Component Inspection Using Angular Turning and Multi-Axis Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing component handling and inspection systems face challenges with position tolerances during component pickup, leading to inaccurate alignment and limited optical inspection quality due to scattering and shallow depth of field, resulting in defective components being incorrectly processed.
Innovation Solution
A device with a turning device that aligns and inspects components by rotating them in a single plane, allowing for angular orientation of lateral surfaces relative to the turning plane, enabling optical inspection without interfering contours and improving accessibility for maintenance, and utilizing multiple imaging devices and illumination sources for efficient throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If components are picked up using a pick-up tool, then components can be handled and transported, but position tolerances become inaccurate and alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment actions before the pick-up tool picks up the component. The component is pre-aligned on the pick-up tool using alignment marks and imaging devices, so that when the pick-up tool picks up the component, the alignment is already established, preventing position tolerance deterioration during handling
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses imaging devices to detect alignment marks on the component and pick-up tool, then feeds this position information back to the control system. The control system adjusts the pick-up tool's position and orientation based on this feedback, ensuring accurate alignment is maintained throughout the picking and transporting process
2Productivity
If optical inspection is performed on components with scattered positioning, then inspection can be conducted, but inspection quality deteriorates due to shallow depth of field
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment of the component on the pick-up tool before optical inspection. By establishing correct positioning and orientation in advance, the component is held at the optimal position during inspection, ensuring sharp focus and high image quality despite the shallow depth of field of optical inspection systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical positioning adjustments during inspection with pre-established mechanical alignment on the pick-up tool. This substitution allows the optical inspection system to focus solely on detecting defects without being compromised by positioning variations, thereby maintaining high inspection quality
3Measurement precision
If multiple imaging devices are used for comprehensive inspection, then inspection quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-up tool is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a handling tool for transporting components and as an alignment platform for optical inspection. The pick-up tool carries imaging devices and alignment marks, allowing it to perform multiple functions (handling, alignment, inspection) thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high inspection quality
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances the precision and throughput of component handling and inspection by maintaining accurate alignment and improving optical inspection quality, reducing the likelihood of defective components being missed and allowing for faster maintenance, while handling a wide range of component sizes.
Implementation Method 1
a pick-up tool arranged on a turning device for one of the components at a time... picking up a component at its top surface by means of the pick-up tool
Implementation Method 2
The turning device is intended and set up to rotate the pick-up tool in a turning plane about a turning axis and to convey the component located on the pick-up tool
Implementation Method 3
images of one or more lateral surfaces of the component are recorded with one or more cameras
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for inspecting components having at least one top surface, a plurality of lateral surfaces to be inspected and/or edges of the lateral surfaces, the apparatus having at least one pick-up tool, arranged on a turning device, for in each case one of the components, which pick-up tool is intended and set up to pick up the respective component on its top surface, the turning device being intended and set up to rotate the component with the pick-up tool in a turning plane along a transport path about a turning axis, and in the process to convey a component located on the pick-up tool, which component is aligned at an angle to the transport path or the turning plane, into an inspection position, and in the inspection position, as an optical component inspection device, to convey a component located on the pick-up tool, which component is aligned at an angle to the transport path or the turning plane, into an inspection position, and a first and a second imaging device are arranged at an angle to one another in the inspection position as optical component inspection device in such a way that a first lateral surface or edge of the component located in the inspection position is to be inspected with the first imaging device and a second lateral surface or edge of the component located in the inspection position adjacent to the first is to be inspected with the second imaging device.