EPCOS is a multinational company with global distribution, engaged in electronic component development and production. Their electronic components are mostly used in the automotive industry and need to be of the highest quality. Therefore, a precise production control system had to be developed.
In cooperation with EPCOS experts, Wise Technologies developed a complex capacitor connector control system. It comprises of a high-resolution camera and special lighting, as well as polarization filters and light isolation of the measurement area. The measurement system is integrated into the production line, where the elements are placed on an automatic turning plate. One capacitor is checked at every turn. The system focuses on a very small area of the capacitor containing the connectors (approx. 3 to 6 mm), where it checks for errors. The errors can be divided into connector contortions and errors on the connector surface. Using telecentric lenses, even errors of 0,01 mm can be detected.
The system is integrated into the production line through digital lines. The processing is performed by the National Instruments Compact Vision System. In case of production increase on the line, the system can be upgraded by connecting two extra cameras.
The software was developed in the LabView programming language, and controls one piece per 0,5 seconds.