Products
30.09.2024
Our solutions fit like pieces of the same puzzle
Roman Vracko is the Product Cluster Manager Vision at Balluff. In the following interview, he explains how industrial machine vision shows its strengths especially in complex tasks, why custom solutions are so important in camera technology.
Mr. Vracko, industrial machine vision is increasingly shaping the automation of manufacturing processes. In which cases does it make sense to use camera-based sensors?
Whenever other sensors have reached their limits (laughs). A typical example for classic machine vision applications is visual quality control. Among other things, it provides information on whether all assemblies are fitted correctly or if there is damage on the surface. Visual measurements of distance, shape, or size are another important area. In summary, you could say that vision systems are particularly strong when it comes to complex tasks; for example, when several parameters such as color, pattern recognition, and the distance between drill holes need to be captured simultaneously and efficiently.
In which industries is this particularly common?
Medical technology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, packaging, food & beverage, semiconductors, and (intra-)logistics are among the most important industries for industrial machine vision. Additionally, Balluff’s Machine Vision product cluster has also worked with companies in non-industrial industries like sports or diamonds, but these are exceptions. One thing is clear, however: there is a wide range of possible fields of application.
Roman Vracko is Product Cluster Manager Vision at Balluff
How are artificial intelligence and machine learning changing the Machine Vision product cluster at Balluff?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are having a significant impact on the Machine Vision product cluster. AI-supported algorithms can analyze and process images more efficiently. They are able to capture patterns and anomalies that are difficult to identify for humans and traditional machine vision algorithms. This means that many tasks in machine vision can be automated, which increases efficiency and reduces human error. This is particularly useful in manufacturing and quality control. Machine learning models can learn from new data and adapt to changing conditions, increasing the flexibility and accuracy of machine vision systems.
All in all, AI and machine learning are revolutionizing machine vision technologies by significantly expanding their performance and range of applications.
Last fall, Matrix Vision GmbH, a supplier of machine vision components, was renamed Balluff MV GmbH. What role does industrial machine vision play in Balluff’s portfolio?
A very important one. The beginnings of industrial machine vision date back to the 1970s. Matrix Vision has worked on this topic for almost 40 years, especially since the dawn of computer-supported evaluation of image information. This was followed by the introduction of the standard interfaces USB and Gigabit Ethernet, which enabled the transmission of image signals in real time. The development of smart cameras, which were deliberately kept simpler, also made configuration much easier for the end user — and this is how Matrix Vision and Balluff came into contact. Matrix Vision has complemented the Balluff Group in the field of camera-based sensor technology since 2017, and with the name change, we have combined our expertise under one brand. The goal is to further expand and position our products internationally.
What products and solutions do you mean specifically?
On the one hand, there are the so-called embedded module cameras with USB interface, which are not only small and compact, but also consume little energy. Particularly in medical diagnostics or surveying technology, we are seeing an increasing trend towards handheld devices that can be easily operated by any employee. The more robust Gigabit Ethernet cameras are ideal for use in harsh industrial environments.
GigE Vision is an interface standard established in 2006. Balluff is a member of the standardization committee, and therefore actively involved in shaping it. And finally, cameras with the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express interface offer users the highest data throughput and the greatest performance. Which solution is the best suited for any specific industrial application is always decided on an individual basis.
Speaking of individual: why are custom solutions so important in camera technology?
They are so important because applications vary widely. In some, the fact that there is limited space is a decisive factor, in others it’s energy consumption or specific logistical environmental conditions. If the camera is located outdoors, it has to be able to withstand any weather conditions; in a dermatologist’s dermatoscope, it has to reproduce colors particularly well. This poses the question: how can the respective individual application be optimized? And which components may need to be modified?
How does Balluff support its customers with these challenges?
At Balluff, we have both feet firmly on a technological foundation, our standard products. We can adapt these flexibly to a certain degree, for example, in case a customer needs a specific design or interface.
At Balluff, we have both feet firmly on a technological foundation, our standard products. We can adapt these flexibly to a certain degree, for example, in case a customer needs a specific design or interface. We aim to understand the customer’s application, give comprehensive advice, and find the ideal solution together. Our extensive expertise in this area helps us here. This is why we go one step further with our Custom Design & Engineering (CDE) business unit and offer customer-specific adaptations and custom developments for camera products from a single source — from product idea through to implementation.
How does that work?
In the first stage, we modify and configure by combining existing solutions in new ways. If this is not enough, we enter into a development partnership with the customer which often results in a customized product that fits the respective application like a piece of the same puzzle.
Can you give a specific example, please?
How about one from the area of scientific research: as a partner in a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, we have developed a camera for automated tank cleaning that meets special requirements in terms of mechanics, energy consumption and its interface.
We already talked about artificial intelligence. What other topics are users currently focusing on?
For many of our customers, an extended wavelength spectrum is of increasing importance. Our answer: our UV cameras or new industrial cameras with short-wave infrared technology sensors, or SWIR for short. Another topic is the processing of 3D images. It enables a spatial 3D representation, allowing for automated decision-making based on the position, size, and orientation of an object. And then, of course, there is the price pressure that is currently affecting the entire industry. Our response to this is our new “Automation Ready” camera concept, which we will be presenting at the upcoming VISION trade fair (see info box).
