software by the Vendor.
SOLUTION
The system was deployed with surplus stock in less than two weeks, using 4VT's standard framework and a VisionPro Quickbuild script. Cards were fed onto a vacuum belt, triggered by a photoeye, and if there was no match, the system would blow the product off at the air gap between the vacuum belt and the accumulator belts at a rate of 10 cards per second.
TAGS
ID Reading, OCR, Consumer Products, PC-based Vision
After the nail polish bottle has been capped, a consumer label is applied to the top of the cap that indicates the color name and product number. Space constraints prevented an inspection camera from being placed after the label applicator, so the Vision System needs to compensate for 360 orientation of the label.
SOLUTION
With some blob morphology techniques, the orientation of the text can be determined. Afterward, an OCR tool was applied to read the text. If the text found did not match the HMI, the product was rejected.
TAGS
Identification, OCR, Consumer Products, Smart Camera
Inkjet printer applies a lot and date code on round vitamin bottles. Jams or other printing issues can make the lot or date code unreadable.
SOLUTION
Smart Camera was added to the system downstream from the Inkjet printer. System was presented with multiple instances of character from 0 - 9 and trained. PLC pushed the current Lot/Date code to the camera and the Smart Camera verified that it was a match.
TAGS
Identification, ID Reading, OCR, Consumer Products, Packaging, Smart Camera
Product number, manufacturing date, and index are pressed into the surface of the railroad bearing. Since the characters are on a dial, if an individual character doesn't properly roll to the next character a duplicate serial number can be generated of the character is not fully formed.
SOLUTION
The product was rolled until a laser sensor located the first character. A Cognex InSight line scan camera imaged the full length of the string and a pattern match was performed on each character.
Due to the variance in surface finish and impression depth (as the character die wore down), multiple images over the whole production were collected and a composite image for each character was generated. The composite image of the character was used to generate the pattern classifier.
TAGS
Identification, ID Reading, OCR, Industrial Products, Barcode Reader, Line Scan, Smart Camera
A fuse block assembly for a car or truck has similar frames, but what goes into them can vary. A component can easily be missed, such as a fuse or diode or the wrong relay model installed.
SOLUTION
A GUI was developed to allow an Engineer to train a new component (color, pattern matching, OCR) and add it to a component family. Once populated with components, an Engineer can create a product SKU and create a Region of Interests (ROIs) for each component location on the fuse block. The engineer can choose the allowed orientation of the component for the ROI.
With a fully configured product, an Operator can recall the SKU from a part list and batch inspect multiple fuse blocks. Any component that is missing, in the wrong orientation, pattern score is too low, or OCR is mismatched, then the ROI is highlighted in red. Components that pass are highlighted in green.
TAGS
Color, Identification, Inspection, OCR, Pattern Matching, Automotive, Electronics, PC-based Vision
The lot and date code are printed on a label, and the label is applied to the bottom of the stick holding the opiate lozenge. Missing label, missing print, or incorrect lot/date code is considered a non-conformance.
SOLUTION
Cognex VisionPro was used for verifying label placement and OCV of lot and date codes.
TAGS
Identification, OCR, Pharmaceutical, PC-based Vision
After the products have been loaded into a vacuum-formed tray, a top foil is applied. If the wrong foil has been loaded into the machine, and if gone unnoticed for a while, a whole batch of products would need to be destroyed. Sealed and unsealed products can not be repackaged.
SOLUTION
A Cognex Smart camera was used to pattern match key features of the print on the top foil. Mismatches will signal to the PLC to stop the line.
TAGS
Identification, OCR, Pattern Matching, Pharmaceutical, Smart Camera
International mail brought in through airline processing centers are often in large sacks with a 4”x6” card attached to it. Depending on the country of origin, some of these cards are hand written and others are printed. The individual at the processing window needs to manually enter in all of the information on the mail tag into a data entry system before it can be thrown onto a conveyor belt to be processed. This creates a bottle neck in the work flow, since only so many transfer windows can be manned and managed to allow baggage/cargo trucks to be unloaded.
SOLUTION
A portable prototype imager with a flat surface allowed the mail handlers to position the mail tag for image acquistion. At the start of a new load the mail handler would enter in the Airline and Flight number, along with the number of pieces. The mail handler would take an image of that tag and then the local Vision PC would attempt to read all of the text on the tag, then present the image along with data to the mail handler. Once approved, the data would be saved to a database. If tag was not readable, the image was sent to a remote location where it was presented to a person for manual entry. This allowed for reconcilation of a load and moving mail bags as quickly as the manual imaging process would allow.
TAGS
Identification, OCR, Pattern Matching, Government, Data Collection, PC-based Vision
Supplier for the machines that manufacture the Permanent Residency Cards needed to ensure that the text printed on the card matches what is contained in the database. It was also to ensure the person’s face was printed clearly, and verify the presence of several security features.
SOLUTION
Standard lighting techniques and Optical Character Recognition routines where used to validate the text and data that was contained in the database. Image correlation was used to validate the person’s face printed on the cards. Multiple different lighting techniques and LED wavelengths were used with different image processing alghrothims to verify the presence of all security features.
TAGS
Identification, Inspection, OCR, Pattern Matching, Government, PC-based Vision
Supplier for the machines that manufacture the Driver’s Licenses needed to ensure the text printed on the card matched what is contained in the database. Also needed to ensure the person’s face was printed clearly, and verify presence of the engraved birth date on the card.
SOLUTION
Standard lighting techniques and Optical Character Recognition routines where used to validate the text and data that was contained in the database. Image correlation was used to validate the person’s face printed on the cards. Photometric stereo imaging technique with IR LED lights was used to extract the engraving and filter out the print on the driver’s license.
TAGS
Identification, Inspection, OCR, Pattern Matching, Government, PC-based Vision
Dashboard displays manufactured by automotive suppliers are hand assembled with different Legend Tags (door open, oil temp, washer fluid low, etc.). Before the product is packaged and shipped for assembly into a vehicle, 100% inspection is required to prevent quality chargebacks.
SOLUTION
PC-based vision system reads the 2D barcode on the cluster assembly and queries a database. The database provides information on what Legend tags are to be installed in each of the 10 locations. Using pre-trained patterns, the system verifies all 10 locations on the cluster and prompts the Operator of any mismatches.
TAGS
Identification, Inspection, OCR, Pattern Matching, Automotive, PC-based Vision
Machine Vision & Deep Learning Integrator