Compact Mako G camera delivers images for slow-motion recordings
Highly automated production processes are usually too fast for the human eye to be able to identify the causes of errors. Allied Vision's Mako camera as part of R&D Vision's SpeedView system does not miss a single detail. The supplied images enable a precise analysis of the production process.
The challenge
Preventing outages
At a speed of 22 bottles per second (80,000 bottles per hour), beer bottles pass through the bottling machine at Heineken in Marseille (southern France). Should problems arise at any point in the process, it is not visible to the human eye. It only becomes evident when the production system stops automatically. Usually, broken bottles are then found in the machines. And it costs time to find the real cause of the production stop. Preventing such outages and the time loss they entail ensures greater productivity.
The solution
Fast and High-Resolution
The SpeedView mobile analysis system from R&D-Vision, a French company specializing in test and measurement systems with integrated imaging, remedies this situation. Equipped with the high-speed Mako G-030 camera from Allied Vision, it produces images that delivers slow-motion recordings of production processes.
Since precise points in the process really matter in filling and sealing bottles at Heineken, the image detail could be reduced to a size of 300 × 200 pixels. At a now-possible image acquisition speed of 1000 images per second, the SpeedView system can record image for up to an hour. By further selecting a region of interest, the speed can be increased to up to 6000 images per second.
Depending on process speed, individual recordings can be triggered either manually or by a PLC signal (Programmable Logic Controller) in the camera.
The benefits
Avoidance of interruption
Using these recordings, the maintenance team can quickly and efficiently identify and remedy the cause of failure without unduly interrupting production or incurring downtime costs in the thousands of Euros per minute.
"By uncovering problems before they affect the final product, users like Heineken can increase the quality level of their production and practically achieve a 0% failure rate."
(Francois-Dimitri Mennesson, Export Manager at R&D Vision in France)
The camera: Mako G-040
Small size, high framerate
Mako G-040 is a 0.40 megapixel GigE machine vision camera that incorporates the high quality Sony IMX287 CMOS sensor. At full resolution (728 × 544 pixels), the camera delivers 286 images per second. With a narrower region of interest, the speed can be increased even more.
The compact form factor of the Mako camera is an advantage. Its diminutive housing can be installed in the tightest spots and corners of the bottling machine or in other production machinery. Moreover, the camera can be operated with only one cable for power supply and data transfer thanks to Power over Ethernet (PoE), which makes the camera easy to integrate into production lines.
Highlights at a glance
Mako G camera enables image acquisition at a speed of 1000 images per second.
The cause of failure can quickly and efficiently be identified without interrupting the production process.
Production downtimes, causing loss of time and costs, can be avoided.
Production efficiency can be increased while avoiding any threat of reduced quality before it can even occur.
Compact form factor allows easy transportation and set up in small spaces.