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Keyence
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
Keyence’s ultra-compact cameras, measuring 17mm in diameter, are used to inspect circuit breakers at Schneider Electric
The inspections are made on an electrical contact part in the C60 circuit breakers made by Schneider Electric. The circuit breakers constitute a modular solution providing protection for circuits in industrial and service buildings and are used in more than 100 countries.
"We check the presence of a pad, and also inspect for any possible defects. The pads provide an electrical contact surface, and the inspection ensures that they allow the current to flow through correctly. The detection system has to be accurate because we are looking for tiny flaws. Previously, it was not possible to install a specific lighting system because of the lack of space, so we knew that we would have problems due to light reflections. We decided to use a 2-megapixel colour detection system. We set a pixel threshold for pad detection to guarantee the perfect quality of our process. A 50 mm object lens for a target is placed 100 mm from the lens. This enables us to detect flaws measuring about one-tenth of a millimetre," explains Alain Antonin of the Manufacturing Engineering Department at Merlin Gerin Alès
"We consulted several vision system suppliers. We selected Keyence for 3 reasons: firstly, with the CV-5000, we kept control of our process. The system is simple enough to enable us to fully reprogram it in order to operate a detection system without having to consult an integrator or the supplier. Secondly, Keyence provided a more affordable solution, and last but not least, the miniature camera provided was the only one that fitted in the space available", adds Alain Antonin.
Schneider Electric opted for Keyence's ultra-compact cameras. These cameras have the same performance levels as the other cameras in the CV-5000 range. Thanks to their small size, they can be fitted in narrow spaces that are normally only used for photoelectric sensors. They are the smallest models on the market, with a 310,000 pixel camera 12 mm wide and the 2 million pixel camera 17 mm wide that was installed in the Schneider facilities. In all, the sixteen camera models in the CV-5000 series enable the execution of a wide range of inspection tasks.
"The system implementation was perfectly carried out by Keyence, states Alain Antonin. Keyence conducted the feasibility tests, validated the possibility of placing the camera in the allotted space, made the initial adjustments and provided internal training courses.
Detection stability is ensured by the performance of the Keyence vision system: the models in the CV-5000 series are controlled by a high-speed colour image processing engine and a high-speed RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) processor linked to two DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), specifically designed for image processing. Overall, the models in the series use four processors to obtain parallel processing and the highest possible processing speeds. A 2 megapixel detection system is thus made possible in spite of the high production rates and the resolution required.
