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Doktor Jons Guide to the "Use and Application of CCTV" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Press Release - 14th August 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stadtroda, August 14, 2008 Automobile shock-absorbers must withstand thousands of kilometers of wear and tear under the most arduous conditions. The quality and the durability of the suspension system depends significantly on the quality of the seals, which provide smooth range of motion, while preventing the loss of hydraulic fluid and keeping dirt and dust from entering the shocks. Freudenberg Dichtungs- und Schwingungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of the Freudenberg consortium, is one of the leading manufacturers of such seals, which are distributed to nearly all the major international auto producers. With the assistance of Freudenberg Anlagen- und Werkzeugtechnik GmbH, an affiliate, they developed an innovative automated quality assurance facility for shock absorber and radial seals. Customized Automated Solutions - “Our seals must meet very high quality standards“, explains Dr. Thomas Bauernhansl, director of production at Freudenberg Dichtungs- und Schwingungstechnik. “Previously, the variety of product styles required that quality control be performed manually“. For several years a cutting-edge, automated plant has taken over the examination of the finished parts. The FVision 60 inline-System was custom-designed specifically for the overall inspection of various rotation-symmetrical parts. For this purpose, the Freudenberg-subsidiary could rely on colleagues from their own affiliate: Freudenberg Anlagen- und Werkzeugtechnik GmbH supported by SAC Sirius Advanced Cybernetics GmbH. In the final stage of production, the seals are carefully inspected using digital image processing to detect up to twenty-five different types of flaws. In addition to the shape of the part, the quality of the elastomer material is also examined. Blisters, tears, holes or burrs at the rubber lips can lead to malfunctions. In some seals the rubber is strengthened with a supporting spring, which the system also recognizes for both construction and quality. To enable the system to examine the surface of this intricate material, SAC custom designed the software system for this application with the assistance of the Coake© image processing interpreter. The inspection is made more difficult by the shape of the seal: not only the surface, but also the exterior and interior contours of the ring must be examined from every angle. To obtain precise measurements, engineers at FAW joined the image capture process from three different vantage points with a mechanism that turns the ring on its axle. After the measurement of a particular side, the mechanism tilts the seal to examine the other side. This clever design takes 48 pictures of every ring in approximately 3.5 seconds; thereby, ensuring a complete inspection process. Highest Precision with Three Vantage Points and Rotation - The image processing system is constructed with three digital cameras from Allied Vision Technologies. One camera is situated vertically and surveys the outside diameter and the lip of the seal from above. A second camera, positioned horizontally, examines the exterior of the ring, while a third camera, positioned at a 45° angle, targets the whole interior. The cameras are the Marlin F-080B from Allied Vision Technologies. They are equipped with XGA sensors, which supply the high resolution required to recognize the smallest errors in the surface of the rubber. The cameras are connected to the image processing system by a digital FireWire interface (IEEE 1394a) and can capture up to 20 pictures per second. They are hardware triggered at 70ms intervals. “We needed digital cameras that produce high quality images despite difficult lighting conditions and the rotation of the seals,” stated Dr. Helmut Hamfeld, director of the FVision project at Freudenberg Anlagen- und Werkzeugtechnik. “Thanks to the integration of the Smart Features and the rapid shutter time, the AVT cameras have a very high image quality “. The high functionality and transmission rate of the FireWire standard also convinced the developers of the FVision 60 system. “We could develop a system that combines high precision with industrial speed”, raves Hamfeld. “The Marlin cameras of Allied Vision Technologies operate flawlessly and reliably”. The FVision 60 inline system allows 100% of the seals to be examined during production. After inspection, the system sorts the parts according to four categories: “good”, “poor”, “questionable” and “needs improvement”. In addition, the plant is able to represent graphically the results of the measurements. This innovative automatic inspection method has the capacity to substantially increase the reliability and speed of quality assurance. About Allied Vision Technologies - Ends - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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