Lightning-fast color checks in injection molding

The image processing system from Vision & Control carries out reliable color checks in fractions of a second. Among other things, this can help to improve quality in the production of small injection-molded parts.

vicosys in operation

Reliable color checks in fractions of a second. Among other things, this can help to improve quality in the production of small injection-molded parts.

The company LISI-Automotive from Mellrichstadt/Germany manufactures a huge range of small parts for the automotive industry, including plastic clips that are made of different materials on the same injection molding tool. To tell them apart, the granules are dyed with different colors. Since it is possible for very small parts of the material from the previous batch to be overlooked in the feeder during setup changeovers, reliable color checks play a key role in ensuring production quality.

With the multi-camera image processing system vicosys® 5400, Vision & Control now offers an inexpensive solution for adding color checks to quality control. The heart of the testing device is the image processing system vicosys® 5400. In combination with the digital expansion card ADDI DATA 16/16, it can asynchronously trigger up to 16 cameras. The images are supplied by the compact Gigabit Ethernet camera BFS-PGE-04S2C-CS PoE together with the entocentric lens VCN 1,8/50. In the process, optimum lighting is provided by the diffuse white LED area lighting DL30x30-W5K7/24V in combination with the beam splitter unit STE30x30-VIS to ensure correct coaxial alignment.

With the aid of the Windows-based programming environment vcwin a test sequence has been created that uses a blob analysis to locate the center point of the device under testing and then performs a color test. This works so fast that, despite the existing inspections that check e.g. for overfeeding or flashing from multiple angles, a high clock rate of around 300 ms/part can be accurately maintained.

In injection molding production, the image processing system vicosys® 5400 guarantees accurate color checks even at high clock rates.