Inspection equipment and cable processing center

Abstract

Inspection equipment and cable processing center. Disclosed are inspection equipment for inspecting cables cut to length or cables connected to contacts such as ferrules, and a cable processing center including such inspection equipment. This is for detecting crimping trajectories and quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0004] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device for inspecting cables to which contacts such as cut cables and ferrules are connected, and a cable processing center equipped with such an inspection device.

Background Art

[0002] In such a center, feeding of cables, length cutting, marking, and crimping with contact elements such as ferrules are performed. The processed cables are usually bundled and stored in a storage location.

[0003] In serial production, different cable cross-sections and electrical components / contact elements are crimped together, and in subsequent assembly processes, for example, when assembling a switch cabinet, it is necessary to attach them. In this case, basically, there are two options. One is to modify the crimping machine to crimp different cable cross-sections and / or contact elements (ferrules), and the other is to prepare a plurality of crimping machines to process different cable cross-sections / contact elements. The first solution requires a long setup time and a large amount of labor costs. This drawback is overcome by the second solution that uses a large number of crimping machines, but the investment cost is considerable.

[0004] Document DE 10 2004 057818 B3 discloses a machine (designed as a stripper-crimper) that can process different cable cross-sections and ferrules. The crimping devices associated with the drum magazine correspond to each type of ferrule, and these are assigned to a common drive and can be selectively operatively engaged with one of the crimping devices. Such a solution requires a high technical effort because a large number of crimping devices must be provided and controlled.

[0005] The applicant's previous DE 10 2015 119217 A1 demonstrates a crimping machine that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings. This crimping machine has a storage arrangement with multiple drum magazines, to which a common transport unit and a common crimping head are assigned, thus significantly reducing the technical effort compared to the previously described solution.

[0006] Applicant DE 10 2017 118968 discloses a crimping machine in which the contact elements to be crimped are guided directly to the effective range of a strip head or crimping head without the interposition of a feeding device or the like. In this known solution, the contact elements are preferably housed in a drum magazine, and the crimping machine is operated in a corresponding separation device.

[0007] Similarly, the applicant's previous DE 10 2015 102060 A1 describes a crimping machine in which different ferrules are stored in a storage arrangement comprising multiple drum magazines. Each of these drum magazines is associated with a transport unit, which transports pre-selected ferrules to a transport position. There, the separated ferrules are guided by a shuttle to a common crimping head.

[0008] This crimping machine is characterized by its high productivity. However, it has some drawbacks, such as the relatively complex structure of the required shuttle, the need for a considerable installation space, and the inability to perform stripping.

[0009] Due to the high proportion of manual labor involved, the demands on workers during assembly, particularly during the subsequent cable installation within the switch cabinets, are relatively high, and errors cannot be completely eliminated.

[0010] To overcome the shortcomings of the aforementioned concept, applicant WO2019 / 211490 A1 proposes a modular cable processing center in which processing modules are arranged on a mobile platform.

[0011] The applicant's previous DE 10 2018 131441 A1 describes a cable processing center equipped with an automated cutter designed to process multiple cable cross-sections or cable types. Multiple feeds are provided, thereby aligning the cables to be processed with respect to the feed or conveyor of the automated cutter via an inspection device of the cable processing center. In one embodiment of DE 10 2018 131444 A1, the cables cut to length by the automated cutter are fed by a robot to further processing units, such as an automated stripping / crimping machine and marking system (printer) or a cable removal unit.

[0012] A similar cable processing center is described in the applicant's WO 2022 / 079215 A1, in which the processing unit is located on or around a rotary table.

[0013] When using such cable processing centers, it became clear that, despite extensive automation, manual work is still necessary to ensure the quality of cable assemblies.

[0014] Therefore, for example, assembled cables are typically visually inspected for crimping quality by workers or downstream quality control systems.

[0015] In contrast, the present invention is based on the objective of facilitating quality control during cable assembly. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0016] This objective is achieved by an inspection apparatus having the features described in claim 1, and a cable processing center operated using such an inspection apparatus as described in claim 10.

[0017] Advantageous further developments of the present invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0018] The present invention provides an inspection device for inspecting cables cut to length, or cables connected to contacts, such as ferrules, particularly crimped cables. The inspection device comprises a housing having an inlet for the cable end and an internal space housing a sensor system for detecting the trajectory of the cable end brought to a measurement position and / or the quality of the connection between the cable and the contact. According to the present invention, the sensor system is associated with an inspection device designed to compare the detected parameters with specifications and generate a control signal resulting from the comparison.

[0019] The "trajectory" referred to here is a bend caused by insufficient bending stiffness in the cable, which causes the cable end to deviate from the ideal position / path of a stiff, straight cable end. This trajectory reflects the deviation of the cable end's bend / shape from the ideal value, i.e., a stiff, undeformed, straight cable end. By recognizing this trajectory, it becomes possible to drive a handling device, such as a multi-axis robot (cobot), in a way that allows the cable end to be fed as intended into further processing devices, such as an automatic stripping / crimping machine, despite the deviation from the ideal trajectory. This enables precise positioning of the cable end against the relatively narrow insertion opening of the automatic stripping / crimping machine and eliminates collisions of the cable end with the surrounding area of ​​the insertion opening. This is something that cannot be prevented with conventional solutions and can result in a significant failure rate.

[0020] According to the present invention, the sensor system is designed to check, alternatively or additionally, the connection quality between cable ends and contacts, for example, the crimp quality produced by an automatic stripping / crimping machine, and can detect, for example, completely misaligned / pushed strands, damaged contacts (ferrules), faulty contacts, or faulty cables (each identifiable by size and / or color). Here again, it is preferable that each cable end connected to a contact is supplied to the inspection device via a handling device, enabling fully automated fault detection during cable assembly. However, in principle, manual supply by an operator is also possible.

[0021] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, lighting is provided inside the housing to illuminate the cable end, thereby further improving quality control.

[0022] In a particularly simple embodiment, the sensor system has at least three cameras or other sensors, of which at least two, preferably three, are positioned on a common pitch circle surrounding the cable end. According to the present invention, further cameras / sensors are positioned axially away from the cable end, the measurement position, and the insertion point, respectively, so that the cable end or contacts connected to the cable end are recorded or scanned axially "from the front" so that deviations from the axial target position / measurement position can be detected. In principle, it is also possible to detect deviations from a desired curved target curve.

[0023] Furthermore, by working in conjunction with at least one sensor / camera positioned on the pitch circle, the alignment of the cable in space can be determined. In principle, it is also possible to detect cable alignment using signals from multiple sensors / cameras.

[0024] When the lighting is ring-shaped, surrounding an additional camera or sensor and positioned to focus on the measurement location, the illumination of the cable end at the measurement location is particularly uniform.

[0025] As described above, it is preferable that the control of the inspection device is designed so that, in accordance with the detected trajectory, a control signal is output to a handling device or a central control device to move the cable to a subsequent manufacturing device, such as an automatic crimping machine, based on the detected data, particularly image data.

[0026] The control system can be designed to evaluate the quality of the connection between the cable end and the contact by comparing the detected data with target data from sensors / cameras placed on the pitch circle and outputting a corresponding signal indicating quality.

[0027] When quality control is performed manually by workers or the like, a holding system can be provided in the housing in the area of the insertion port of the inspection device. The cable end can be inserted manually (or automatically) there, and then, for example, the carriage can be moved to the measurement position by sliding it through the insertion port. The carriage can be movably guided on the guide of the holding system and can have a receiving part for fixing the position of the cable end.

[0028] The measurement accuracy is further improved when an inner housing is provided inside the housing where the sensor system, especially the camera and optionally the lighting, is held.

[0029] The inner housing has hexagonal-shaped peripheral wall parts arranged opposite to each other, and a sensor, for example, a camera is carried for every two of its walls. A fourth sensor, for example, a fourth camera, is preferably arranged on the bottom surface of the inner housing at an axial distance from the measurement position where the lighting is held. With this inner housing, the sensor system can be pre-assembled and its optimal positioning can be confirmed before assembly.

[0030] In one embodiment, the insertion port of the inspection device is implemented with a very large clearance width so that a cable end with a large trajectory can also be inserted.

[0031] The cable processing center (also called a wiring workstation) according to the present invention usually includes at least one automatic cutting machine for cutting the cable to length, an automatic stripping machine, and an automatic crimping machine or a stripper-crimper for crimping the stripped cable end to a contact, preferably a ferrule. Further, the cable processing center includes an inspection device according to the present invention, and a handling device, especially a multi-axis robot, for moving the cable between individual manufacturing stations is optionally provided.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inspection device is embedded in or mounted below a support, for example, the top plate, of a frame on which components of a cable processing center are mounted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the schematic drawings.

[0034] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a cable processing center according to the present invention.

[0035] [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a manufacturing step in which the cable end is supplied to the inspection device according to the present invention by the multi-axis robot shown in Figure 1.

[0036] [Figure 3a] Figure 3a shows individual representations of the trajectory or poor crimp of a cable with low bending stiffness. [Figure 3b] Figure 3b shows individual representations of the trajectory or poor crimp of a cable with low bending stiffness.

[0037] [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional individual representation of a modified example of the inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

[0038] [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view passing through the inspection apparatus shown in Figure 4.

[0039] [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional representation of the cross-section of the inspection device shown in Figure 4.

[0040] [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the inspection apparatus according to Figure 4 with the front panel removed.

[0041] [Figure 8a]Figure 8a is a three-dimensional representation of a further embodiment of the inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 8b] Figure 8b is a three-dimensional representation of a further embodiment of the inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

[0042] [Figure 9a] Figure 9a is a three-dimensional overview of a further embodiment of the cable processing center. [Figure 9b] Figure 9b is a three-dimensional overview of a further embodiment of the cable processing center. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] Figure 1 shows the basic structure of the cable processing center 1 according to the present invention. Similar to the solution disclosed in DE 10 2018 131444 A1, the cable processing center 1 is stationary on a table or movably mounted on a workshop trolley, and its components are mounted on a base plate or tabletop 2. As shown in Figure 1, the cable processing center 1 has a plurality of processing units, and in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, includes an automatic cutting machine 4, an automatic crimping machine 8, an inspection device - hereinafter referred to as VCS (Visual Control System) 10 - and a storage device 12 designed as a bundle system in which assembled cables can be stored. Not shown is a printer for labeling assembled cables.

[0044] The cables to be assembled are supplied / moved between the aforementioned processing units via a multi-axis robot 14 (cobot) equipped with two grippers 16, 18. The multi-axis robot 14 can be controlled to reach all processing units with the minimum travel distance. In the illustrated embodiment, the described processing units are arranged in a substantially semicircular shape 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 automatic cutting machine 4 and automatic crimping machine 8 are standard equipment of the applicant and can be used as standalone machines; their basic design is known in principle in the market, so a detailed description of these units is unnecessary. In the illustrated embodiment, the multi-axis robot 14 is mounted on a tabletop 2. In principle, the multi-axis robot 14 can also be mounted on ceiling or side supports. Corresponding embodiments will be described later.

[0045] For example, the illustrated automatic cutting machine 4 is equipped with a multi-feed (applicant's Z+F EVO-FEED®) capable of supplying up to 12 lines, allowing for the sequential processing of complex projects. Actual length cutting is performed, for example, by a Z+F EVOCUT® cutting machine, where the cable to be cut is guided horizontally and cut to length according to the specifications of the control unit. Each cutting process can be read on the display of the control device 20 or the display of the automatic cutting machine 4.

[0046] The automatic crimping machine 8 is, for example, the Z+F UNIC GV™ model, which can process different ferrules and other contacts and is mounted in a roller magazine so that different ferrules and other contacts can be crimped without changing the magazine. The UNIC GV™ model is a combination of stripper and crimper (stripper-crimper), so there is no need to prepare a separate stripping unit.

[0047] The assembled cables 22 can be supplied to the VCS 10 for quality control via the multi-axis robot 14, for example, after length cutting, crimping, stripping, or before or after other processing stations.

[0048] Figure 2 is a partial view of the cable processing center 1 according to Figure 1, where the cut cable 22 is gripped by two grippers 16, 18 of a multi-axis robot 14 and supplied to individual processing units. These manufacturing steps are described in a parallel application, and its disclosure is part of the disclosure in this application. In the manufacturing steps shown in Figure 2, the cable end 24 is guided through the multi-axis robot 14 together with the grippers 16, 18 to an inspection device 10 according to the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the inspection device 10 is partially recessed into the tabletop 2 to reduce the design height. The housing 26 of the inspection device 10 has an insertion opening 28 into which the cable end 24 can be inserted, and a quality control sensor system is housed therein. The structure of this sensor system will be described in detail below. The operating mode of the inspection device 10 described below is called the “Image Monitoring Concept” (IMC).

[0049] Preferably, this sensor system is configured to detect the trajectory of a non-rigid cable end 24, thereby detecting deviations from a target path (e.g., a straight cable end 24). Depending on such deviations, the cable end 24 can be supplied to the target location, for example, to the supply port 30 of the automatic crimping machine 8 (see Figure 1), thereby eliminating collisions of the cable end 24 with the automatic crimping machine 8, and consequently, incorrect crimping or machine malfunction. This trajectory, i.e., the deviation X of the course of the cable end 24 from the ideal Y, is schematically shown in Figure 3a.

[0050] Furthermore, the inspection device 10 is designed to detect quality control of the connection between the cable end 24 and a contact, such as a ferrule 32, via a sensor system as shown in Figure 3b. The sensor system is designed to detect, for example, a misaligned strand 34 and output a corresponding signal to a multi-axis robot 14, which then sends the defective crimp to reject storage.

[0051] Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the VCS (Visual Control System) 10, in which the housing 26 has a slightly different design from the embodiment shown in Figure 1. In the modified example shown in Figure 4, the housing 26 has a hexagonal cross-section, a rear wall 36 is provided on the back, and an insertion opening 28 is provided on the front cover 38 facing the viewing side.

[0052] On the support side, a support bracket 39 for attaching the VCS10 to the tabletop 2 is provided on the housing 26. However, in principle, the VCS10 can also be partially fitted onto the tabletop 2, as shown in the embodiment in Figure 1. As will be described below, the VCS10 can also be fully fitted onto the tabletop 2 or mounted underneath it, in which case the insertion opening 28 is accessible perpendicular to the tabletop plane or opens into it.

[0053] In the explanation shown in Figure 4, the cable 22 is shown with the cable end 24 crimped with a ferrule 32, which is supplied, for example, via a multi-axis robot 14 or manually by a worker. The insertion port 28 is designed to allow insertion without collision of the cable end 24, even if the trajectory deviation X is large.

[0054] Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section of the VCS10 with a housing 26, which is covered at the rear by a rear wall 36 and at the front by a front cover 38. The section also shows an insertion opening 28 with a large clear width through which the following is performed: In the insertion opening 28, the cable end 24 is introduced into the housing 26 until it reaches the measurement plane 40, and a ferrule 32 can be positioned, for example, at a predetermined measurement position 50 where the sensor system is focused.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, an inner housing 42 is located within the housing 26, which is accessible via an insertion opening 28 into which the cable end 24 is inserted. The sensor system of the VCS 10 is located on this inner housing 42 (also called the measurement housing). Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, three cameras 44, 46, and 48 are located in the region of the measurement plane 40 on a common pitch circle, offset from each other by 120°, the latter as shown in Figure 6. The three cameras 44, 46, and 48 located on the measurement plane 40 focus on the measurement position 50 located at the center of the measurement plane 40 with their respective optical systems (Figure 6). The cross-sectional plane in the representation in Figure 6 is within the measurement plane 40, and the cameras 44, 46, and 48 are cross-sectional accordingly. To minimize technical effort, instead of three cameras 44, 46, and 48 detecting the trajectory, two cameras offset by 120° can be used, for example. However, such reduction in technical effort comes with increased effort in evaluating the image data.

[0056] The axial camera 52 is positioned axially away from the measurement position 50, so to speak, facing the front side of the cable end 24 or ferrule 32. The axial camera 52 is mounted on a base 54 of the inner housing 42. This base 54 further supports an annular illumination 56, which is also aligned with the measurement position 50 and thus uniformly illuminates the cable end 24 and possibly the ferrule 32 so that the image quality of cameras 44, 46, 48 and the axial camera 52 is optimized. The illumination 56 is mounted on the base 54 or the inner circumferential wall of the inner housing 42 via a holder 58 (see Figure 6).

[0057] As can be seen particularly in Figure 6, this holder also has a hexagonal cross-section, and one of the three cameras 44, 46, and 48 is held in each of the two hexagonally arranged peripheral wall sections 60. Each lens 62 (only one lens 62 is reference-labeled in Figure 6) is inserted into a circular recess 64 in each peripheral wall section 60, and the camera electronics 66 are positioned outside the measuring chamber 68 enclosed by the peripheral wall sections 60. The cameras 44, 46, and 48 are preferably designed as color cameras and use high-resolution, high-quality optics.

[0058] In response to this, the axial camera 52 is housed in the base 54 of the inner housing 42 with its optical system focused on the measurement position 50, as described above. As previously stated, the field of view of the optical system is configured to detect trajectories with large deviations X.

[0059] The four cameras 44, 46, 48, and 52 are connected to a control unit built into the VCS 10 or to a central control unit 20, and target values ​​that can be compared with the measurement data (color, shape) determined by the cameras are stored in memory.

[0060] Three cameras 44, 46, and 48, positioned on the pitch circle and offset from each other by 120°, can essentially view the inserted cable end 24 from 360°, allowing its quality to be evaluated by color images. This makes it easy to detect, based on shape and color, if the strand 24 is misaligned or pushed back, if the ferrule 32 is damaged or incorrect, or if the cable 22 is incorrect.

[0061] The trajectory, i.e., the deviation X from the measurement position 50 (target center), can be detected via the axial camera 52, which is linked to at least one of the cameras 44, 46, and 48. These deviations are then transmitted as correction values ​​to the multi-axis robot 14 via the control device 20 or the control integrated into the VCS 10. Based on these correction values, the control of the multi-axis robot 14 is activated, and accordingly, the cable can be introduced into the processing machine of the cable processing center 1 with high precision. This makes it possible, for example, to introduce a cable end 24 with a large deviation X into the feed port 30 of the automatic crimping machine 8, as described above. This provides very high process stability during cable processing using the multi-axis robot 14, and ensures that only "approved" cables 22 are assembled. In this way, the cable processing center 1 can be operated almost autonomously.

[0062] Figure 7 shows the VCS10 with the front cover 38 removed. This figure shows the lens 62 of the optical system 46 inserted into the recess 64 of the peripheral wall 60, and the ferrule 32 of the cable end 24 located at the measurement position 50. Also visible is the hexagonal ring-shaped front flange 72 that is screwed onto the removed front cover 38, allowing the inner housing 42 containing the sensor system to be easily removed by loosening the front cover 38 if necessary.

[0063] In the embodiments described above, the cable 22 is preferably supplied via a handling device, preferably a multi-axis robot 14. In principle, the VCS 10 could also be designed as an "independent desktop device" operated manually by an operator. Since it is difficult to manually position the cable end 24 within the measuring plane 40, the embodiments of the VCS 10 shown in Figures 8a and 8b are provided with a holding system 74 on the front cover 38, in which the carriage 76 is guided axially adjustable on a guide 78, and the carriage 76 is provided with a holder 80 for the cable end 24.

[0064] The operator inserts the cable end 24 into a holder 80, for example, designed as a clamp holder, and then pushes the carriage 76 inward until it hits a stop that ensures the cable end 24 is moved to the measurement position 50. This retaining system 74 can be added to the basic system described above as an optional assembly.

[0065] Figure 8b shows a measurement step in which the carriage 76 is shifted inward by a worker or by a handling device, actuator, or drive device to align the cable end 24 with the measurement position 50.

[0066] Figures 9a and 9b show modified examples of the cable processing center 1 according to Figure 1, with Figure 9a being a stereoscopic perspective view and Figure 9b being a top view of the cable processing center 1.

[0067] In this embodiment, the multi-axis robot 14 is held by a ceiling support 82 of a table structure or work platform cart, and is therefore mounted "overhead," so to speak. This positioning of the multi-axis robot 14 facilitates access to individual manufacturing units and also allows the use of a tabletop 2 with a smaller surface area than in the embodiments described above.

[0068] Another difference is that the inspection device according to the present invention, namely the VCS10, is mounted entirely beneath the tabletop 2, so that its insertion port 28 can be accessed through a circular recess 84 in the tabletop 2, rather than being placed on top of the tabletop 2 or partially fitted into it. Thus, the cable end 24 is introduced vertically via the multi-axis robot 14 into the insertion port 28 of the VCS10 mounted beneath the tabletop 2. The position of the VCS10 or recess 84 is selected to minimize the travel distance via the multi-axis robot 14 between the individual processing station and the VCS10, so that very high-speed quality control can be performed.

[0069] In principle, instead of the horizontal arrangement described in the first embodiment, the VCS10 can also be mounted vertically on the tabletop 2, or partially recessed within the tabletop 2.

[0070] As can be seen from the diagrams in Figures 9a and 9b, in this embodiment, two automatic stripping and crimping machines 8a and 8b are used, each designed as a stripper crimper. In the left-hand diagram of Figure 9a, the Z+F UNIC GV (trademark), also used in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, is positioned next to the automatic cutting machine 4. Nearly in the center is another modular stripper crimper (automatic crimping machine 8b), which has two sorting pots 86, 88 from which loose contacts, such as ferrules 32, are collected. Such a stripper crimping machine 8b is offered by the applicant under the name "AM 04 Duomatic". In this embodiment, automatic crimping machine 8a is provided for processing contacts / ferrules 32 having a cross-section of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, and automatic crimping machine 8b is designed for processing contacts / ferrules 32 having a cross-section of 4 to 6 mm. Of course, automatic crimping machines 8 can also be used for processing other cross-sectional areas.

[0071] Another difference from the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is that the storage device 12, which operates as a bundle system, is not positioned upright (Figure 1) but horizontally, and the ends of the cables 22 are secured to the bundle system, for example, by adhesive tape, and then the longer cable portions are placed in trays 90 embedded in the tabletop 2. In this embodiment as well, a printer for labeling the assembled cables can be provided, and the cables are supplied to the printer by a robot 14.

[0072] The operating modes and structure of VCS10 correspond to the embodiments described above, so no further explanation is necessary.

[0073] As mentioned at the beginning, other sensors can be used instead of a camera to detect the trajectory and crimping quality.

[0074] Disclosed are inspection devices for inspecting cables cut to length or cables connected to contacts such as ferrules, and a cable processing center including such inspection devices. These devices are for detecting trajectory and / or crimp quality, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Cable Processing Center 2 Tabletop 4 automatic cutting machine 8. Automatic crimping machine 10. Inspection equipment / VCS 12 Storage device 14 Multi-axis robots 16 Grippa 18 Grippa 20 Control device 22 Cables 24 Cable ends 26 cabinets 28 Insertion opening 30 feed opening 32 ferrules 34 Strands 36 Back wall 38 Front Cover 39 Support bracket 40 Measuring plane 42 Inner enclosure 44 cameras 46 Cameras 48 Cameras 50 measurement positions 52-axis camera 54 Base 56 Lighting 58 Holder 60 Peripheral wall section 62 lenses 64 recess 66 Camera Electronics 68 Measurement room 72 Front flange 74 Holding System 76 Carriage 78 Guide 80 Holder 82 Ceiling support 84 recess 86 sorting pots 88 sorting pots 90 trays

Claims

1. An inspection device for inspecting a cable (22), The cable (22) is cut to length or connected to a contact, such as a ferrule (32), and is particularly a crimped cable. The inspection device comprises a housing (26), The housing (26) has an insertion opening (28) and is equipped with a measuring chamber (68). The measurement chamber (68) is characterized by housing a sensor system for detecting the trajectory and connection quality of the cable (22), and the contacts of the cable end (24) brought to the measurement position (50). The sensor system is associated with a control device designed to compare detected parameters with target specifications and generate control signals as a result of the comparison. The sensor system has at least three, preferably four sensors or cameras (44, 46, 48, 52), At least two, preferably three, of these are arranged on a common pitch circle surrounding the cable end (24), An inspection device characterized in that a further sensor or further camera (52) is arranged at an axial distance from the measurement position (50) and the insertion opening (28).

2. In the inspection apparatus according to claim 1, An inspection device comprising a light (56) housed within the housing (26) for illuminating the cable end (24).

3. In the inspection apparatus according to claim 2, The inspection apparatus is characterized in that the illumination (56) is arranged in a ring shape surrounding the further camera (52) or the further sensor and is focused on the measurement position (50).

4. In the inspection apparatus according to any of the above claims, The control device detects the alignment of the cable end (24) in space via data recorded by at least one of the further sensors or the further camera (52) and the sensors or cameras (44, 46, 48) positioned on the pitch circle. An inspection device characterized by being designed to transmit a corresponding control signal to a handling device or a central control device in order to move the cable (22) to a subsequent manufacturing device, such as an automatic crimping machine (8), based on the aforementioned control signal.

5. In the inspection apparatus according to any of the above claims, An inspection device in which the control device is designed to detect the connection quality of the cable end (24), preferably the ferrule (32), from data recorded by at least the cameras (44, 46, 48) or sensors arranged on the pitch circle, and to issue a control signal indicating the quality.

6. In the inspection apparatus according to any of the above claims, The housing (26) is equipped with a holding system (74) located in the area of ​​the insertion opening (28), The cable end (24) can be inserted into the holding system (74) manually or automatically. An inspection device that can move the cable end (24) from the insertion opening (28) to the measurement position (50) via the holding system, preferably via a movable carriage (76) of the holding system (74) that holds the cable end (24).

7. In the inspection apparatus according to any of the above claims, An inspection device in which the housing (26) houses an inner housing (42) that holds the sensor system, in particular the cameras (44, 46, 48, 52) and the lighting (56).

8. In the inspection apparatus according to claim 7, The inner housing (42) has peripheral wall portions (60) that are positioned relative to each other in a hexagonal manner, An inspection device characterized in that a sensor or camera (44, 46, 48) is supported on each of the two walls of the peripheral wall portion (60), and the fourth sensor or fourth camera (52) is positioned on the base (54) of the inner housing (42), preferably on the base (54) of the inner housing (42) on which illumination (56) is held.

9. It is a cable processing center, It comprises an automatic cutting machine (4), an automatic stripping machine, an automatic crimping machine (8), and an inspection device (10), The automatic crimping machine (8) crimps the stripped cable ends (24) with contacts, preferably ferrules (32), or stripper-crimpers. The inspection device (10) is the inspection device according to any of the above claims, A cable processing center optionally includes a handling device, preferably a multi-axis robot (14), for moving cables (22) between manufacturing stations of the cable processing center.

10. In the cable processing center described in claim 9, The inspection device (10) is placed on the tabletop (2) of the frame, partially inserted below the tabletop (2), or attached thereto. In the latter case, the cable processing center is characterized in that the inspection device (10) is accessible via a recess (84) in the tabletop (2).

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