Tapered Roller Bearing Inspection System

The intelligent Instrumentation systems division's (IISD) Tapered Roller bearing Inspection System provides manufacturers with a high speed solution for inspecting unique quality problems associated with tapered roller bearings. The system can easily acquire and process an image in well under one second. The following quality problems are detected:

• Missing Rollers
• Inverted Rollers
• Mixed family rollers
• Bent, scalloped, or cracked cages
• Improper # of characters on cone face

The image processing based system is the result of extensive signal processing analysis and development. The general capabilities include:

• Detect dimpled and full face rollers
• Operates on metal or plastic cage parts
• Track shift
• Track run
• Track day statistics

The system PC is controlled, using a standard IBM PC compatible processing platform which has been ruggedized for use in a factory environment. The system components consist a camera, lens, and lighting unit, which are mounted to an extruded aluminum post. Each component is independently adjustable along the post. The post to optical axis center is set at eight inches. The processor and control electronics are supplied in a rugges chassis equipped with a positive pressure cooling system. Standard OPTO-22 modules will provide an interface to the customers part handling automation PLC. The signals are:

• "process image" from PLC
• "Part Accept" to PLC
• "inspection System Ready" to PLC

The system will easily interface with virtually any in-plant automation PLC. Additional features include:

• Zoom lens adjusts within seconds to handle different bearing sizes
• Menu driven software allows for user-friendly interface
• VGA CRT monitor
• Alpha/numeric keyboard
• Full operation and maintenance manual provided

Advanced Inspection & Measurement, Inc. (AIM), 222 Flanders Rd., P.O. Box 480, Niantic, CT 06357. Tel: 860-739-6211; Fax: 860-739-9184.