What Are Vision Inspection Systems?

Inspecting for product defects and flaws is the most popular of all vision system inspections.

For instance, this may target an incorrectly coiled wire or fuse box. With the vision inspection system’s intense visual quality, the system can see defects beyond the surface features of a product. In this case, that could be checking to see if a transparent moisture-proof agent is applied properly or if slight color variations signifying contaminations exist.

Presence/absence refers to inspecting the quantity or presence/absence of something on a target.

For example, the vision inspection system may look for the presence/absence of a lid or package inside of a package (like a flavor package in a noodle container). Or, the vision inspection system could ensure six bottles are in a box instead of five.

Product verification uses the vision inspection system to check that a product’s label matches the product. Although this is necessary in all industries – consider how important this is in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The inspection could be the difference between life or death.

Vision inspection systems can be used to read both human readable and machine readable codes. Barcodes and human readable characters must be checked for accuracy.

Ensuring that these characters are validated is necessary for quality control. From providing accurate expiration dates or guaranteeing the model information or code is up to date for manufacturers to trace the product down the supply chain.

Measurements/dimensions are another category of inspection that the human eye cannot replace. Accurate measurements are necessary for components to be effectively assembled and to last over time with wear and tear. Furthermore, sizes and dimensions can change a consumer's experience with the product; for example, syringe needles are cut at a slant, and if the dimensions are off, a medical patient will experience more pain.

Conventional vision inspection systems can perform measurements, similar to lab-based measurement equipment.

Positioning and alignment are similar to defect and flaw detection inspections, but the vision inspection system inspects a product’s appearance rather than its functionality (in some cases). Examples of positioning/alignment inspections are the front-facing alignment of food or drink labels, visual alignment of barcodes, or the positioning of a lid.

KEYENCE’s vision systems tackle all vision inspection needs across various industries and products. In this lineup of systems, some systems (XG-X) have line scan cameras for the inspection of large parts that are hard to light and moving webs.

Other systems that are commonly used have 3D camera options. These 3D cameras are ideal for features that can’t be seen with a traditional camera.

These systems feature high resolution cameras, high contrast color imaging, and software that is easy to use. Different lighting, camera, and lensing options are available to choose from.

Vision sensors are the simplified version of a vision system. KEYENCE’s vision sensors can inspect a wide range of products and can conduct presence/absence, OCR, and defect inspections.

Image dimension measurement systems, like the KEYENCE IM Series or metrology vision systems, are a bit different than vision sensors and systems; however, they fall under the category of a vision inspection system because they have a light, lens, camera, and a controller.

The IM Series is optimal for offline measuring inspections. Although the IM Series can’t measure in-line, its processing speed and overall efficiency makes up for it. The part is placed on a stage, the technician hits the "measure" button, and the system measures up to 300 features on up to 100 different parts simultaneously.