Video Inspection System is designed for steel mills.
Press Release Summary:
Available as single- or double-sided remote inspection system, Q-EYE enables one inspector to spot defects as small as 0.04 in. across 60 in. wide strip at speeds to 4,400 fpm in real time. Menu-driven software enables unit to be programmed for video capture, storage, and replay. System uses Unilux inspection lights and two 8-bit black and white cameras with video resolution of 1,392 x 1,040 pixels and comes with 20 in. flat-panel monitor.
Original Press Release:
Q-EYE from Unilux Simplifies Video Inspection Integration for Mills
SADDLE BROOK, NJ May 11, 2005 - Unilux, the world's leading designer and manufacturer of stroboscopic surface inspection systems, will unveil Q-EYE, its streamlined, high-resolution video inspection system at AISTech 2005, May 9 to12, Charlotte, NC. The new system will enable mill operators to spot defects as small as 1mm (0.04 in) across a strip 150cm (60 in) wide at production speeds up to 1,350m (4,400 ft) per minute. Single-side inspection systems can be installed for under $90,000, and double-sided inspections can be installed for $170,000. Using commercially available image-capture hardware and software, Q-EYE can be deployed within hours after commissioning.
"Q-EYE, which stands for Quality Eye, helps steel mills and metals processors stretch their human resources while providing a fast return on investment," said Michael P. Simonis, president, Unilux.
"First, the system enables a single inspector to find defects at full production speeds in real time from multiple locations, including places that are too dangerous for on-site inspection or inaccessible for inspectors," he continued. "By using proven Unilux inspection lights, such as the Centurion and HD851, defects stand out, letting operators and inspectors use their knowledge of their products and processes to determine the defect's cause and if the material meets specifications. With the system's video storage capabilities, engineers can study images to change processes to eliminate the causes of defects.
"The payback is short for the system because you start to use the Q-EYE from the first day it is installed," Simonis continued. "Once the strobe lights and cameras are installed and the video inputs are connected, the remote video inspection system's simple, menu-driven software can be programmed in a matter of hours for the video capture, storage and replay."
Depending on the speed of the line and view of the camera, the system can be programmed to store only the images required to provide 100% coverage of the strip, reducing the required archiving memory. Although the operator will view the strip in streaming video, only enough frames required to see 100% of the strip will be saved for review. Programming for this type of image capture and review, greatly reduces both set-up time, and storage capacity. The system can also just record representative samples of each coil to reduce storage even more. Recipes can be established ahead of time and tweaked at the time of commissioning, helping a mill get the system operational even faster. Any number of recipes can be saved and recalled for use as dictated by the mill's or customer's needs.
A basic two-camera system will meet the needs of a vast majority of hot and finishing mill applications worldwide as well as coating processing lines. Each camera, an 8-bit black-and-white unit with a video resolution of 1392 x 1040 pixels, can see a 1mm defect on a 1600mm-wide strip moving at full production speeds of 1350m/min. Each camera has its own display, a fast pixel response, 20" flat-panel screen with 1600 x 2000 native resolution and 500:1 contrast ratio, which helps inspectors spot even the slightest defects.
By positioning the cameras for the maximum width of 1.6m, each frame will capture an image an area of approximately 1000 x 750cm. Some overlapping of each camera's field of vision ensures complete coverage of the strip. If the video system captures images at the rate of 30 frames/sec, the strip can travel at 22.5m/sec or 1350m/min, and the system will provide 100% coverage.
With camera and strobe light arrays located before the recoiler or at critical inspection points along the process, operators at control consoles can now see the strip without leaving their workstations.
"This is essential on coating lines, where any one of hundreds of rolls on multiple platform levels could be the source of a problem," Simonis said. "Tactically locating inspection cameras in cooling towers or after accumulators quickly provides the location of problems in the process. This is especially helpful on coating lines, where towers can hold 1 to 3km of steel. Operators can use the images to narrow down the location of a defect's cause and use a portable stroboscopic inspection light, such as a Unilux Miti-Lite, to view the strip at strategic points of the processing line to resolve problems quickly before 15 to 20 coils with anomalies start to accumulate."
Unilux Inc., headquartered in Saddle Brook, NJ, is in its 43rd year of designing and manufacturing industrial surface inspection lighting systems for the printing/converting, metals and papermaking industries and heavy-duty strobe lighting systems for the film and video industry. Unilux currently has sales representatives in 29 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa along with four service centers. For additional information, contact Unilux, Inc., 59 North Fifth St., Saddle Brook, NJ 07663 USA. Phone: 800-522-0801 (US only) 201-712-1266 (Worldwide) Fax: 201-712-1366 Internet: www.unilux.com.
