Edge-Vision-4.0

Identify anomalies in roll-to-roll processes

Our machine vision platform Edge-Vision-4.0 has been created to deal with various accept/reject problems, and identify anomaly levels in products over the range of industries we are currently delivering thickness and basis-weight measuring solutions to. So we are focusing on roll-to-roll processes, meaning mostly: nonwovens, textile coating and plastics extrusion. We know machine-vision can also be beneficial in various batch-job businesses or small-piece manufacturing (in electronics manufacturing, mechanical parts, injection molding components, medicine packaging) or bulk processing/production (food industry, sorting applications, wood pulp industry…), but we prefer to deliver it exclusively in the markets that are well known to us.

Focus is on applying vision in plastic film extrusion and textiles/nonwovens

Currently only available within our Reference Program, we offer the Edge-Vision-4.0 range of products in the markets of plastic film extrusion and textiles/nonwovens, providing solutions for:

• Black spot detection in extruded films and sheets;
• Detection of length-direction stripes due to die-contamination in extruded sheets;
• Detecting and quantifying Color variations in nonwoven materials due to limited bale-opener or mixing randomness;
• Detecting and quantifying color variations in textile coatings or platics extrusion due to improper blending;
• Recognizing surface glossiness variations or transparency issues for transparent films.

Incorporating up to five technology innovation waves into your solution

We are no magicians, we are making advantage of five technology innovation waves! Allow us to explain:

• Camera chip technology

4K optical chips in medium-cost industrial cameras enables 4096 pixel lines at reasonably high light sensitivities. The giant pixel array enable inline quality control by a single camera across the full width of the web, detecting anomalies down to one hundred microns in dimension.

• Deep learning

Recently, advances in the domains of algorithmic programming and hardware-accelerator chip technology (such as FPGAs, GPUs and even VPUs) have made training and solving complex decision making tasks (such as anomaly detection and feature extraction) very quick and responsive.

Deep learning and artificial intelligence play a critical role in this regard.

• Edge computing

Cloud computing enables access to a lot of computing resources from any place in the world. However, the limiting factor is the internet connection which is currently unable to reliably forward 4K-image data such that cloud resources for use in operation-critical industrial processes. This is resolved by affordable number-crunching and mobile portable platforms, which have been made available to process the data not in the cloud but on the edge.

• Industry 4.0

Remotely monitoring your production process or connecting multiple smart devices in an intelligent production network is practical and productive, particularly in this COVID-19 era where traveling is limited travel. Connecting your production-process with the internet opens up new opportunities in terms of running diagnostics and upgrading firmware remotely whenever needed.

• Compression of huge data

Data collection without good processing algorithms to extract KPI’s only leads to massive, unmanageable databases. Combining data collection (here: motion pictures) with useful algorithms digests the data toward your relevant KPIs. Our aim is to ensure that your production process reliably matches your KPIs in the best way possible, compressing piles of visual data into a couple of numbers that really matter to you.

Making human-machine interaction as intuitive as possible

The Edge-Vision-4.0 platform is typically controlled from a panel pc or optional stack light (our HMI technology), but is also available in a stand-alone version where only a few knobs enable you to tune the system's behavior. In either of the two cases, our Hammer-IMS Embedded Connectivity 3.0 software will be taken care of processing the vision data. Hammer-IMS Embedded Connectivity 3.0 makes interaction as intuitive as possible. As said before, our platform is available with a PROFINET or optionally OPC UA link as well.