| PRODUCT
TESTING (BUCKET SEAT) |
Product
Testing
(Bucket Seat)
A
heated bucket seat must be analyzed for
functionality and safety. |
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| DIE
CASTING (ALUMINUM) |
Die
Casting
(Aluminum)
Giant
die casting machines press a mold designed
to hold molten aluminum. |
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| LASER
WELDING (PLASTIC) |
Laser
Welding
(Plastic)
Technicians need to monitor thermal patterns
during the welding process. |
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| Case
Study: Laser Welding (Plastic) |
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The
Problem: When working
with plastic, laser welders must be accurate and precise.
R&D data is crucial when maintaining such a delicate
process. R&D personnel needed a way to efficiently
and accurately gather temperature data over time, something
the AXT100 can deliver. Above is a video clip of a piece
of plastic under a laser welder.
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The
Solution:
The AXT100 captures an array of temperature
data, and ImageJ processes and analyzes the data through
TCP/IP. ImageJ is a free image analysis tool developed
by the National Institute of Health. ImageJ can successfully
import high-bit TIFF image sequences and analyze thermal
trends.
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Safety
and Investment Protection:
A
plastic part may get too hot and catch fire, something
laser welders cannot detect alone. The
AXT100 (with Modbus) creates a threshold of protection
and safety when dealing with potentially hazardous temperatures
or expensive machinery. With the human element eliminated,
an AXT100 can act as a dedicated monitor of critical
machinery, automatically maintaining safe and secure
operating conditions. Modbus
monitors critical temperatures and automatically engages
relays when alarms sound. Modbus is a built-in feature
for the AXT100, and works in conjunction with high-density
I/O modules such as the Advantech ADAM-6060.
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 Setting
Alarms for PLCs with InternalWeb DV:
InternalWebDV
is a browser-based application allowing the
user to monitor any AXT100 Thermal Imaging Camera
from anywhere on the factory floor (even wirelessly).
This application features SIFTA, or Software
Interface For Thermal Alarms. With SIFTA, the
user can paint custom regions of interest
and link them to relays on an Advantech
ADAM 6060 Series I/O Module. Additionally, any
PLC that uses the Modbus protocol may inqure
alarm status through Ethernet. The
end result is humanless product inspection.
InternalWeb DV is extremely powerful.
Communicating
with Modbus:
Modbus
is a protocol which operates on a TCP/IP port.
Many PLCs today use it to communicate with peripheral
equipment. The AXT100 is equipped for a PLC
to inquire alarm status using this protocol.
PLC networks that are not yet Modbus-ready may
interface with the ADAM-6060 using its relays.
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Using
the AXT100 for Process Control:
The
AXT100, when coupled with ImageJ, helps identify problems
in a process. Thermal imaging reveals information
that would otherwise have to be obtained very inconveiniently.
Process analysts and engineers can use thermal imagery
to modify the automation of their equipment, decreasing
downtime and increasing output.
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About
ImageJ : ImageJ
has powerful analysis tools. Here, a time plot of a
region of interest shows thermal trends across the gathered
slices. 3D histograms and multiple selection tools are
only a few additional features of ImageJ. Process control
engineers can use this data while modifying the process.
Product testers can also use ImageJ to detect and analyze
thermal subtleties in their data.
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Time
plot of a pixel of interest within ImageJ.
Line
profile of the row containing the hottest pixel.
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