Introduction

A leading supplier of industrial image processing (machine vision) offers systems that are used in the paper, printing and steel industries for inspecting surfaces, among others.

The complex quality assurance solutions detect impurities in the material in the paper industry, process errors in the print image in the printing industry and cracks in red-hot metal blocks in the steel industry.

The manufacturer has been relying on Pyramid Computer hardware to control its machine vision systems for more than 10 years. The servers used are based on systems from the AKHET® VarioFlex Front I/O series.

Challenges

Quality control is carried out using line and area scan cameras that take high-resolution images of the paper webs. These run through the machine at speeds of up to 2000 m/min. Quality is also checked in real time at extreme speeds in the printing industry. The inline inspection systems detect color variations in the printed image on corrugated cardboard, among other things. If there is a quality-relevant deviation, the faulty sheet is automatically ejected.

The speed of production, the complexity of the production environment and the dust caused by paper abrasion pose considerable challenges for inspection systems in both industries.

The AKHET® servers from Pyramid form a powerful hardware foundation to control the interaction of camera, lighting, sensor and conveyor units via the corresponding inspection software. AKHET® VarioFlex front I/O servers with an installation depth of 350 mm and a height of 4U (printing industry) or 1U (paper industry) are used for the machine vision solutions.

The system manufacturer also relies on the 1U system for its inspection system for the steel industry. Here, slabs that have just left the casting mold in a red-hot state must be inspected for cracks.

A complex process of 2D and 3D object detection using laser triangulation makes it possible to determine the depth of the cracks and, depending on the result, decide whether the metal block should be processed further or melted down.

The inspection process is slower than in the paper and printing industry. At the same time, the 3D capture generates large amounts of data that must be stored and processed by the AKHET® in a very harsh environment with high temperatures.

Solutions

As the algorithms of the machine vision software are computationally intensive, we equipped the three systems with processors with high single-thread performance at the manufacturer's request.

Special cards and components are also required for the inspection processes. We assemble these in our production facility in Ichtershausen, Thuringia: including DCF modules, timing cards, PLC cards with relay function and specific I/O cards that ensure connectivity to the respective customer's fieldbus system.

The VarioFlex servers integrate all expansion hardware in chassis with front connections and a depth of just 350 mm. This makes the devices suitable for installation in control cabinets with small dimensions and a closed rear panel that does not allow cabling from behind.

Dust and dirt are part of the harsh everyday production environment in all three industrial environments and jeopardize the functionality of their technical infrastructure. This is why appropriate particle filters in the servers prevent the ingress of emissions.

The additional screw-on points that we attach to the chassis of the server systems are a special kind of customization. They are used by the manufacturer to attach customer-specific modules and are a clear example of the extensive customizing that Pyramid provides for customers with its AKHET® brand.