Luca Bonato, product manager at Opto Engineering explains how the company searches for simple vision solutions to complex challenges. He draws on the work done for baseClass Automation’s ShakePicker
In today’s industry, one of the main features we look for is simplicity. Vision engineers are faced everyday with many different tasks and challenges, but the beauty of a bright idea, an exceptional moment of genius, a simple trick which solves everything – that’s what we look for. As we say at Opto Engineering®, “simple works better”.
We can work on a simple and efficient solution from many sides. Choosing the right hardware is of course critical – and here’s where your trusted supplier of components comes into play. But it is with software that things usually come to a halt. Many software products on the market are either too complex or too simple, and don’t provide the optimal combination of capabilities and ease of use needed to move things forward smoothly and save precious time.
That’s the spirit behind an innovative solution developed by baseClass Automation kft (Hungary), which recently came up with ShakePicker, an innovative system for part handling powered by two special products from Opto Engineering® – PENSO®, an artificial intelligence-based computational unit for imaging application, and FabImage, a data-flow based software designed for machine vision engineers.
ShakePicker is a vibrating, shaking solution for flexible part feeding. The parts laying on its flat, backlit surface can be moved and distributed as needed by its 4D shake engine, with an adjustable frequency in the 0.5-100 Hz range and customizable wave shape. Using either one of the 32 shaking pattern program banks, or a custom program, parts distribution can be precisely controlled. According to the actual parts distribution, directional shake programs can be executed to redistribute parts equally. Also, the system integrates a digital I/O based program selection.
This module offers several advantages:
- It’s suitable for parts which cannot be handled by bowl feeders
- Fine tuning is done via software rather than mechanically, and it can thus be done remotely
- No part jamming
- Part changeover doesn’t require hardware changes
Of course, to exploit all its potential, the module must be governed by a vision system and here’s where the collaboration with Opto Engineering® comes into play.
We helped baseClass finalize the first version of “ShakePicker – System version”, which was presented at the 2018 Vision Stuttgart.
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