Machine Vision Guide - Creating a Custom Solution

Creating a Custom Solution

Determining Design Parameters

Successful development of a custom, machine vision system requires a partnership between customer and vendor. The customer knows his manufacturing process and requirements. Melles Griot knows how to build production-ready optics. Depending on the application and on customer needs, developing a custom machine vision system includes some or all of the following stages: identification of requirements, a design study, the detailed design, creation of a prototype, and finally, production. As the following pages demonstrate, Melles Griot works with the customer throughout the development process to achieve the best fit between optics and the customer�s requirements.

Identification of Requirements

The development process begins with the identification of requirements. At this point, Melles Griot takes the widest possible view of the system, including the measurements it is required to make, the environment in which it will work, the systems with which it will interface, the people who will support it, the time available for development, cost targets, and more. Our goal is to develop a solution to the whole problem, not just some of its aspects. It costs far less to deal with conflicts and challenges at this stage than to discover them later. The vision system planning worksheet is one tool we use for this process. We frequently exchange drawings, photographs, or product samples with our customers. In some cases, we visit the customer�s site to better understand the requirements.

Design Study

Occasionally, we may need to spend significant engineering effort to determine whether we can build a system that meets the requirements. In these cases we propose a design study, which includes calculations, layouts, and lens designs, as well as research into similar systems and available components. We may also test important concepts in the lab. For example, we may make a mock-up of the lighting configuration and make test images of a customer�s part to prove that it can be adequately illuminated. The output of a design study is a written report, which serves as a basis for customer review and includes a set of specifications and layouts for the design stage. A principal goal of our custom-system design process is to maximize the probability of success. A design study allows the customer to see our designs and justification before committing to produce hardware. It also allows Melles Griot to plan the prototype hardware carefully, reducing the technical risk, and enabling us to quote a lower price.