Selecting A Vision Supplier For Manufacturing Automation
Vision systems for manufacturing automation are offered by a wide range of companies
. There are three distinct categories of companies that make up all the providers of vision systems for manufacturing automation. Each of these companies has a distinctly different set of characteristics and abilities. A manufacturer desiring to add a vision system for manufacturing to its operations will need to understand what these characteristics are in order to make the best decision and maximize project success. This is part of the due diligence that can be very helpful in matching the correct supplier with the requirements of a vision system.The system integrator is a type of company that offers vision systems to manufacturing companies. These companies can be small shops or they can be very large corporations. Typically the integrator will have one or two areas of expertise that can be applied to the creation of a vision system. These companies have fixed relationships with certain manufacturers limiting their flexibility in matching the customers need to the right solution. This can be engineering, software design and implementation, camera installation, or other areas. This shop will usually outsource other areas of the vision system to other companies. There can be a wide range of end results with this type of vision solution. The result will depend on the capabilities that each company brings to the project and how all the efforts of each are coordinated to create the vision system. For small operations it might be important for the purchasing company to ask about the long term and consistent support of the system after it is installed.
The manufacturer of hardware or software is the second type of supplier that offers vision systems for manufacturing. The strength of these companies is in the manufacture and support of the components that are used to construct the vision system. Normally these are large companies that have extensive engineering staff. Their expertise is in the area of the components that they manufacture, so they will do outsourcing for components and capabilities they do not have in-house. Here again there may be some splintering of support for the system long term.
By far it is felt that the optimum selection for the provider of a vision system is the solution provider. This company is set up to coordinate the entire project of creating a vision system for manufacturing automation. This company has engineering staff for full system design. This company would acts as a consulting partner with the manufacturer that desires to implement a vision system in its operation. Such a company may have a specific expertise, but should not include that just because of immediate availability. The planning phase that is done by a solution provider should explore all the solution options for the given project at hand. The most optimum mix of components should be chosen to yield the best result for the environment in the client facility. An environment will vary from facility to facility, so the solution provider should be flexible enough to first of all know the available components that can be used for the given project, then apply the optimum mix of those components to achieve an optimum result.
The solution provider usually offers a wide range of vision system related capabilities, including products and services. Consulting is available so that companies can get expert advice about how the vision system should be implemented and what the result should be. Review of current vision systems should be a part of the capabilities offered by the vision solution provider. Since the solution provider has a broad knowledge of the market availability of vision components, like cameras, lenses, and other devices, the staff can recommend the best component solutions to an inquiring manufacturer for the environment in question. The variation and abilities of each component can be discussed with a manufacturer, so that the optimum attributes of the a given component can be applied to a vision system.
A vision solution provider is able to offer the full range of required skills that are necessary to implement a high quality vision system for a manufacturing operation. This is because the company is has all the necessary resources to get the best vision solution that a manufacturer might need for a given production requirement. The company is not part of a manufacturing operation that would require the placement of components that it manufactures. The solution provider will be able to give an unbiased recommendation form its broad knowledge and expertise.
by: John Mitchell