With the "Smart Component Tester (SCoT)” from Berghof Testing, for the first time components at the end of the assembly line can be tested for the correct assembly and position, regardless of the light, contrast, reflection and position. SCoT also no longer requires any complex conveyor technology based on workpiece carriers – and is therefore very flexible to use.
Many provides currently use industrial image processing systems with cameras for their testing systems to be able to quickly and reliably test components after production and assembly in all relevant quality parameters.
This method has its pitfalls: “The industrial image processing systems used to date are now no longer the first choice of equipment, especially for different painted surfaces and very different components,” explains Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Maichle, project manager at Berghof Testing.
The reason: These systems rely on a corresponding contrast of the components and a light adapted to those components. To be able to achieve convincing results, a large number of aligned cameras is therefore required in the case of different painted surface finishes and large component variance. And this is very complex and therefore very expensive to do. It is also inflexible for future variants. In practice, interfering light or changing ambient light also frequently falsifies the results.
Klaus Maichle with a team of specialists from various Berghof Testing divisions developed a whole new testing system for a renowned automotive supplier, which put an end to these difficulties once and for all. No cameras are used, but rather special 3D scanners. The optical check occurs here using 3D images and is absolutely independent of light, contrast, reflection and position (see and hear all about how this innovation works in the detailed product video).
However, these devices have another advantage that Berghof Testing purposefully took advantage of with its new testing system: They can use triangulation to determine the exact position of the supplied component. In this way, Berghof is now able for the first time to do without the normally used specific workpiece carriers and therefore do without expensive conveyor technology.