Inspection system

An inspection system that uses a robot-mounted camera is providing a unique approach to the examination, integrity and traceability of mass manufactured assemblies, according to system developers Goldlogic Control Systems (GCS) of Worsley, Manchester.

Eliminating the fallibility of human inspection and the inefficiencies of static inspection systems, the GCS system takes advantage of the six-axis mobility and accuracy of an ABB robot to position a camera at various pre-determined positions to examine key features of an assembly.

The manoeuvrability and repeatability of the ABB robot, and the accuracy of its programming system, mean that the camera can be positioned at the optimum angle for illuminating and photographing the target - a vital factor when inspecting welds, for example, and an impossible task with a static camera system.

Fully supportable standard OEM equipment is specified for the system including a ceiling/wall/floor mounted ABB IRB 140 or floor mounted IRB 2400 robot, Siemens VS 723 camera, and Siemens S7 programmable logic control (PLC), which communicates with both camera and robot over a Profibus network. A further feature of the system is a PC-based archiving software program developed by GCS.