Machine Vision Illumination

Machine vision Illumination is very important component of machine vision system. The main purpose of light is to create contrast between object and its background to highlight image features. Depending on inspection criterion, we need to choose lighting. If you want to produce results of reproducible inspections, you need to go for appropriate qualitative lighting conditions.

Choosing light for your application is depend on following factors:

Inspecting Material composition
Surface of material
Shape and size of material
Speed

Also working distance between camera and light and object have impact on inspection. Resolution and sensitivity of camera need to be better to create good image of illuminated material part.

Depending on position, direction and structure of light, there are different types of lighting techniques:

Direct Illumination-

This easy lighting method works well with non-reflective materials. Ring, Bar light can used for simple applications. Putting lights in some angles to avoid reflections is appropriate approach in low cost.

Diffused Illumination-

For many applications, diffuse light is required where metallic, glossy, reflecting materials need to be evaluated. If these surfaces are not flat and have irregularities, cuts, curved, or cylindrical, it becomes much more challenging. Diffused light can be best solution for such cases. Either you can use diffuser plates on existing lights or can use Dome and Co-axial light to avoid reflections.

Backlight Illumination-

Mostly homogenous lighting condition on which component can be placed and measured edges, holes perfectly by avoiding shade effects.

Dark Field Illumination-

If you put angle of light very shallow then angle of incidence become similar to angle of reflection and whole image become darker whereas scratches, inclining edges, slots etc, becomes brighter and captured by camera easily. Even dirt and dust can be highlighted.

Using right light to get reliable, precise and accurate results becomes necessity of fast-moving machine vision era. To fulfil and exceed this demand, we are tied up with main key player in machine vision illumination-TMS lite, who is having 20 years of experience in machine vision industry who cater the variety of lights from single wavelength to multispectral, from Bar light to modular/customized lights. Almost all kind of machine vision applications can be feasible using TMS lights like Gauging, Defect detection, PCB inspection, OCR on reflecting surface or engraving, High speed line application, Medical imaging, Printing inspection with IR lights, Transparent objects using UV lights and many more.