Robot Vision Optimizes Automated Kitting Cell
How a high-performance robot vision system solved the pick-and-place performance issues of an automated kitting cell
In leather processing, one of the first steps is a precise detection of the workpiece‘s contour as well as any manual markings on the skin. RG Technologies has replaced this tedious manual process using our 3D vision sensors: A true USP of their PEAKTOURe software solution.
When RG Technologies, one of the leading providers of high-performing industrial cutting systems for textile and leather processing, looked for a reliable vision solution to detect the contours of leather pieces as well as marked faults and quality zones, their list of requirements was long.
Their perfect vision solution would need to be:
RG Technologies offers integrated cutting solutions for ‚anything that can be laid flat on a table‘. They set a strong focus on leather and textile. At the heart of their solutions, their CCUT software for nesting and cutting controls these systems efficiently.
Due to the nature of the product (varying shapes, quality zones, faults and unevenness), the efficient use of leather skins is particularly challenging. The first step in the cutting process is the manual marking of faults and quality zones. After that, capturing the individual shape and the markings has been a tedious (often manual) task in the past.
“Using two rc_visard 160 monochrome coupled with a tailor-made software piece which Roboception developed specifically for this application, we have now fully automated this step. It has been integrated it into our software solution as the PEAKTOURe Detection Module,“ says Gerald Meister, Head of Development at RG Technologies GmbH.
The automatic contour detection enables an equally automated ‘nesting’. This term describes the optimized distribution of the patterns to be cut from the material, considering quality zones and faults. Material utilization is increased significantly, as is the final output at the cutting table. The precise repeatability ensures a permanent process reliability. The increased output and the fact that detection and nesting are done within a matter of seconds, are a clear advantage over many comparable leather processing software solutions.
“We are very happy with the productive collaboration with Roboception and proud of the results we achieved together. This solution takes our software package to a whole new level.”
The collaboration between RG Technologies and Roboception has been marked by a common innovative spirit: The teams actively pursued the joint goal of developing a solution that could become operational very quickly.
“Roboception’s teams have been easily available for us throughout the development, and we appreciated their very short reaction times and fast solution approaches. They were able to meet each and every one of our requirements in a reliable way.“
Further to that, RG Technologies appreciated the intuitive plug-and-play usability of the rc_visard 3D vision sensors, its capacity to deliver quick and repeatable results and – last but not least – its appealing design.
After the two-sensor solution was successfully deployed at numerous customer’s premises, an extended version is now also available. For it may well take a four-camera installation to reliably cover leather skins coming from the largest of bulls: These can easily reach dimensions of 3x3m².
RG Technologies is a developer and supplier of innovative and integrated software solutions, technologies and services. For years, the company has been working on product development and production processes for handling leather and surface materials.
The intuitive plug-and-play usability, its capacity to deliver quick and repeatable results and even its appealing design were factored in the selection of the rc_visard 160 – not forgetting its high accuracy, of course.
When a customer is looking for an application as specific as this one and none of the off-the-shelf modules comply with it, Roboception’s vision experts are able to develop individual software components.
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How a high-performance robot vision system solved the pick-and-place performance issues of an automated kitting cell
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