SICK|IVP IVC-3D Smart Camera

The real world has three dimensions! Using traditional 2D camera solutions will always be a compromise when height matters to you. IVC-3D is the first smart camera in the world that inspects all three dimensions, giving you unsurpassed inspection results and robustness.

Vision Systems and Smart Cameras

A vision system combines one or more digital cameras with high-speed image processing to perform automated visual inspections beyond the capabilities of a standard optical sensor. Typical applications include inspection of fill-levels, label orientation, or shape recognition. Custom solutions usually involve several cameras, special LED lighting sources, optical filtration, and a separate computer for image processing. However, many applications can be handled by a so-called smart camera. Smart cameras combine the camera, image processing, and occasionally the light source, into one package. This allows for customizable stand-alone applications that offer the power of vision inspection without the high setup and programming costs of a custom system.

3D Vision Systems

Where 2D systems take color- or contrast- based digital pictures of product for evaluation, a 3D system builds a height-based image of an object. This is accomplished by pairing a digital camera with a laser source and using triangulation to create "profiles", or digital slices of the object. The profiles are either taken at a constant rate or triggered by encoder pulses, then combined to create a full 3D image, which can then be evaluated for characteristics such as shape, height, and volume.

The IVC-3D Smart Camera

The IVC-3D provides the power of fast 3D vision inspection with the simplicity of a programmable stand-alone package. The IVC-3D can be used in many applications that are impossible to attain using 2D or cost-prohibitive using traditional 3D systems.

Following is a list of the features and benefits of the IVC-3D Smart Camera.

Technical Features

Field of View (FOV): "Long" version has a 200 mm x 600 mm maximum FOV (up 810mm max width for shorter objects). "Short" version has a 50 mm x 150 mm maximum FOV (up 180mm max width for shorter objects). The actual FOV can be sized by software to maximize camera speed.

Speed: The IVC-3D aquires individual profiles at a rate of up to 5000 profiles per second. For small objects, such as candies, this can easily translate to 10-20 pieces per second.

Height Resolution: Long version, up to 0.2mm; Short version, up to 0.04mm

Ambient Light Immunity: The camera chip on the IVC-3D filters all light frequencies except the frequency created by system's Class 2M laser source, eliminating almost all ambient light issues.

Communications: The IVC-3D can communicate through Ethernet, Serial RS485, or simple digital I/O (4 inputs, 3 outputs).

Enclosure: The IVC-3D has an IP 65 enclosure of aluminum, safety glass, and nickel-plated brass cable connectors.

Program Development

The IVC-3D is programmed using IVC Studio, a freely distributed Windows-based program that is used for SICK's entire line of smart cameras. This program communicates via Ethernet with any IVC device on the same network, for system configuration and program development. Within this programming environment, there are over 100 function blocks in these categories:

• Image: tools for image aquisition and modification
• Region of Interest (ROI): tools to select an area of interest on a larger image to speed processing time
• Filter: tools to filter unwanted data or noise from an image
• Edge: tools to find edges on an object for shape checking, measurements, etc.
• Measure: tools for measuring distance, angle, area, and volume
• Matching: tools for shape recognition
• Circular: tools for circular object analysis
• Calculation: tools for mathematical calculation and statistical analysis
• Program: programmatic steps, such as If-Then statements, For-Next loops, and Subroutine calls
• System: tools for reading and writing data internally
• Communication: controls for external communications (digital I/O, serial, and ethernet)

Each IVC device has a working memory that consists of a single program and data table and several working image banks. In addition, the camera has 12MB of internal flash memory in which can be stored additional programs, blocks of data, and images from the image banks. The stored information can be accessed by the working program for product changeovers.

Application Examples

Inspection and volume measurement of bread in bakeries

Poorly shaped bread can be automatically rejected to increase quality and reduce problems in the packaging station. The volume measurement can be used for on-line adjustments of the process parameters.

Verification of content in praline boxes

Checks that all pralines are produced correctly and placed in the right position in the box. Contrast-independent inspection by 3D is the solution to check the shape of dark pralines on a dark background.

Inspection of brake plates in automotive industry

Three features are inspected on the brake plate: the surface, height position of the plug, and the angle of the metallic spring. All are 3D features and are inspected simultaneously.