Record Optical & Part Parameters
Record part material, surface finish, coating, target defect width, and pass/fail criteria.
Technical considerations
- Document camera sensor model, lens mount, field of view, and working distance.
Application Notes
Machine Vision Lighting Application Notes
A useful lighting application note connects the inspection target, optical setup, representative images, tested conditions, and limitations. Use these notes to compare a promising lighting approach with the real production task before selecting a final configuration.
Selection considerations
Selection follows the observable condition, the optical setup, and the production constraint.
Compare Illumination Geometries
Evaluate low-angle bar for shallow scratches, backlight for silhouettes, or coaxial for mirror reflection.
Technical considerations
- Test visible, UV, NIR, or SWIR spectral options based on contrast response.
Test Motion & Controller Modes
Verify line rate, exposure timing, strobe pulse width (<5µs), and trigger source.
Technical considerations
- Confirm thermal duty cycle and brightness stability under continuous line operation.
Disclose Operating Limits & Open Items
Identify conditions where contrast becomes sensitive to surface oil, dust, or part tilt.
Technical considerations
- Organize notes into an RFQ brief for technical selection and quote validation.
Questions for the engineering discussion.
What makes a machine vision lighting application note useful?
It identifies the target material and feature, the optical and camera setup, representative images, tested conditions, and unresolved variables. A product name alone is not enough for final selection.
Can an application example predict my production result?
No. An application example can show what to reproduce and what to test, but production results depend on the part, defect definition, camera, optics, mechanics, process variation, and operating conditions. Discuss the actual application before final selection.
How can I request a lighting evaluation?
Share representative good and bad samples or images, the inspection target, material and finish, camera and lens information, field of view, working distance, speed, trigger details, and mounting constraints. LuxMV can then discuss the conditions and open items for an RFQ.
Reflective and textured surfaces
Inspection challenge: Reflection can hide shallow marks, while normal surface texture can be mistaken for a defect.
Variables to compare: Record the part finish, camera angle, lighting angle, wavelength, polarization state, exposure, and representative good and bad samples.
Useful notes: Keep the original images, setup photographs, settings, and the conditions where contrast becomes unreliable.
Transmissive, transparent, and semiconductor materials
Inspection challenge: Material transmission, coatings, thickness, and camera sensitivity can change whether a feature is visible.
Variables to compare: Record the material stack, viewing direction, illumination geometry, spectral range, optics, exposure, and sample variation.
Useful notes: Document what the supplied samples show and identify the material or process changes that require a new evaluation.
Moving parts and line-scan inspection
Inspection challenge: Part motion, synchronization, exposure, and heat constraints interact with image sharpness and usable contrast.
Variables to compare: Record line speed, trigger path, exposure, controller mode, duty cycle, mounting geometry, and the inspected feature.
Useful notes: Preserve synchronized sample images and the tested operating conditions, then discuss changes before applying the result to another line or production condition.