Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

Image Processing Software EMSIS

© Hörmle GmbH

When manufacturing components for products made up of several separate parts, quality features have to be strictly observed in order to enable so-called interchangeability. This means that any number of A-parts produced in different places at different times have to fit any number of B-parts similarly produced without the need for any rework. To ensure this, often all manufactured products have to be fully evaluated. Due to the amount of time and money involved, mass-produced components cannot be inspected manually. In such cases, an automated, non-contact image processing technique is the method of choice. This is not only capable of measuring dimensions but also of analyzing surfaces and verifying completeness.

To take advantage of image processing in industrial measuring and testing technology, Fraunhofer IPA has developed an adaptable and highly-versatile image-processing software called EMSIS. Easy to configure, the software can be adapted to clocked automated testing machines (rotary indexing tables, clocked linear feeding units) as well as to automatic inspection devices where moving components are analyzed (glass plates, glass chutes). Several independent camera systems or groups thereof can be defined for both types of machine. Each separate camera system can have a different resolution or interface. Both analog and digital cameras are supported with FireWire, USB2, USB3, GigEVision, CameraLink and CoaXPress. The cameras can be integrated, communicating with the process environment via digital IO, CANbus, Profibus, Profinet or Ethernet. Standard image-processing tools comprise:

  • Tools for specifying component-related coordinate systems
  • Tools for measuring lengths, diameters and angles
  • Tools for monitoring the presence of a workpiece
  • Tools for evaluating surfaces
  • Tools for automatically recognizing defects in textured surfaces
  • Tools for evaluating internal and external threads

Further control tools not only enable inspection procedures to be designed according to requirements (conditions, loops) but also to modify light intensity and exposure times.

If a task cannot be solved with standard image-processing tools, special analysis tools can be manufactured and integrated via plug-in interfaces.