Quality control throughout the production process

The production process consists of a series of activities and operations that are carefully planned and selected with the goal of making it as efficient as possible, optimizing energy consumption and reducing waste without compromising the final quality of the product.

For this reason, it is important to monitor the different stages of production, rather than inspecting the product only once the process has been completed.

A defect detected at the end of the production process can have a higher cost than one identified earlier, while production is still underway.

Thanks to automated quality inspections performed using AI-powered Cognex Vision Systems, it is possible to detect defects and anomalies at an early stage and take action before the product moves further along the production line or is packaged.

Designing the vision system around specific requirements

On the other hand, a smart camera alone is not always enough to solve the problem. Increasingly, what is required is the design of a system tailored to the customer’s specific needs.

The key questions are: Which products need to be inspected? What level of accuracy is required? What is the production line speed? Once a defect or anomaly is detected, what action needs to be taken?

The inspections that can be performed include dimensional, shape, colour and position checks, presence or absence of components, detection of surface defects, as well as optical character recognition and verification (OCV and OCR), based on the standards and parameters that the product must meet.

These questions help us identify the solution that best meets the requirements of the production process.

From Cognex technology to process integration

“Advanced Machine Vision Made Easy”: this is how Cognex describes its vision, making increasingly advanced technologies accessible and applicable without adding unnecessary complexity.

As a Cognex System Integrator Partner, we use and integrate Cognex Vision Systems into production processes across a wide range of industrial sectors, including Pharmaceuticals and Biomedical, Food & Beverage, Automotive, Packaging and Consumer Goods.

Do you have a product that needs to be inspected? Let’s talk about it.

Together, we can find the solution that best meets your needs.

Contact our machine vision specialists

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In addition to the precision and scalability typical of classical systems, it combines the innate human capacity to analyze variations, thanks to image analysis.

A project of this type needs a series of specific phases, in order to properly deal with both the «training phase» and the following «implementation phase».

It is characterized by three phases:

1. As with all applications, in the vision field there is a first phase where preliminary information useful for addressing the application is collected.
2. To make sure that the Deep Learning algorithm responds to the application needs, it is essential to carry out a proof of concept which is then carried out in the “training” phase: in this phase the images are collected and divided between those with good pieces and those with defective pieces. The defects are indicated and highlighted for classification.
3. Implementation phase: acceptance of the technical solution; installation of hardware and production of images, and finally programming of the system.

The images must be made, labelled, the parameters of the algorithms set, a first training carried out, the results validated and possibly refined.

This approach allows the knowledge of vision specialists to be integrated with the experience of those who live production every day. This combination of skills ensures a much more flexible and highly effective level of control.

Contact our team specialized in the world of vision

Edge Learning

Edge learning is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) where processing takes place on the device, or “at the edge” of the data source, using a set of pre-trained algorithms. The technology is simple to set up, takes less time and requires fewer images for training than other AI-based solutions such as deep learning.

Edge learning is a perfect solution for those who have to manage an application that has too complex variables for traditional vision systems but at the same time does not need to use a deep learning solution.

How does it work?

The first step in designing an edge learning system is done by Cognex, which develops the technology and integrates it into the smart camera to make it available to customers, which complete the training process by adding useful images for their specific application. This process guarantees more speed and results even with few images, also does not require a computer with a GPU, standard computers are sufficient without the GPU.

The benefits of Edge Learning

1. It is much less expensive to implement than rules-based machine vision and deep learning solutions.
2. It allows for faster production and recipe changes because training and production take place in the same place, on the same device.
3. Those using edge learning technology need fewer images and less time than deep learning to train the camera.
4. Edge learning simplifies rule-based machine vision applications because it does not require a specialization in algorithm knowledge.
5. Edge learning is more user-friendly than traditional solutions, the modern platforms In-Sight Vision Suite allow you to easily manage the application.

Contact our team specialized in the world of vision

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