New innovations are always reaching the manufacturing industry. Some don’t always deserve your attention, but some definitely do. One example is ‘machine vision.’

This new technology has the ability to transform your manufacturing processes. You may think that this is a bold claim and not entirely true.

But keep reading and you’ll discover 9 fundamental reasons that highlight why every manufacturer needs to use machine vision. Read this post and you’ll understand why machine vision represents the future.

Let’s begin!

1. Reduce the Numbers of Final Errors

Machine vision can help assemble products. This means product assembly can now take on a standardized process that allows for very little room for error. This can be preferable when compared to a situation where human error can impact product assembly.

A traditional approach might create a situation where parts aren’t put together properly. This can mean entire items aren’t assembled up to standard. When the time for product inspections comes around, the system can reject such items.

If you’re unable to recycle ‘subpar’ items, it can lead to wasted production costs.

2. Improved Space

Machine vision can also provide improved levels of space. Because there is less need for human input, manufacturers are able to reduce the footprint of their manufacturing space. This can help improve output as now there is more space to introduce production facilities.

It can also help keep rental costs low as you may need to take on a lot less space. This can help free up money for research and development.

3. Improved Inspections

Machine vision can also allow for better inspection of products. The vision capabilities can connect to a computer system that can make a wide range of intricate checks in a short space of time. This means that there is a reduced chance of shipping a subpar product.

It also means that the checks are faster. This can help contribute to faster production times. The good thing here is that there’s no tradeoff when speeding up production times and risking reduced inspection quality.

4. Improved Production Standards

Machine vision can also help improve production standards for a manufacturing business. This is because you can make a wide range of specific checks, in a short period of time. For instance, suppose a beverage manufacturing company uses a vision system.

The vision system can check the quality of the bottles and whether they’re properly sealed. This can reduce the chances of the bottles leaking whilst they’re in transit. It can also mean that there is going to be less wasted goods because leakage can spoil the other items nearby.

5. Increased Consistency

Let’s go back to our example earlier, of beverage manufacturing.

A vision system can check the ‘fill level’ of each bottle. This can improve consistency across the production process. This is helpful because it can reduce the margin for error. This can make it easier to forecast costs and thus manage the finances of a business.

6. Greater Verification Capabilities

In certain cases, there’s a need for specific data, throughout the manufacturing process. An example being the medical industry.

During the production process, there is often a need to verify data related to batch codes and production dates. This can be easy to do on certain flat surfaces.

But if the surface is ‘fluid’ such as what you’d find on a medical IV bag, the process can become a lot harder. Yet with the help of a properly set up vision system, this is less of a challenge. Having a setup like this also reduces the problems associated with human error. Which can be significant in a situation associated with the medical industry.

7. Check for Human Errors

Inevitability humans need to carry out certain parts of the production process. Following this, there will be opportunities for human error. This is sometimes unavoidable.

With the help of a vision system, it’s easier to use humans throughout the manufacturing process, without succumbing to human error. That’s because such a system can track the production output, during sections where there is a need for humans skills. The system can check if there are any issues and flag them up before it’s too late.

8. Greater Ability to Sort Products

One of the industries that can benefit greatly from this vision technology is the agricultural sector.

In the past, it would be hard to separate produce fit for sale, from produce that isn’t fit for sale. Using a human to identify such issues is possible, but can be slow and inefficient. With this new technology, though, all this becomes less of an issue.

Such a system can watch a production line and remove items that are not up to standard. This might include tomatoes that are not the right color for example, or apples that are too small.

9. Ability to Read Barcodes

For some industries, there can be a need to read barcodes, during the production process. An example might be in the tech industry, where circuit boards have a barcode. Normally a human might be able to scan these barcodes. Yet because such circuit boards are reducing in size, this task becomes a lot harder.

A vision system can read small barcodes in a shorter period of time, reducing the need for human interference. This innovation can also speed up production times. Less time is now required, as there is no need for the human to find the barcode and scan it.

Do You Understand the Importance of Machine Vision?

Manufacturing is all about improving efficiency levels. One of the best innovations that can help with this goal, is machine vision.

In this post, we’ve reviewed how vision systems can impact manufacturers of all kinds.

A lot of the time, there are unique uses for a vision system and it will all depend on the situation in question. You should consider reaching out to a specialist. The to learn how to improve your production processes using a vision system.

Interested in how you can plan a company outing? Check out this post for some tips!