Inspection sensor uses contrast, brightness, and patterns
Though it looks somewhat like a Christmas ornament, the
Checker 200 Series inspection sensor from
Cognex Corp., Natick, Mass. (
cognex.com), is a high-tech vision system that
inspects up to 6,000 ppm while providing reliable, precisely
timed pass/fail results.
The disc of red, green, and cyan LEDs
gives the device built-in lighting and enhances contrast, letting
it clearly detect features other sensors might miss.
The Checker detects features on parts, not just edges. It also
tracks parts in various positions on a moving production line,
so parts need not be precisely aligned. And it doesn't need a
secondary sensor to determine if a part is present. The device
uses its brightness sensor to find light and dark areas. The contrast sensor finds features that contain light and dark, such as
date codes, threads, and barcodes.
After some training, the pattern sensor knows what features
look like and can be programmed to alert users when it spots
one. There's also no limit to the number of features a single
Checker can look for. It comes with software and USB connections. Checker 201 is for finding and inspecting parts, while the
Checker 202 also includes ladder logic for custom setups. They
operate in temperatures from 32 to 122˚F, withstand up to 80 gs
of shock for 5 msec on each axis, and up to 10 gs of vibration at
10 to 500 Hz.