DMC, Inc.

Small Product Pick and Place Vision System

Summary

DMC created an application that controls the process of identifying and transferring small parts in a high-tech medical product manufacturing operation.  The application controls a machine employing three servo axes, a gripper, and a vision camera.

Solution

The application used to operate the transfer machine is an integral part of the customer’s manufacturing, quality control, and inventory tracking process.  A pallet of several small parts is presented to the machine.  The machine reads each part’s serial number using the vision camera.  The pallet is sent to a quality inspection station and the inspection results are returned to the application, which logs each serial number and result to database.  The machine transfers parts that pass inspection to a separate pallet for further downstream processing.  Finally, each part’s serial number is re-verified prior to shipment.

Customer Benefits

  • Enables better process and production decisions with seamless integration of data into customer's inventory tracking system
  • Reduces operator time requirements with simple, intuitive user interface
  • Improves quality control and data tracking with integration into quality inspection system
  • Full access to motion control and communication parameters allows for faster troubleshooting and maintenance

Technologies

  • Visual Studio 2005 & .NET Framework 2.0
  • ACS SPiiPlus Motion Control
  • Cognex In-Sight Camera
  • Cognex In-Sight Explorer Software
  • Cognex OPC Server