Custom Rubber Corp. invested in upgraded vision system technology in order to find even more defects and go one step further to ensure our customers get perfect parts.
The old system relied on traditional cameras and pixel definitions but couldn't measure height irregularites and was adversely affected by dirt on the conveyor belt or changes in lighting.
The new system uses laser distance calculations to effectively scan the part, create a 3D model of what it sees, and compare that model to the "acceptable" definition.
The blue glow seen in this picture is actually a laser line that runs across the part as it moves past on the belt. The system knows the speed of the belt and auto-corrects the scan to make the 3D model of the part circular (not the oval that it sees).
Our system is currently being used to inspect very special rubber-covered washers that are used inside natural gas valves as the sealing surface. The parts have to be perfect or gas could leak - never a good thing.
The system has two of the lasers like the one pictured above and the feeding system flips the part over between the two lasers so that both sides can be inspected. The system is smart enough to know what side it's looking at (the two sides aren't the same) and compares what it sees to the proper "acceptable" definition.
It's so precise and accurate that it can detect the cavity number on the part, which is only 0.045" tall.
The most exciting thing about the new system is that it can more easily be used to inspect a number of other critical parts for our customers moving forward. We're looking to get a lot of use out of these new lasers!