Machine vision for the automotive industry
Automotive production and its supply chain have to combine high volumes, short cycle times and demanding quality requirements.
Machine vision makes it possible to inspect and identify parts automatically at almost every production stage - from individual components through to final assembly.
VISIONTECHNIK supplies industrial cameras, optics, lighting, code readers and other machine vision components for automotive production.
Part identification and traceability
Parts can be identified and linked to a production process using:
- DataMatrix
- QR code
- barcode
- DPM code
- OCR / plain text
DataMatrix codes applied directly to metal, plastic or other components are particularly common.
Direct part marking - DPM
Automotive parts are frequently marked permanently by laser, dot peen, engraving or other DPM processes.
The decisive factor here is often not the decoder but the lighting.
Depending on the surface, dark field, dome or coaxial lighting may be required.
Assembly verification
Machine vision can check:
- Is the correct part fitted?
- Is it in the right position?
- Are screws or clips missing?
- Is a connector fully mated?
- Is the right variant installed?
Surface inspection
Painted, metallic and plastic surfaces can be inspected for defects such as:
- scratches
- dents
- damage
- paint defects
- contamination
Inspecting glossy vehicle surfaces calls for capable cameras, optics and carefully matched lighting concepts.
Adhesive and sealant inspection
Camera-based systems can check whether adhesive or sealing beads are:
- present
- complete
- correctly positioned
- wide enough
- free of interruptions
For complex geometries, 3D machine vision can be added.
Robot-guided assembly
2D and 3D vision allow robots to detect parts and determine their position in space.
Components can then be picked and assembled automatically.
Typical components
- high-speed industrial cameras
- global shutter cameras
- 3D cameras
- DPM code readers
- high-resolution lenses
- telecentric lenses
- dark field lighting
- dome lighting
- coaxial lighting
- polarizing filters
- CoaXPress systems
Planning an automotive application?
Send us details of the part, the inspection feature, the cycle time and the working distance.
We will help you select suitable machine vision components.