In this post, we continue to expand on the definition of FactorySmart® introduced in Part 1.

Built-In 3D Measurement Tools

Today most 3D sensors require you to purchase additional software (or write your own) in order to carry out measurement on your scan data. A “dumb” sensor has to transfer data to a PC where your application runs. This is not scalable in a factory environment where hundreds of sensors are deployed.

A smart sensor, on the other hand, has built-in measurement tools that provide a drag-and-drop environment with full 3D visualization and allows the user to add custom measurements based on the specific feature that needs to be inspected. The tools execute on the sensor and only pass/fail results are reported to the factory effectively reducing the tremendous amount of 3D raw data down to a small decision set. This makes life much easier for production engineers, more cost-effective and leads to a simpler overall management of sensor technology.

Gocator® 3D smart sensors come with over 40 built-in measurement tools and more than 170 unique 3D measurements.

Support for Multi-Sensor Networking

The modern production line demands high-resolution scanning of individual parts and assemblies. Building these high-density scans of any single part often requires many sensors. Unfortunately, standard sensors do not normally provide the ability to align and stitch 3D data to build larger models.

Smart sensors, on the other hand, offer built-in support for assigning multiple sensors in a flexible layout in order to create a single, dense 3D point cloud ready for measurement. This is very important in industrial applications where the target is larger than a single sensor’s field of view, or when the engineer needs to generate a 360º scan of the object (e.g., in log scanning). Watch the video to see how sensor networking works with Gocator®.

Customizable

Sensor customization allows advanced users to develop and embed their own measurement algorithms directly into the firmware itself—with the same functionality and ease-of-use as built-in native tools. This gives process engineers greater control over their unique inspection challenges to achieve optimum results.

Watch this video on Gocator Development Kit (GDK) to get a closer look at the power of sensor customization!

Sensor Acceleration

Both PC-based and dedicated hardware sensor acceleration allows users to speed up inspection cycle times by adding more data-processing power to their systems. In applications where both high-data density and high-speed are required, acceleration can make all the difference.

Gocator® can be accelerated with GoX, a free, downloadable PC-based application that integrates seamlessly with the Gocator®. And in the fall of 2018, LMI will launch its first dedicated hardware accelerator for Gocator®, complete with deep learning capability. Stay tuned!

Robot-Friendly

FactorySmart® sensors offer built-in support to work with robots directly and enable a fully functional multi-model production line to work at a much faster, more efficient pace than traditional single-model assembly lines.

Not Just Another Buzzword

FactorySmart® is a complete approach to modern industrial manufacturing. Driven by smart sensors, it provides an adaptive platform that connects to factory equipment in order to achieve the results engineers need for improved quality and productivity. Much more than just another buzzword, FactorySmart® is purposeful 3D technology at work.

To learn more about smart sensors and the FactorySmart® approach in action, you can start with our Inline 3D Inspection brochure. Thanks for reading!