Solution · High-speed vision
At high line speed, every product must be captured sharply, processed and matched to the correct reject action. Feasibility depends on the complete timing chain, not camera frame rate alone.
An area-scan camera captures a complete frame per trigger. It fits when one or a few images cover the inspection area and trigger position, exposure and product spacing are controlled.Choose area scan or line scan →
Line scan builds the image during motion. Required line rate follows from transport speed and the required sampling distance. Encoder quality, lighting uniformity and data flow also determine margin.Read the geometry guide →
Timing budget
Use measured worst-case times and margins. A fast average processing time can hide peaks, full buffers or delayed communications.
| Stage | What to determine | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| Detection and trigger | Sensor delay, trigger transport and variation in product position | Define start and end points |
| Exposure and light pulse | Available light, motion blur and lighting recovery time | Test at maximum speed |
| Readout and transfer | Sensor readout, interface load, packet loss and camera buffer | Measure during bursts |
| Processing | Worst-case algorithm time per product and concurrent tasks | Report maximum and spread |
| PLC communication | Result transport, scan or cycle time and acknowledgement | Include the machine cycle |
| Tracking and actuator | Distance to reject, speed variation and gate or air-valve delay | Map product ID to position |
| Fault margin | Action after missed trigger, invalid image, late result or full buffer | Define the safe state |
Acceptance test
The test must show that image formation, decision-making and product tracking remain within the agreed limits.
| Test point | Acceptance question | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum speed | Lighting, tracking and actuator behaviour remain valid | Measure and record |
| Nominal speed | Representative products and defects over an agreed duration | Measure and record |
| Maximum speed | Worst-case product spacing, processing time and communications | Measure and record |
| Burst or congestion | No silent frame drops; buffer level and recovery are visible | Force and verify |
| Fault injection | Missed trigger, invalid image, late result and full buffer cause the agreed safe response | Force and verify |
| Reject verification | Known test parts are matched to the correct position and product ID | Force and verify |
Provide minimum, nominal and maximum speed, product spacing, inspection width, the smallest relevant defect, representative good and defective parts, trigger information, distance to reject and the required fault response. These inputs support a timing calculation and practical test.
Select sensor, optics and lighting from inspection width, feature size, speed and available exposure.
Measure the chain and check peak load, buffers, storage and diagnosis of missing images.
Verify product order, rejection and safe fault responses at every agreed speed.
Related decisions
Choose acquisition geometry from product motion, inspection width and resolution.
→Use the decision framework for camera count, tools, data, ownership and maintenance.
→Define detection, exposure, processing and the machine handshake as one chain.
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Business-case inputs include current manual checks, operator interventions, false rejects, missed defects, line stops, rework and reject cost. Results can only follow from a test with your product mix and acceptance criteria.
