LED lights for machine vision

March 2006 Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration Products & Solutions

The old principle of GIGO (garbage in - garbage out), applies to image processing programs as much as to any other computer program.

The importance of good machine vision lighting

Machine vision lighting is the most important component of a machine vision system - often under-estimated by system integrators. There is a general feeling that the quality of lighting is not as important as that of the cameras and the image processing software, and that the additional expense of correct and consistent lighting is unjustified - in fact the opposite is true.

To make a stable and reliable measurement, images should be captured with sharp contrasts consistently, in spite of unwanted reflections, changes in work-piece position, changes in object material, ageing, etc. Without a good image, the most ingenious and powerful image analysis algorithms will not be consistently successful. 'It is better to Light than Write' is a good maxim.

Westplex prides itself as a one-stop source for machine vision components - and has recently been appointed the South African distributor for CCS, a world leader in the field of LED lighting for machine vision. With a range of over 200 types, CCS has a lighting solution for most every application. The CCS product line complements Westplex's existing range of components for machine vision systems:

* Basler digital and smart cameras.

* Matrox frame grabbers, image analysis software. Vision processors and smart cameras.

* Myutron precision lenses.

* Norpix streaming software.

* Phlox LED backlights.

* Cemarligne laser projectors.

* Fastec high speed cameras.

* Redlake high-speed cameras.

The CCS range includes: Direct ring lights, indirect ring lights, indirect flat lights, indirect coaxial lights, direct bar lights, direct line lights, indirect line lights, flat-ring lights, low-angle ring/square lights, dome lights, collimated coaxial lights, high luminosity spot lights, super uniform spotlights, micro-fibre heads with light source, digital and analog power supplies, filters and lens attachment rings. This large range of lights ensures that there is a CCS light that is appropriate for almost every application.

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