Automation Innovation in the PCB Printing Ink Manufacturing Industry
"The ink cans are heavy, and once packed, they become even heavier." Long-term handling can result in staff injury. Furthermore, the issue of missing items throughout the packaging process is an issue that must be addressed immediately. We frequently discover missing ink cans only after shipment, which leads to numerous customer complaints."
In response to these issues, Ace Pillar offered an integrated solution including robotic arms and visual inspection, addressing client pain points. We extensively renovated the packing process, not only automating large ink can packing but also implementing an advanced ToF 3D inspection process system to ensure packing quantity correctness and traceability.
The integration of robotic arms to the new packing process enabled autonomous handling of ink cans. This reduced the risk of injury to workers from carrying large objects at work and significantly boosted production efficiency. In small-batch, different manufacturing situations, the size and packing methods of ink cans and formula cans vary widely. Traditional 2D machine vision technologies may encounter depth perception issues. As a result, Ace Pillar assisted clients in adopting a brand-new ToF 3D inspection process system, ensuring the accuracy and traceability of the quantity of ink cans and formula cans through precise depth sensing.
What is ToF：Time of Flight?
ToF is a technology that measures the distance between a sensor and an item by measuring the time it takes for light or other signals to travel from the sensor to the object and back. In the case of a ToF 3D camera system, it is likely that infrared light pulses are used and the time it takes for these pulses to bounce back to the sensor is measured, resulting in a depth map and accurate 3D sensing and imaging.
Introduction of Process
1. Camera: Imaging tool.
The system uses a camera as an imaging tool, capturing images for the subsequent calculation of the top-view area.
2. UndistortImage: Distortion correction for 2D images using ToF (Time of Flight) technology.
At this point, we do distortion correction on the camera's 2D images. In regular 2D structured light cameras, changes in depth can make things look blurry. Ace Pillar can correctly measure the distance between objects and the camera by using ToF cameras. This procedure ensures that the visual data acquired is sharper and more precise, especially in circumstances with depth variations.
3. ShapeFinder: Using a polygonal model to find the container.
By creating a polygonal model of the container and detecting its shape, the system is able to identify if the number and positioning of inks can are correct.
4. UndistortImage_2 :Distortion correction for the depth map.
This ensures the accuracy of depth information, which is essential for taking into account the actual depth of objects throughout the detection process.
When there is a variation in depth between bottles of different sizes, as seen in the photographs below, the depth map shows it. The area value in the left image, showing the total quantity, is 111,336. The area value in the right image, where one bottle is missing, is 107,668.
5. Area : It aims to determine the pixel area within the given grayscale range by using the corrected depth map along with suitable grayscale upper/lower limits.
6. Store : Save the collected pixel area values into the result variable while also defining the range for NG (not qualified) for further evaluation.
7. GPIO : Define the ToF output points.
Define the ToF camera's output points via GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) to signal the detection result, whether OK (qualified) or NG (not qualified).
Application Diagram
Q&A：
The extensive deployment of Ace Pillar's robotic arms and DMV-T series ToF cameras effectively solved the issue of missing ink cans and ensured that each shipment is registered and traceable before leaving the warehouse. This concludes the manufacturing history, which covers automation planning, product verification, visual training, and final production line adjustments. Along with enhancing the quality of the production line, Ace Pillar and the customer collaborated closely to complete the project. Automation technology has not only increased packing process productivity, but it has also provided employees with a safe working environment, underlining the crucial importance of technology in industrial production.
