Smart light is a revolutionary new lighting technology which according to Vision & Control is a real game changer in machine vision.
Lighting systems using smart light technology have built-in intelligence which protects the lighting from wiring errors and prevents improper operation.
They also have overload protection as well as the capability to send warning and fault messages to the lighting controller and communicate with it. Vision & Control has implemented this approach in the vicolux® DLC3005 digital lighting controller.
The DLC3005 smart light is a digital single-channel controller which can be combined with additional DLC3005 lighting controllers to form a multi-channel controller.
The performance of LED lights sources has increased enormously, but the lighting is now more sensitive. Specifically this means managing high currents in flash mode operation and limiting the temperature in continuous mode. The reproducibility and precision of lighting parameters are particularly important in industrial applications, but so too is the ability to monitor device operating parameters and fault conditions.
The right lighting has always been a crucial factor in machine vision, primarily due to its influence on reliability, speed and precision. But the demands continue to increase. State-of-the-art machines have short cycle times and are connected to a network. Fast maintenance and care are also important. These requirements have a definite effect on the design of machine vision systems and consequently on the demands placed on the lighting.
During development of the smart light family, special emphasis was placed on intuitive operation in order to make the complex functionality of the vicolux® lighting controller accessible to the user. Besides manual operation, there are various options for remote operation, adjustment and monitoring. This is a major deliverable for Industry 4.0.
Using the smart light web server, multiple lighting systems of varying types can be managed centrally from a computer desktop. The advantages of integrated user management become particularly apparent during remote maintenance, because it provides a means of preventing misadjustment and manipulation of the lighting.