Designing a machine-vision system is more than just integrating imagers, frame grabbers, lighting, and processing devices. In many applications, a number of different sensing devices must be included to control an automation process. This month, Wilson's Websites looks at some of the companies that offer a diverse range of optical control sensors on the Web.
Sensors and systems
www.balluff.com
As a manufacturer of electronic and electromechanical sensors, rotary and linear transducers, and identification systems, Balluff (Florence, KY) offers products that include capacitive, electromechanical, inductive, and optoelectronic sensors. On the company's Web site, these can be viewed by date, industry, product group, and product name. You'll also find a number of application stories showing how these sensors have been used in automotive, glass, and other manufacturing industries.
Photoelectric sensors
www.baneng.com
Banner Engineering (Minneapolis, MN) produces a range of sensors, including photoelectric, fiberoptic, and ultrasonic types for product measurement and inspection. There are descriptions of these products and the company's line of machine safety products, such as light screen systems, anti-tie-down control modules, emergency-stop monitoring modules, and safety interlock switches.
Vision systems
www.keyence.com
Founded in 1974 as Lead Electric, Keyence (Woodcliff Lake, NJ) now manufactures vision systems, measuring instruments, programmable logic controls, and digital pressure sensors. The company's site allows you to subscribe to its newsletter, shop on-line, submit technical questions, and browse company literature.
Find it fast
www.ch.cutler-hammer.com/sensors
On this Web site, you can access descriptions of the range of safety products, limit switches, and inductive and capacitive sensors from Cutler-Hammer (Everett, WA). In addition to providing an easy-to-use product guide to help quickly locate specific products, this site offers on-line application help and support, new-product information, and a company overview.
Counting and measuring
www.sickoptic.com
Designed to sort, count, inspect, measure, recognize, and verify the position, size, and overall shape of objects, Sick (Bloomington, MN) industrial sensors can recognize differences in material brightnesses and colors. In addition to describing these sensors, the site describes the range of luminescence sensors developed to recognize fluorescent markings, labels, threads, lubricants, and adhesives, as well as color sensors for identification and differentiation of objects.
Simply the best
www.ab.com
With global headquarters in Milwaukee, WI, the sensing business of Rockwell Automation supplies photoelectric sensors; limit switches; inductive, capacitive, and ultrasonic proximity sensors; connection systems; and encoders to a range of industries. On the company's information-packed site, you can read about what's new, customer successes, and company publications, as well as request application and technology support. There's also a product directory, on-line manual access, and a publication index search.
