AUTOMATION | 3D VISION
ERY EB TS
The challenging market
for the automotive
supply chain has
been pushing
an ethos of continuous
improvement for a
number of years.
However, a signi cant
amount of labour is spent
on tedious and repetitive
tasks which remain poorly
automated or unautomated.
Nearly 40% of the labour
force at a typical automotive
manufacturer is spent on moving
parts from tote bins to feed machines.
And yet, while bin picking has
traditionally been hard to automate,
things are now changing.
Conventional robots cannot deal
with objects lying randomly in a tote
bin or box, and most of them cannot
even handle items that are semistructured
in a container or layered
on a pallet. So, imagine the potential if
an operator could just drop objects in
a bin, supported by a robot that knew
what to do?
This next frontier of automation
has been unlocked in recent times
by robots with ‘eyes’, and 3D vision
in particular. To assess whether a
The use of 3D vision robotics has the
potential to transform automation –
particularly in the automotive sector
company is ready for
vision-enabled robots,
it makes sense to rst
compare the alternatives.
Traditional hard
automation solutions such
as bowl feeders are great for
high throughput applications
but, dependant on the
model, can lack exibility.
For instance, what if there are many
different component types? Buying
a separate bowl feeder for each is
hardly cost-effective.
If this sounds familiar, companies
should consider moving forward with
robot vision, especially if there is a
need to change parts. With vision
technology, such a requirement
simply entails recalling stored
algorithms from a PC.
2D vision is a cost-effective
solution for many simple tasks, such
as picking at parts separated in a
plane without touching each other.
However, it is not possible to process
3D-shaped components as they can
look very different depending on their
orientation. Also, if the light changes,
shadows create new contours,
confusing the camera even more.
In short, only 3D vision systems
are able to provide the exibility
required by most modern
manufacturers. This technology
solves application challenges where
parts are overlapping, glossy or vary
in shape and size.
Notably, fast changeover is
assured. When a tote bin has been
emptied of parts, users can simply
replace it with a new bin containing
the next product. The issue of space
is also negated, as companies only
need add a camera to their robot
(most modern 3D vision systems are
compatible with major robot brands).
3D vision reasons on the actual
shape of a product, as opposed to a
2D colour image. Hence, for parts
with complex geometries, re ective
properties or low light conditions,
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