SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2007 Checker 200 Series. Small, smart, simple, and powerful. Industry Solutions
Checker Inspection Sensors... Reliable Results in any Industry Checker is an all-in-one inspection sensor with built-in lighting and variable working distance, capable of inspecting over 6000 parts per minute all in a package small enough to fit into tight spaces. Checker Advantages: Detects a part by finding an actual part feature Inspects features that other sensors cannot Inspects multiple part features simultaneously Overcomes varying part positions on the line No matter what the industry, Checker delivers reliable inspection results. Food and Beverage Presence of inkjet and laser-printed codes Assurance that all bottles are in case Presence of caps, labels, and tamper seals Verification that bag is closed before sealing Detection of registration graphics Automotive Presence of weld nuts, springs, fasteners, and sealants Detection of double bearings Verification of button location Orientation of parts on feeder bowls Verification that parts are shot-peened, threaded, or staked Consumer Products Presence of spray nozzles Orientation of bottles, containers, and flip caps Assembly of cosmetic applicators Verification of product packaging Electronics Orientation of connectors on feeder bowls Verification of connector assembly Orientation of components Presence of components after assembly Verification of LED illumination Assembly of batteries
Automotive Verifying Weld Nuts in Automotive Frames Pass: Weld nut present Fail: Weld nut missing Photoelectric sensors require frames to be precisely positioned in order to detect weld nuts. Checker detects weld nuts by tracking the frame over a wide area, and sensing the brightness of the nut. Detecting Missing Brake Pads in Machining Tray Pass: All pads present Fail: Several pads missing In order to determine exactly which pads are missing on a tray, the traditional approach has required at least eight photoelectric sensors plus a complex setup. A single Checker indicates missing pads by reporting discrete signals. Verifying Correct Hub Bearings Pass: Correct bearing present Fail: Incorrect bearing present Photoelectric sensors cannot reliably differentiate hub bearings of similar shape and construction. Checker distinguishes correct bearings by understanding differences in contrast. 1
Consumer Products Detecting Safety Seals on Pharmaceutical Bottles Pass: Safety seal present Fail: Safety seal missing Photoelectric sensors require precise bottle positioning and label orientation in order to detect safety seals. Using its unique lighting capabilities, Checker detects the safety seal by sensing the red ink contrast. Assuring Correct Orientation of Spray Nozzle Pass: Nozzle correctly oriented Fail: Nozzle oriented backwards Traditional sensors require several photoelectric sensors to detect nozzle spray orientation. A single Checker detects correctly-oriented nozzles by understanding what a nozzle trigger looks like. Verifying Cap Presence on Cosmetic Jar Pass: Jar cap present Fail: Jar cap missing Photoelectric sensors can be unreliable for detecting caps on products that include protective foil under the cap. Checker reliably detects missing jar caps by detecting the high-brightness foil image. 2
Food Detecting Candies in Blister Pack Pass: All candies present Fail: At least one candy missing Twelve photoelectric sensors make solutions for detecting missing candy costly and impractical. A single Checker reliably detects the presence of all candy by using twelve brightness sensors. Sorting and Tracking Cereal Boxes without PLCs Correct cereal box detected Incorrect cereal box detected Different cereal boxes have to be routed to their respective packing stations. Photoelectric sensors require multiple sensor groupings, making that solution expensive and impractical. A single Checker reliably distinguishes each cereal, since it understands what each box looks like. Verifying Orientation of Label Pass: Label oriented correctly Fail: Label upside down Photoelectric sensors cannot reliably distinguish text when labels are mistakenly placed upside down. Checker reliably detects labels placed upside down by understanding what a correctly-oriented label looks like. 3
Beverages Detecting Missing Bottles Pass: All bottles present Fail: Several bottles missing Beverage bottlers need to know exactly which bottles are missing in a case. The traditional approach makes missing-bottle detection solutions costly and expensive. A single Checker tracks all bottles, and indicates which ones are missing by reporting discrete signals. Tracking Registration Marks that Vary in Position Label web in position Label web drifted away Photoelectric sensors cannot see a registration mark if the bottle label web drifts away from its sensing range. Checker tracks the registration mark over a wide area, and provides deterministic output timing. Verifying Printed Date Code on Bottle Pass: Date code present Fail: Date code missing Traditional sensors are unreliable for detecting codes printed on bottles. This is due to both the uncertainty of print location and bottle position. Checker reliably detects date codes by sensing the high contrast produced by the ink. 4
Electronics Ensuring Correct Orientation of Capacitors Pass: Capacitor oriented correctly Fail: Capacitor oriented backwards Mis-oriented polarized capacitors can create a fire hazard on integrated circuit boards. No traditional sensor on the market can reliably detect their orientation. Checker detects mis-oriented parts by sensing the presence or absence of the orientation mark. Verifying Model Number on a Consumer Product Pass: Correct model number present Fail: Incorrect model number As a result of variations in product position, photoelectric sensors can fail to detect the correct model number. Checker reliably detects the correctness of a model number by understanding what it looks like. Assuring Illuminated LED on Power Supply Pass: LED on Fail: LED off Manufacturers of AC/DC power adapters need to ensure that the green LED light goes on when AC power is applied. Photoelectric sensors cannot reliably detect this because of ambient light interference and varying adapter positions. Checker reliably detects LED illumination by detecting its resulting brightness. 5
Corporate Headquarters Cognex Corporation One Vision Drive Natick MA 01760-2059 USA Tel: 508-650-3000 Fax: 508-650-3344 www.cognex.com United States www.cognex.com Europe www.cognex.net Canada www.cognex.com Natick, Massachusetts 508-650-3000 France +33 1 4777 1550 905-634-2726 Nashville, Tennessee 615-844-6158 Germany +49 721 6639 0 Japan www.cognex.co.jp Detroit, Michigan 248-668-5100 Ireland +353 1 825 4420 +81 3 5977 5400 Chicago, Illinois 630-649-6300 Italy +39 02 6747 1200 Asia www.cognex.net Mountain View, California 650-969-4812 Netherlands +31 402 668 565 China +86 21 6320 3821 Spain +34 93 445 67 78 Latin America www.cognex.com Korea +82 2 539 9047 Sweden +46 21 14 55 88 Monterrey, Mexico +52 81 5030 7258 Singapore +65 632 55 700 Switzerland +41 71 313 06 05 Mexico City, Mexico +52 55 2789 7839 Taiwan +886 3 578 0060 United Kingdom +44 1908 206 000 Copyright 2007, Cognex Corporation. All information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cognex is a registered trademark, and Checker is a trademark of Cognex Corporation. Automobile chassis photo provided by Performance Specialties, Inc, reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Lit. No. MK6337-0407