Sick's IVC-3D creates perfect inspection system for tyres
Sick IVP AB of Linköping, Sweden, a manufacturer of industrial vision cameras for factory and logistics automation, claims that its IVC-3D smart camera can be used to create a perfect inspection system for tyres - for use in both production processes and in quality assurance programmes.
In applications where most contact and non-contact inspection systems reach their limits - in areas that involve black marks on a black background - the IVC-3D smart camera provides fast and precise test results, says the company.
This is made possible by using three-dimensional (3D) image-processing technology together with triangulation. A laser line, projected onto the tyre, is recorded by a camera from a defined angle. From the resulting two-dimensional contour, a 3D profile is generated by moving the tyre relative to the inspection system.
The method offers a number of benefits says Sick: The production process no longer needs to be stopped or slowed down in order to run tests; sensors do not have to be calibrated using highly elaborate procedures; it is not necessary to use sensitive, multi-axle positioning of tyres; and, most importantly, black marks are detected reliably on a black background.
When investigating the 'camelback' of a tyre, the 3D smart camera is able to detect the tread pattern, measure the tread depth and find areas that may be damaged. Assisted by optical character recognition software the IVC-3D identifies type designations and other details on the side-wall, for example, the production lot. This ensures that the text is readable and the information on the tyre matches current production data.
This system also can be used to check that a tyre's individual rubber layers are joined flawlessly. The camera inspects gap width and can detect flaws, for example, overlaps or excessive gaps.
Contact:
Eva Persson
Sick IVP AB
Wallenbergs gata 4
SE-583 35 Linköping
Sweden
Phone: +46-13-362-102
Fax: +46-13-211-345
Email: eva.persson@sickivp.se
Web: http://www.sickivp.com
