Sensors & Applications Automotive Production

Sensors for car manufacturing Sensors and measurement technology are an indispensable aid in modern automotive production. From the pressing plant to the assembly line and road tests, sensors are used to control assembly processes, monitor supplier parts and for quality assurance purposes. Micro-Epsilon’s instrumentation portfolio provides innovative solutions for measuring distance, thickness, color, temperature and surfaces in almost every stage of the process. High-end automation scanner for high precision profile measurements Inline measurement of gaps, profiles, steps, angles Red or blue...

optoNCDT ■ Laser triangulation sensors with measuring ranges up to 1000 mm ■ Precise measurement from a safe distance ■ High measuring rate for high speed process monitoring ■ High accuracy

Monitoring sheet metal infeed during pressing During forming in the pressing plant, the presence detection and the detection of the exact sheet metal position are required. Therefore, laser triangulation sensors measure on the sheet between the dies. The challenge here is to achieve high measurement accuracy in tight spaces despite oil mist, vibrations and shocks. Since the measuring gap is very small, the diameter of the laser must be correspondingly low. Sensor: optoNCDT 1420 Surface inspection of car body components In modern stamping lines, automotive body shell parts are produced in a cycle...

Body-in-white & Car body construction scanCONTROL Compact laser scanner with integrated controller High profile frequency for dynamic measurements Synchronization enables multi-scanner applications Various measuring ranges Blue Laser sensors for high precision measu

Robot positioning in seam welding In order to permanently protect weld seams against the ingress of moisture, the weld is sealed to the roof rail. At the point where the side frame is connected to the roof panel, a robot automatically applies the seal. In order to detect the weld seam, a laser sensor from Micro-Epsilon is used. The distance measurement enables prepositioning of the robot. Sensor: optoNCDT 1750 Position detection of the car body For automated processing of car bodies, an exact determination of the position relative to the processing tool is necessary (drilling, punching, fitting,...

Paint shop

Surface inspection of painted car bodies Particularly with shiny surfaces, a faultless production process is expected in order to lend a sophisticated visual appearance to the final product. For fully automatic defect detection on car bodies and attachments, the reflectCONTROL inspection system is used. The system projects a striped pattern onto the surface. Deviations caused by any defects are recorded using two cameras and evaluated via software. Inspection system: reflectCONTROL Automotive reflectCONTROL ■ Automated surface inspection ■ Defect recognition on shiny components ■ High speed and...

surfaceCONTROL ■ Measurement & inspection of diffuse reflecting measurement objects ■ Continuous process monitoring ■ Detection of different shape defects ■ Clear definition of the failure criteria in supplier relations ■ Objective evaluation of the deviations ■ Less working steps, reduced reconditioning and reject costs ■ Optical error marking on the component with back projection

Detecting surface defects As well as the visual requirements, instrumentation panels must also fulfill functional and security requirements. Often the passenger airbag has a predetermined breaking line, which is generated using a laser. This „weak point“ ensures the safe opening of the airbag at the predetermined breaking line. Sink marks may appear, which can be recognized under certain light conditions. In order to recognize these defects, surfaceCONTROL inspection systems are used, which enable rapid, objective evaluations to be made of the characteristics of any shape deviations, both on...

colorSENSOR / colorCONTROL ■ Sensors for color recognition and color measurement ■ Ideal for integration into processing lines due to high measuring rates ■ High accuracy ■ Continuous strip production ■ Robust and suitable for industrial applications

Inspecting gaps in car trims In high quality vehicles, the trim typically consists of different materials. This offers various design options but also many additional functions e.g. illumination using semi-transparent parts. Bonding or welding these elements requires precise handling, as parts that are only slightly misaligned can cause large deviations in the corresponding gap size. It is necessary to inspect all trims prior to delivery and to rework any defective parts. And this is where the scanCONTROL laser scanner comes in, which inspects gap sizes of the trims. Sensor: scanCONTROL Comparing...

optoCONTROL 2520 ■ Measuring ranges up to 98 mm ■ Distance light source/receiver up to 2 m ■ Measurement by laser or LED ■ For high speed measurements ■ Micrometer accurate measurements of diameter, gap and segment

Presence monitoring of bearing shells Bearing shells are automatically pressed into the bearing cap for the connecting rod assembly on the drive shaft. The measurement task also involves checking whether the bearing shells are actually present in the bearing cap before assembling the connecting rod. Therefore, optoCONTROL optical micrometers are used to check for the presence and to detect the diameter of the bearing cap. Sensor: optoCONTROL Position monitoring during marriage optoNCDT laser point sensors, for example, monitor the „marriage“ of the car body and the engine. Car body and engine,...

optoNCDT 1750 ■ Powerful laser displacement sensor for industry & automation ■ Measuring rate up to 7.5 kHz for precise and high speed measurements ■ Measuring ranges: 2 mm - 750 mm ■ Compact sensor design with integrated controller ■ Robust and long-life design

High accuracy cockpit positioning During fully automatic installation into the vehicle, the cockpit must be positioned precisely. Therefore, a rectangular frame of metal struts with two grippers is mounted on the outsides on a robot arm. Four optoNCDT laser sensors monitor the correct orientation of the robot in the X, Y and Z axes. Robot-suitable sensors compensate for the various reflections caused by different paints while providing stable measurement values. Sensor: optoNCDT 1420 Position detection of the car body For automated processing of car bodies, an exact determination of the position...