CIE Components in Electronics
SICK has unveiled the first in a new generation of Ruler3000 3D streaming cameras, designed to offer a fast track for integrators to harness the speed and measurement precision of SICK’s high-definition 3D imaging technology. The SICK Ruler3000 sets a new standard for high-speed 3D image quality in an easy-to-integrate, pre-calibrated device.
The Ruler3000 combines SICK’s Ranger3 streaming camera with a Class 2 eye-safe laser, pre-selected optics and fixed geometries to enable much simpler configuration and commissioning. With industry-standard compliance giving comprehensive access to machine vision software tools, the Ruler3000 is said to dramatically cut time and complexity when integrating more demanding inspection, measurement and robot guidance tasks, battery and electronics production.
“With today’s demands for higher throughputs, more accurate quality control and flexible, batch-orientated production, the pressure is mounting to deliver more speed and accuracy from 3D machine vision systems,” Neil Sandhu, SICK’s UK product manager for imaging, measurement and ranging, said.
“The SICK Ruler3000 is an exciting prospect for OEMs, system integrators and accomplished 3D vision end users. Because so much of the configuration and commissioning work is already done, you can rapidly shortcut to integrating a continuous stream of industry-standard data into higher-level systems or robot controls. And, with accurate 3D, reflectance and scattered light measurements in one device, you can evaluate several aspects of the inspection simultaneously to achieve optimum control and measurement confidence.”
Powered by SICK’s highly sensitive CMOS sensor and ROCC (Rapid On-Chip Calculation) technology, the Ruler3000’s integrated streaming camera scans reliably at rapid production speeds. It processes up to 15.4Gp/s to enable up to 7000 full-frame 3D profiles per second. The Ruler3000 extracts the true 3D shape of an object, regardless of its contrast or colour, as well as simultaneously capturing greyscale and scattered light measurements, so image processing and measurement precision can be optimised.
The Ruler3000’s high light sensitivity enables accurate inspection of even very dark or highly-reflective materials, while its High Dynamic Range (HDR) function allows components with widely-differing light remissions, such batteries and electronic component assemblies, to be captured successfully in a single scan.
The SICK Ruler3000’s impressive performance on light, dark, reflective and contrasting surfaces, together with its guaranteed field of view, make it ideal for high-end inspection and precise localisation duties, when mounted above a conveyor or on a robot arm.
It is therefore likely to save time for both machine builders and experienced end users to set up high-speed inspections in electronics production e.g. to check for the completion of complex assemblies such as tablets, or detailed surface mount assemblies, or to precision-check the surface of batteries for damage, defects and foreign objects.
