Functions of Industrial Cameras and Their Applicable Machines

I. Main Functions of Industrial Cameras

1. Guidance and Positioning

   • Funcţie: Precisely identifies an object’s location and orientation, providing coordinates for robots or motion systems to enable precise picking, placing, or alignment.

   • Example: Guiding a robot to pick parts from a moving conveyor.

2. Identification and Sorting

   • Funcţie: Reads and verifies text, barcodes, QR codes, or sorts objects based on color, shape, or size.

   • Example: Reading batch codes on packaging; sorting fruits by color.

3. Measurement and Gauging

   • Funcţie: Performs non-contact measurement of an object’s geometric dimensions to verify conformance.

   • Example: Measuring the length and diameter of a screw; inspecting the contour of a phone case.

4. Flaw and Defect Inspection

   • Funcţie: Detects surface defects such as scratches, cracks, stains, dents, burrs, or missing features.

   • Example: Inspecting lithium battery surfaces for scratches; checking print quality on pharmaceutical packaging.

5. Presence Verification and Counting

   • Funcţie: Confirms if components are correctly assembled or counts items.

   • Example: Verifying component placement on a PCB; counting tablets in a blister pack.

II. Primary Machine Types for Application

1. Industrial Robots

   • Aplicație: Provides vision guidance for random bin picking, precision assembly, and unordered sorting.

2. Automated Assembly Machines

   • Aplicație: Used for part positioning, orientation correction, assembly verification, and final product inspection on assembly lines.

3. Quality Inspection Equipment

   • Aplicație: Forms dedicated vision inspection systems for 100% product screening, such as dimensional gauges and defect detectors.

4. Packaging and Logistics Machinery

   • Aplicație: Integrated into labelers, coders, packers, and sorters for code reading/verification, label alignment, package integrity checks, and logistics sorting.

5. CNC Machine Tools and Machining Centers

   • Aplicație: Used for workpiece alignment, in-process measurement, and tool breakage detection to enhance precision and automation.

6. Printing and Marking Equipment

   • Aplicație: Inspects print quality, character clarity, and mark positioning.

Summary: Industrial cameras are core sensors that provide “intelligence” and “perception” to machinery. By giving machines “vision,” they enable complex tasks requiring judgment, recognition, and precise control. They are widely used across every stage of automation, from production and assembly to inspection and logistics.