Vision inspection systems play a crucial role in printers, ensuring the quality, accuracy, and reliability of printed output across various printing technologies, including inkjet, laser, and 3D printing. These systems utilize advanced cameras, sensors, and image processing algorithms to detect defects, monitor print quality, and optimize printing processes. In inkjet printers, vision inspection systems are integrated into the printing mechanism to monitor the deposition of ink droplets onto the substrate, such as paper or film. High-speed cameras capture images of the printed output in real-time, allowing the system to detect defects such as missing droplets, ink smudges, or streaks. Image processing algorithms analyze the captured images to identify anomalies and trigger corrective actions, such as adjusting print head alignment or inkjet parameters, to ensure consistent print quality. Similarly, in laser printers, vision inspection systems are employed to verify the accuracy and completeness of printed text, graphics, or barcodes. Cameras capture images of the printed pages as they exit the printer, enabling the system to detect defects such as misprints, toner streaks, or registration errors. By comparing the captured images against reference templates, image processing algorithms identify deviations and initiate corrective measures, such as recalibrating laser intensity or adjusting paper feeding mechanisms, to maintain print quality standards.
Date and lot codes, batch codes, and expiration date codes are required on food and beverage products to identify when and where a product was made. Items are marked with these codes early in production for quality control and traceability. These codes often combine 1D symbologies and plain text to encode batch and manufacturing date information. Optical character recognition (OCR) and optical character verification (OCV) are used for reliable process control, helping food and beverage manufacturers meet labeling requirements and ensure consumer safety. Quality inspections must verify that the codes are present and printed correctly to ensure traceability and more easily manage product recalls.
1D vision analyzes a digital signal one line at a time instead of looking at a whole picture at once, such as assessing the variance between the most recent group of ten acquired lines and an earlier group. This technique commonly detects and classifies defects on materials manufactured in a continuous process, such as paper, metals, plastics, and other non-woven sheet or roll goods.
Most common inspection cameras perform area scans that involve capturing 2D snapshots in various resolutions. Another type of 2D machine vision–line scan–builds a 2D image line by line.
3D machine vision systems are able to not only see their environment but calculate where an object is located, as well as its orientation. These systems are typically comprised of multiple cameras or one or more laser displacement sensors. Applications using laser displacement sensors include surface inspection and volume measurement and produce 3D results with as few as a single camera. The object or camera, in these situations, must be moved to scan the entire product similar to line scanning. A height map is then generated from the displacement of the reflected lasers' location on an object. With a calibrated offset laser, displacement sensors can measure parameters such as surface height and planarity with accuracy within 20 μm. Multi-camera setups used in 3D vision applications take a different approach. These systems deploy laser triangulation to create a point cloud, or a digitized model of an object’s shape and location. Point clouds provide highly accurate and reliable inspection results. 3D mapping also accounts for unexpected variables, such as changes in contrast, color, lighting, and position. So this type of machine vision is ideal for metrology, guidance, and defect detection applications that require high precision while tolerating variations in environment and objects under analysis.
We offers a wide range of variable data verification solutions to read, encode, track, and verify variable barcodes and text on documents, labels, cards, and smart packaging.
