Monitoring device and cable processing center

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring device for checking cables which have been cut to length or which are connected to contacts, for example wire end ferrules, and to a cable processing center comprising such a monitoring device. The monitoring device is designed to detect the trajectory and the quality of a crimping or the like.

Description

[0001] Control facility and cable processing center

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a control device for testing cables that have been cut to length or connected to contacts, for example wire end ferrules, and to a cable processing center equipped with such a control device.

[0004] With such a center, cables and wires can be fed, cut to length, marked, and crimped with a contact element, such as a wire end ferrule. The assembled cables are then typically bundled and stored in a storage system.

[0005] In series production, it is necessary to crimp different cable cross-sections and electrical components / contact elements together and then install them in a subsequent assembly step, for example, when assembling a control cabinet. There are essentially two options for this: In one variant, the crimping machine is converted to crimp different cable cross-sections and / or contact elements (wire end ferrules), or several crimping machines are provided to process the different cable cross-sections / contact elements. The former solution requires long setup times and considerable personnel expenditure. This disadvantage is overcome in the latter solution by using a large number of crimping machines – however, the investment costs are considerable.

[0006] DE 10 2004 057 818 B3 discloses a machine (designed as a stripper-crimper) capable of processing different cable cross-sections and wire end ferrules. A drum magazine and an associated crimping device are provided for each wire end ferrule type. These devices are assigned a common drive that can be selectively engaged with one of the crimping devices. Such a solution requires considerable equipment complexity, as a large number of crimping devices must be provided and controlled.

[0007] DE 102015 119217 A1, which originates from the applicant, shows a crimping machine that eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages. This crimping machine has a storage arrangement with several drum magazines, each of which is assigned a common transport unit and a common crimping head, so that the device-related complexity is significantly reduced compared to the previously described solution.

[0008] DE 10 2017 118 968, issued by the applicant, discloses a crimping machine in which a contact element to be crimped is guided directly into the working area of ​​a stripping or crimping head without the need for a feed device or the like. In this known solution, the contact elements are preferably stored in drum magazines, so that the crimping machine is accordingly designed with a separating device.

[0009] DE 102015 102 060 A1, also by the applicant, shows a crimping machine in which different wire end ferrules are stored in a storage arrangement with several drum magazines. Each of these drum magazines is assigned a transport unit, via which the preselected wire end ferrule is transported to a transfer position. The separated wire end ferrule is then guided to a common crimping head by means of a shuttle.

[0010] This crimping machine is characterized by high productivity. However, a certain disadvantage is that the required shuttle is comparatively complex, requiring a correspondingly large amount of space, and stripping is not possible.

[0011] Due to the high level of manual labor involved, the demands on workers during assembly and, in particular, during the subsequent installation of cables in the control cabinet are relatively high, and errors cannot be ruled out. To overcome the disadvantages of the aforementioned concepts, the applicant's patent application WO 2019 / 211 490 A1 proposes a modular cable processing center in which the processing modules are arranged on a mobile platform.

[0012] DE 102018 131 441 A1, which originates from the applicant, describes a cable processing center with an automatic cutting machine designed for processing multiple cable cross-sections or cable types. A multiple feed is provided, whereby a control device of the cable processing center aligns a cable to be processed with respect to the feed or transport device of the cutting machine. In one embodiment of DE 10 2018 131 444 A1, the cables cut to length by the cutting machine are fed by a robot to further processing units, for example, a stripper / crimper and a marking system (printer) or a cable discharge unit.

[0013] A similar cable processing center is described in WO 2022 / 079 215 A1 of the applicant, wherein the processing units are arranged on or around a rotary table.

[0014] When using such cable processing centers, it became apparent that, despite the extensive automation, manual intervention is still necessary to ensure the quality of the cable assembly.

[0015] For example, it is common practice for the operator or a downstream quality control department to visually inspect the assembled cables to ensure the quality of the crimping.

[0016] In contrast, the invention is based on the object of facilitating quality control during cable assembly.

[0017] This object is achieved by a control device having the features of patent claim 1 and a cable processing center constructed with such a control device according to patent claim 10. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0018] According to the invention, a control device is provided for testing cables that have been cut to length or connected to contacts, for example, wire end ferrules, in particular crimped. The control device is designed with a housing that is provided with an insertion opening for a cable end and has an interior in which a sensor system is accommodated for detecting the trajectory and / or the quality of the connection between the cable and contact of the cable end brought into a measuring position. According to the invention, this sensor system is assigned a controller that is designed to compare the detected parameters with specifications and to generate a control signal resulting from the comparison.

[0019] The term "trajectory" here refers to the bending resulting from the flexural flexibility of the cable, with which the cable end deviates from the ideal position / ideal course of a rigid, straight cable end. This trajectory thus represents the deviation of the bending / geometry of the cable end from the ideal value, i.e. a rigid, undeformed, straight cable end. Knowing this trajectory, it is then possible to control a handling device, for example a multi-axis robot (cobot), in such a way that the cable end can be fed in a targeted manner - despite the deviation from the ideal course - to another processing unit, for example a stripping / crimping machine. In doing so, the cable end can be positioned precisely with reference to a comparatively narrow insertion opening of the stripping / crimping machine, thus preventing a collision of the cable end with peripheral areas of the insertion opening.This could not be prevented with conventional solutions, which can result in a significant scrap rate.

[0020] According to the invention, the sensor system is alternatively or furthermore designed such that the quality of the connection between the cable end and the contact, for example, the crimp created by the stripping / crimping machine, can be checked. This allows, for example, fully folded / pushed back strands, damaged contacts (wire end ferrules), incorrect contacts, or incorrect cables (each identifiable by size and / or color) to be detected. Here, too, it is preferred if the respective cable end connected to a contact is fed to the inspection device via the handling device, thus enabling fully automatic error detection during cable assembly. In principle, however, manual feeding by a worker is also possible.

[0021] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, a light is provided in the housing to illuminate the cable end, so that quality control is further improved.

[0022] In a particularly simple embodiment, the sensor system is designed with at least three cameras or other sensors, of which at least two, preferably three, are arranged on a common partial circle enclosing the cable end. According to the invention, a further camera / sensor is arranged at an axial distance from the cable end or the measuring position and the insertion opening, so that the cable end or the contact connected to the cable end is recorded or scanned axially "from the front" and thus any deviation from the axial target position / measurement position is detected. In principle, it is also possible to detect deviations from a desired curved target profile.

[0023] The cable's orientation in the room can then be determined in conjunction with at least one of the sensors / cameras located on the pitch circle. In principle, the signals from several of these sensors / cameras can also be used to determine the cable's orientation.

[0024] The illumination of the cable end located in the measuring position is particularly uniform if the illumination is ring-shaped, encompassing the other camera or sensor and focused on the measuring position.

[0025] As stated above, the control of the control device is preferably designed such that, depending on the detected trajectory, control signals are sent to a handling device or a central control unit in order to move the cable to a subsequent production unit, for example a crimping machine or the like, depending on the detected data, in particular the image data.

[0026] The control system can be designed in such a way that the quality of the connection between the cable end and the contact can be assessed from the data recorded by sensors / cameras located on a partial circle by comparing the recorded data with target data and emitting a corresponding signal indicating the quality.

[0027] In the case where quality control is performed manually by a worker or the like, a holding system can be provided on the housing in the area of ​​the inspection device's insertion opening. The cable end is inserted manually (or automatically) into this holding system. It can then be moved through the insertion opening into the measuring position by sliding it, for example, a slide. The slide can be guided on a guide of the holding system and can have receptacles for securing the cable end in position.

[0028] The measurement accuracy can be further improved if an inner housing is provided within the housing, on or in which the sensors, in particular the cameras and, if applicable, the lighting, are held.

[0029] It is preferred if the inner housing has circumferential wall sections arranged in a hexagonal manner, every second of which carries a sensor, for example a camera, wherein the fourth sensor, for example the fourth camera, is positioned on a bottom surface of the inner housing arranged at an axial distance from the measuring position, on which bottom surface the lighting is preferably mounted. This inner housing makes it possible to pre-assemble the sensors and to check them for optimal positioning before assembly. In one embodiment, the insertion opening of the control device is designed with a very large clear width so that even cable ends with a large trajectory can be inserted.

[0030] The cable processing center according to the invention—also called a wiring workstation—usually has at least one automatic cutting machine for cutting a cable to length, one automatic stripping machine, and one automatic crimping machine or a stripper-crimper for crimping the stripped cable end to a contact, preferably a wire end ferrule. The cable processing center is further equipped with a control device according to the invention, with a handling device, in particular a multi-axis robot, optionally provided, via which the cable can be moved between the individual production stations.

[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, the control device is embedded in a support, for example a table top, of a frame supporting components of the cable processing center or is mounted below the support.

[0032] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. They show:

[0033] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic overview of a cable processing center according to the invention;

[0034] Figure 2 shows a manufacturing step in which a cable end is fed to a control device according to the invention by means of a multi-axis robot shown in Figure 1;

[0035] Figures 3a, 3b show individual views of a slack cable with a trajectory and a faulty crimp, respectively;

[0036] Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional individual representation of a variant of a control device according to the invention; Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section through the control device according to Figure 4;

[0037] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional representation of a cross-section of the control device according to Figure 4;

[0038] Figure ? the control device according to Figure 4 with the front surface removed;

[0039] Figures 8a, 8b are three-dimensional representations of a further embodiment of a control device according to the invention and

[0040] Figures 9a, 9b show a three-dimensional overview of another embodiment of a cable processing center.

[0041] The basic structure of a cable processing center 1 according to the invention is shown in Figure 1. Accordingly, this cable processing center 1—similar to a solution disclosed in DE 10 2018 131 444 A1—is positioned stationary on a table or mobile on a workshop trolley, with the components positioned on a base plate or tabletop 2. As shown in Figure 1, the cable processing center 1 has several processing units. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1, an automatic cutting machine 4, a crimping machine 8, a control device—hereinafter referred to as VCS (Visual Control System) 10—and a storage unit 12 designed as a bundle system, in which the pre-assembled cables can be stored, are provided. Not shown is a printer, which is used to label the pre-assembled cables.

[0042] The feeding / movement of the cables to be assembled between the aforementioned processing units is carried out by a multi-axis robot 14 (cobot), which is equipped with two grippers 16, 18. The multi-axis robot 14 can be controlled in such a way that all processing units can be reached with a minimal travel distance. In the illustrated embodiment, the described processing units are arranged approximately in a semicircle around the vertical pivot axis S of the multi-axis robot 14. The multi-axis robot 14 and the described processing units are controlled via a central control unit 20. The cutting machine 4 and the crimping machine 8 are standard devices of the applicant, which can also be used as stand-alone machines and whose basic design is, in principle, known on the market, so that no detailed description of these units is necessary.In the illustrated embodiment, the multi-axis robot 14 is mounted on the tabletop 2. In principle, the multi-axis robot 14 can also be mounted on a ceiling strut or a side strut. A corresponding embodiment will be explained later.

[0043] The illustrated cutting machine 4, for example, has a multiple feeder (Z+F EVO-FEED® from the applicant), which can feed up to twelve cables, enabling sequential processing of complex projects. The actual cutting is performed, for example, using a Z+F EVOCIIT® cutting machine, in which the cables to be cut are guided horizontally and cut according to the specifications of the control unit. The respective cutting process can be viewed on a display of the control unit 20 or on a display of the cutting machine 4.

[0044] The crimping machine 8, for example, is the Z+F UNIC GV® model, which allows for the processing of various wire end ferrules and other contacts, which are arranged on a roll magazine, allowing different wire end ferrules or other contacts to be crimped without changing the magazine. The UNIC GV® model is a combination of a stripping and crimping machine (stripper-crimper), eliminating the need for a separate stripping unit.

[0045] The cable 22 to be assembled can be fed to the VCS 10 for quality control via the multi-axis robot 14, for example after cutting to length, after crimping, after stripping or after or before other processing stations.

[0046] Figure 2 shows a partial view of the cable processing center 1 according to Figure 1, wherein a cut-to-length cable 22 is grasped by means of the two grippers 16, 18 of the multi-axis robot 14 and fed to the individual processing units. These production steps are described in a parallel application, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference to that of the present application. In the production step illustrated in Figure 2, a cable end 24 is guided via the multi-axis robot 14 with the grippers 16, 18 to the inspection device 10 according to the invention, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is partially recessed into the table top 2 to reduce the overall height. A housing 26 of the inspection device 10 is designed with an insertion opening 28 through which the cable end 24 can be inserted into the interior of the housing 26, in which a sensor system for quality control is accommodated. The structure of this sensor system is explained in more detail below.The operation of the control device 10 described below is referred to as the “Image Monitoring Concept” (IMC).

[0047] This sensor system is preferably designed such that, on the one hand, the trajectory of the pliable cable end 24 can be detected, so that the deviation from a desired course (e.g., straight cable end 24) can be detected and, depending on this deviation, a targeted feeding of the cable end 24, for example, into a feed opening 30 (see Figure 1) of the crimping machine 8 is possible, so that a collision of the cable end 24 with the crimping machine 8 and thus faulty crimping or a machine malfunction is excluded. This trajectory, ie the deviation X of the course of the cable end 24 from the ideal Y, is shown sketchily in Figure 3a.

[0048] The control device 10 is further configured such that the sensor system shown in Figure 3b can be used to detect a quality control of the connection between the cable end 24 and a contact, for example, a wire end ferrule 32. The sensor system is designed, for example, to detect a folded strand 34, so that a corresponding signal can be sent to the multi-axis robot 14, which then sends the defective crimp to a reject storage unit.

[0049] Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the VCS (Visual Control System) 10, the housing 26 of which has a slightly different design than the embodiment shown in Figure 1. In the variant shown in Figure 4, the housing 26 has a hexagonal cross-section, with a rear wall 36 on the rear side and a front cover 38 facing the viewer, in which the insertion opening 28 is provided.

[0050] On the support side, a support bracket 39 is provided on the housing 26 for mounting the VCS 10 on the tabletop 2. In principle, however, the VCS 10 can also be recessed into the tabletop 2 in sections, as in the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1. As explained below, the VCS 10 can also be recessed completely into the tabletop 2 or mounted underneath it, with the insertion opening 28 then being accessible perpendicular to the tabletop plane or opening approximately into it.

[0051] The illustration in Figure 4 shows the cable 22 with the cable end 24 crimped with a wire end ferrule 32. This cable end 24 is fed, for example, via the multi-axis robot 14 or manually by a worker—this will be discussed in more detail below. The insertion opening 28 is designed so that the cable end 24 can be inserted collision-free, even with a trajectory with a large deviation X.

[0052] Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section of the VCS 10 with the housing 26, which is covered at the rear by the rear wall 36 and at the front by the front cover 38. Also visible in this section is the insertion opening 28 with a large clear width, through which the cable end 24 can be inserted into the interior of the housing 26 until it reaches a measuring plane 40, so that, for example, the wire end ferrule 32 is arranged in a predetermined measuring position 50 on which the sensor is focused.

[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, an inner housing 42 is arranged in the housing 26, which is accessible via the insertion opening 28 and into which the cable end 24 is inserted. The sensors of the VCS 10 are positioned on this inner housing 42 (also called the measuring housing). Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, three cameras 44, 46, 48 are arranged in the area of ​​the measuring plane 40, lying on a common pitch circle and offset by 120° from one another, the latter being visible in Figure 6. The three cameras 44, 46, 48 located in the measuring plane 40 are focused with their respective optics (Figure 6) on the measuring position 50 located centrally in the measuring plane 40, which is identified in Figure 6 by the position of the wire end ferrule 32. The sectional plane in the illustration according to Figure 6 lies in the measuring plane 40, so that the cameras 44, 46, 48 are cut accordingly. To minimize the effort required for the device, two cameras 44, 46, 48 can be used instead of three.Cameras offset by 120° from each other are used to capture the trajectory. However, this minimal equipment complexity is accompanied by increased effort in evaluating the image data.

[0054] At an axial distance from this measuring position 50, an axial camera 52 is provided, which is directed, so to speak, frontally onto the end face of the cable end 24 or the wire end ferrule 32. The axial camera 52 is mounted on a base 54 of the inner housing 42. This base 54 furthermore carries an annular illumination 56, which is also directed toward the measuring position 50 and thus evenly illuminates the cable end 24 and, if applicable, the wire end ferrule 32, so that the image quality of the cameras 44, 46, 48 and the axial camera 52 is optimized. The illumination 56 is mounted on the base 54 or on the inner peripheral wall of the inner housing 42 via a holder 58 (see Figure 6).

[0055] This, as can be seen in particular from Figure 6, also has a hexagonal cross-section, with one of the three cameras 44, 46, 48 being held on every second of the hexagonally arranged peripheral wall sections 60. The respective lens 62 (only one lens 62 is provided with a reference number in Figure 6) is inserted into a circular recess 64 of the respective peripheral wall section 60, while the camera electronics 66 are located outside the measuring space 68 encompassed by the peripheral wall sections 60. The cameras 44, 46, 48 are preferably designed as color cameras, with high-quality optics with high resolution being used.

[0056] The axial camera 52 is correspondingly mounted in the base 54 of the

[0057] The image is captured in the inner housing 42, with the optics—as described—focused on the measuring position 50. As mentioned, the angle of view of the optics is designed so that even trajectories with a large deviation X can be captured.

[0058] The four cameras 44, 46, 48, 52 are connected either to a control system integrated in the VCS 10 or to the central control unit 20, with target values ​​stored in the memory with which the measurement data (color, geometry) determined by the cameras can be compared.

[0059] The three cameras 44, 46, and 48, located on the pitch circle and offset by 120° from each other, provide a 360-degree view of the inserted cable end 24, allowing its quality to be assessed based on the color images. This makes it very easy to detect folded or pushed-back strands 24, damaged wire end ferrules 32, incorrect wire end ferrules 32, or incorrect cables 22, allowing differentiation based on geometry and color.

[0060] The trajectory, i.e., the deviation X from the measuring position 50 (target center), can be recorded via the axial camera 52 in conjunction with at least one of the cameras 44, 46, 48. These deviations are then sent as corrections to the multi-axis robot 14 via the control unit 20 or the controller integrated in the VCS 10, so that its controls are dependent on these correction values ​​and, accordingly, the cable can be inserted into the processing machines of the cable processing center 1 with great precision. For example, as mentioned above, it is possible to insert the cable end 24, which has a large deviation X, into the insertion opening 28 of the crimping machine 8. This provides enormous process stability during the processing of cables with the aid of the multi-axis robot 14, ensuring that only cables 22 that are deemed "good" are assembled.In this way, it is possible to operate the cable processing center 1 almost autonomously.

[0061] Figure 7 shows the VCS 10 with the front cover 38 removed. This illustration shows the lens 62 of the optics 46 inserted into the recess 64 of the peripheral section 60 and the wire end ferrule 32 of the cable end 24 positioned in the measuring position 50. Also visible is a hexagonal annular end flange 72 which is screwed to the removed front cover 38 so that, if necessary, the inner housing 42 with the sensor system can be easily removed by loosening the front cover 38.

[0062] In the embodiment described above, it is preferred that the cable 22 is fed via a handling device, preferably the multi-axis robot 14. In principle, it is also conceivable to design the VCS 10 as a "standalone table-top device" that is manually operated by a worker. Since it is difficult to position the cable end 24 by hand within the measuring plane 40, a holding system 74 is provided on the front cover 38 in the embodiment of the VCS 10 shown in Figures 8a and 8b. In this holding system, a carriage 76 is guided axially adjustably on a guide 78. The carriage 76 is designed with a holder 80 for the cable end 24.

[0063] The operator inserts the cable end 24 into the holder 80, which is designed, for example, as a clamp, and then pushes the carriage 76 inward until it hits a stop, which ensures that the cable end 24 is moved into the measuring position 50, thus enabling a precise determination of the trajectory or the quality of the crimp, or the like. This holding system 74 can be attached to the basic system described above as an optional assembly.

[0064] Figure 8b shows the measuring step in which the carriage 76 is moved inwards by the worker - or via a handling device, an actuator or a drive - in order to align the cable end 24 with respect to the measuring position 50.

[0065] Figures 9a and 9b show a variant of the cable processing center 1 according to Figure 1, with Figure 9a showing a three-dimensional oblique view and Figure 9b showing a plan view of the cable processing center 1. In this exemplary embodiment, the multi-axis robot 14 is held on a ceiling strut 82 of the table structure or the workshop trolley and is thus mounted "overhead," so to speak. This positioning of the multi-axis robot 14 enables easier access to the individual production units, and a tabletop 2 with a smaller surface area than in the exemplary embodiment described above can also be used.

[0066] A further difference is that the control device according to the invention, i.e. the VCS 10, is not placed on the table top 2 or partially recessed into it, but is mounted completely beneath the table top, so that the insertion opening 28 is accessible via a circular recess 84 in the table top 2. Accordingly, the cable end 24 is then inserted vertically via the multi-axis robot 14 into the insertion opening 28 of the VCS 10 mounted beneath the table top 2. The position of the VCS 10 or the recess 84 is selected such that the travel path via the multi-axis robot 14 between the individual processing stations and the VCS 10 is minimal, so that very rapid quality control can be carried out.

[0067] In principle, it is also possible to mount the VCS 10 in a vertical direction on the table top 2 or only partially recessed into the table top 2 instead of the horizontal arrangement according to the embodiment described at the beginning.

[0068] As further evident from the views in Figures 9a and 9b, this exemplary embodiment utilizes two stripping and crimping machines 8a and 8b, each configured as a stripper-crimper. In the illustration in Figure 9a, on the left, the Z+F UNIC GV®, which is also used in the exemplary embodiment in Figure 1, is positioned next to the cutting machine 4. Approximately centrally located is another modular stripper-crimper (crimping machine 8b), which has two sorting pots 86 and 88 in which the loose contacts, for example, wire end ferrules 32, are received. Such a stripper-crimper 8b is offered by the applicant under the designation "AM 04 Duomatic." In this embodiment, the crimping machine 8a is intended for processing contacts / wire end sleeves 32 with cross sections between 0.5 and 2.5 mm, while the crimping machine 8b is designed for processing contacts / wire end sleeves 32 with cross sections of 4 and 6 mm.Of course, the crimping machines 8 can also be used to process other cross-sections.

[0069] A further difference from the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 1 is that the storage unit 12, designed as a bundle system, is not arranged vertically (Figure 1) but horizontally, with end sections of the cables 22 being fixed in the bundle system, for example using adhesive tape, and the longer cable sections then being positioned in a tray 90 recessed into the table top 2. In this exemplary embodiment, too, a printer can be provided for labeling the pre-assembled cables, which are fed to the printer by means of the robot 14.

[0070] The operation and structure of the VCS 10 correspond to the previously described embodiment, so that further explanations are unnecessary.

[0071] As mentioned at the beginning, other sensors can be used instead of cameras to record the trajectory and crimping quality.

[0072] Disclosed are a control device for testing cables that have been cut to length or connected to contacts, such as wire end ferrules, and a cable processing center with such a control device. This control device is designed to detect a trajectory and / or the quality of a crimp or the like.

[0073] List of reference symbols:

[0074] Cable processing center

[0075] table top

[0076] Cutting machine

[0077] Crimping machine

[0078] Control device / VCS

[0079] memory

[0080] Multi-axis robot

[0081] gripper

[0082] gripper

[0083] Control unit

[0084] Cable

[0085] Cable end

[0086] Housing

[0087] Insertion opening

[0088] Feed opening

[0089] wire end ferrule

[0090] stranded wire

[0091] back wall

[0092] front cover

[0093] Support console

[0094] measuring plane

[0095] inner casing

[0096] camera

[0097] camera

[0098] camera

[0099] Measuring position

[0100] Axial camera

[0101] Floor

[0102] lighting

[0103] bracket

[0104] peripheral wall section

[0105] Lens recess camera electronics measuring chamber front flange holding system carriage guide bracket ceiling strut

[0106] Recess sorting pot sorting pot tub

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Control device for testing cables (22) that have been cut to length or connected to contacts, for example wire end ferrules (32), in particular crimped, with a housing (26) that is designed with an insertion opening (28) and that has a measuring chamber (68) in which a sensor system is accommodated for detecting a trajectory and the quality of the connection between the cable (22) and the contact of the cable end (24) that has been brought into a measuring position (50), wherein the sensor system is assigned a controller that is designed to compare detected parameters with target specifications and to generate a control signal resulting from the comparison.

2. Control device according to claim 1, with a lighting device (56) accommodated in the housing (26) for illuminating the cable end (24).

3. Control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor system has at least four sensors or cameras (44, 46, 48, 52), three of which are located on a common partial circle encompassing the cable end (24) and a fourth sensor or a fourth camera (52) is arranged at an axial distance from the measuring position (50) and the insertion opening (28).

4. Control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the illumination (56) is arranged in a ring shape, encompassing the fourth camera (52) or the fourth sensor and focused on the measuring position (50).

5. Control device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the control is designed to detect the orientation of the cable end (24) in space via detected data from the fourth sensor or the fourth camera (52) and at least one of the sensors or cameras (44, 46, 48) arranged on the partial circle and to transmit a corresponding control signal to a handling device or a central control in order to move the cable (22) to a subsequent production unit, for example a crimping machine (8), in dependence on the control signal.

6. Control device according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control is designed to detect the quality of the connection of the cable end (24) with the contact, preferably a wire end sleeve (32), at least from the data detected by the cameras (44, 46, 48) or sensors arranged on a partial circle, and to emit a control signal characterizing the quality.

7. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, with a holding system (74) arranged in the region of the insertion opening (28) on the housing (26), into which the cable end (24) can be inserted manually or automatically and then moved through the insertion opening (28) into the measuring position (50) by means of the holding system, preferably a movable carriage (76) of the holding system (74) holding the cable end (24).

8. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (26) accommodates an inner housing (42) on which the sensors, in particular the cameras (44, 46, 48, 52) and the lighting (56) are held.

9. Control device according to claim 8, wherein the inner housing (42) has peripheral wall sections (60) arranged in a hexagonal manner, each second of which carries a sensor or a camera (44, 46, 48), the fourth sensor or the fourth camera (52) being positioned on a base (54) of the inner housing (42), on which the lighting (56) is preferably held.

10. Cable processing center with an automatic cutting machine (4), an automatic stripping machine and an automatic crimping machine (8) for crimping the stripped cable end (24) with a contact, preferably a wire end sleeve (32) or a stripper-crimper, and a control device (10) according to one of the preceding claims and optionally with a handling device, preferably a multi-axis robot (14), for moving the cable (22) between the production stations of the cable processing center.

11. Cable processing center according to claim 10, wherein the control device (10) is placed on a table top (2) of a frame, partially inserted or mounted below the table top (2), wherein in the latter case the control device (10) is accessible through a recess (84) in the table top (2).

Images