IDS Imaging Development Systems, Inc. Logo

Component Supplier

Member Since 2007

LEARN MORE

IDS is a leading manufacturer of industrial cameras “Made in Germany” with USB or GigE interfaces. For quick, easy and precise 3D machine vision tasks IDS offers the Ensenso series. With the novel vision app-based sensors and cameras of IDS NXT the company opens up a new dimension in image processing. Whether in an industrial or non-industrial setting: IDS cameras and sensors assist companies worldwide in optimizing processes, ensuring quality, driving research, conserving raw materials, and serving people. They provide reliability, efficiency and flexibility for your application.

Content Filed Under:

Industry:
N/A

Application:
N/A

Sparking Results: IDS Camera Enables Non-Contact Quality Control Measurement of Automobiles

POSTED 07/25/2012

WOB
URN, MA -- In automotive production, accuracy is critical - no gap can be too wide and no offset too large. As a result, measuring instruments are required that deliver unambiguous results and leave no traces on the body paint after testing.Compact, High-Performance A35 Machine Vision Thermal Imaging Camera
 
Clearances and offsets on bodies are a key quality criterion for every production process in the automotive industry. Absolute - 100% - accuracy is therefore a must. Conventional scanning measuring methods have weaknesses: Classic measuring errors occur, for example when measuring with sliding calipers, due to skewed readings, undefined measuring force or inclined positioning. These operator errors lead to imprecise and unusable results. There is also a risk that the sensitive vehicle paint will be damaged by a mechanical measurement.
 
To prevent errors and paint damage, the German high tech company Nextsense has developed the Calipri, an opto-electronic single-handed meter that detects different profile shapes fully with no contact, thanks in part to a board-level camera from IDS Imaging Development Systems, Inc. The measured profiles are used to calculate relevant features, such as clearances and offsets, preventing measuring errors caused by the user. Objective and reproducible at any time, the measured results are completely independent of operator influences. Plus, the non-contact measurement prevents damage to the instrument caused by lubricants, as well as to the surface being measured.
 
Simple and straightforward, the Calipri measurement process takes approximately five seconds. To perform the measurement, the user holds the Calipri in his hand 10 cm above the measuring object, moving it around the object to capture the contours from several angles. A sensor connected to a tablet and the IDS camera scan the profile of the measuring object from different sides. Tilting is automatically detected, and the measured result is corrected accordingly.  If the sensor is too far away from the object, an acoustic signal sounds. The Calipri evaluates the measured data itself and discards any unsuitable data.

USB 2.0 uEye cameras from IDS incorporated into the Calipri ensure 100% accurate measurements. The cameras meet the high standards set by the Nextsense engineers: compact dimensions, variable object installation, and power supply via USB 2.0. Inside the camera is a Wide-VGA-CMOS sensor produced by Aptina and a global shutter that delivers completely distortion-free images. Other criteria when selecting the camera included the high sensitivity of the sensor and the high frame rate. The user can easily switch to different IDS camera models or interfaces without any additional programming; in other words, the engineers have provided plenty of scope for future developments. 
 
To evaluate the measured data, Nextsense uses proprietary image processing algorithms. The measured values are supplied in XML or CSV format for processing on the tablet PC. The Nextsense Calipri Explorer software also enables measurements to be visualized and analyzed. 
 
Possible applications of Calipri single-handed meters are not limited to automotive technology. Different versions open up applications in rail vehicles, measurement of elastic profiles, weld seams, cracks, and bending contours.
 
ABOUT IDS
IDS is a leading manufacturer of digital industrial cameras and frame grabbers. The company was founded by two engineers in 1997. Their mission then and now is to develop, manufacture and distribute industrial grade imaging components with an excellent price/performance ratio and maximum ease of use. IDS is internationally represented by a subsidiary in the USA and through a network of distributors in almost all European and Asian countries. About half of IDS employees are engineers in hardware and software development as well as applications engineering. IDS customers include OEMs, system integrators and manufacturers in the industrial, security, scientific and medical industries. Over 250,000 IDS frame grabbers and 180,000 USB and GigE uEye cameras are in use worldwide today.
 
Contacts:
Daniel Seiler
IDS
T (781) 787-0048
 
Dan O'Connell
O'Connell Communications
T (708) 482-0212
Vision in Life Sciences This content is part of the Vision in Life Sciences curated collection. To learn more about Vision in Life Sciences, click here.