Injection Molding: Self-Adjusting, Self-Learning Machine Vision System

Inspekto describes its Autonomous Machine Vision (AMV) S70 technology as part of a new approach to quality assurance, where process techs with no previous knowledge of machine vision or artificial intelligence, can set up an inspection system in hours, rather than in weeks and without the aid of a systems integrator.

The company notes that in traditional injection molding, machine vision is made difficult by the fact that the reflective surface of plastics is hard to illuminate and the same production line can create items of different colors and shapes, while most machine vision technology can only inspect one product at a time.

Inspekto says its AMV S70 autonomously determines the ideal number of samples the system needs to learn a part’s key characteristics, and it self-adjusts the camera settings to obtain the best possible image of the item to be inspected. This allows a process technician to set up the system quickly, without the need to bring in a special integrator, according to Inspekto.

Multiple Part Inspection

Traditional machine vision systems are designed to inspect one part at a specific point on the production line, making them ill-suited for injection moulding, where the same machine can make various parts that come in disparate shapes and forms, over the course of one day.

Inspekto says its TYPES app can inspect up to hundreds of different products at that same location on the line. Because of the at-times reflective nature of molded parts’ surfaces, or instances where the molded part and the mold itself can blend together because of a lack of contrast or illumination, proper lighting is required for inspection. Adding difficulty is the fact that since molding machines are built to be as compact as possible, the daylight or full open stroke of a mold can be limited, making it difficult to illuminate the tool cavity. Inspekto says its AMV S70 systems overcome these challenges by self-adjusting its camera parameters to obtain the best lighting, focus and contrast.

Faster Setup, Lower Cost

Inspekto says the fact that AMV can be installed by process technicians so reduces its total cost that plant managers could have a quality assurance station at every junction on a production line, instead of just at the end.

An Israeli startup company, Inspekto is headquartered in Ramat Gan. It established a training center and European headquarters in Heilbronn, Germany in 2018. In April 2020, it announced it was seeking space, staff and eventually an assembly facility in Detroit.