FSI launches new infrared system for on-line monitoring and control
FSI launches new infrared system for on-line monitoring and control
Keywords FSI,Infrared, Inspection, Sensors
FLIR Systems International(FSI) has launched a new infrared system for on-line monitoring and control. Called ThermoVision™ the new system will help customers to enhance quality,improve productivity and increase manufacturing safety on production lines requiring both supervised and unsupervised non-contact inspection. Typical applications for the new system will include on-line inspection of manufacturing processes within the automotive, paper, plastics, steel, glass, food and packaging industries.
Used in conjunction with visible light machine vision systems, ThermoVision can provide additional information on the surface characteristics of a product to help customers make more accurate production decisions. The system can also be used as a stand-alone unit in situations where only temperature related data are required.
By incorporating uncooled focal plane array detector technology, ThermoVision provides high resolution thermal images of objects or processes measuring between 2°C and 2,000°C. The temperature value of each pixel within the image is accurate to ±2 per cent and is achieved with a thermal sensitivity of less than 0.1°C. The system can also be used to detect differences in emissivity across the surface of an object. Such differences can indicate surface flaws or other features important in quality assurance assessments.
ThermoVision comes in a sealed, fixed-mount housing making it ideal for use in the harsh operating environments typical of many manufacturing lines. By using solid-state detector technology, the camera has no moving parts, thus reducing the amount of time required for systems maintenance. This is an essential requirement in those applications which require continuous, uninterrupted monitoring.
Intelligent sensing functions enable the camera to identify and interpret temperature based information for a variety of unattended applications. With remote operation handled via an RS-232 connection, the camera can be set to monitor several areas of interest and trigger alarms or send data to other integrated systems according to pre-set criteria. Sensor data from the ThermoVision can also be fed to OEM machine vision equipment, operator-based visual monitoring systems or stand-alone temperature control units through standard video outputs (NTCS, PAL,SVHS).
14-bit digital image storage ensures all the information required for a full analysis of the data is available at all times, regardless of the system settings at the time the image is captured. These data can be accessed and analysed using a variety of off-the-shelf software tools to create reports that include temperature profiles and trending. For repeatable machine vision applications, the system can be integrated with FSI's industry leading XCaliper™ 4.1 software, which is used widely in automated machine vision systems and software-driven industrial sensors that rely on high-speed optical character recognition (OCR) and robotic guidance.
FSI's automation products include cameras, software and systems designed to improve the productivity of manufacturing lines. For applications that require continuous monitoring of the radiant thermal characteristics of products and processes during manufacture,FSI offers a range of fixed-mound infrared thermal imaging and line scanning equipment.
For further information contact FLIR Systems International, Arden House, West Street, Leighton Buzzard,Beds LU7 7DD, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1525 375660; Fax: +44 (0) 1525 379271; E-mail: AGEMAUK@compuserve.com
