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Detecting Black Parts on Black Door Panel
Challenge
Verifying that foam and other components are present on automotive door panels is extremely important to interior trim suppliers because if any part is missing, the quality of the final door assembly is adversely affected. Delivering a bad part to the car manufacturer may result in punitive actions against the Tier 1 supplier.
Since door panels are often dark colors such as black or gray, and the foam used to eliminate rattles and provide stiffness is generally black, it can be difficult for standard sensors to differentiate between foam presence and absence due to poor contrast.
Solution
Banner’s Q4X problem-solving triangulation-based laser sensor has no difficulty detecting dark targets on dark backgrounds when there is a height difference. The Q4X provides a reliable sensing solution with best in class excess gain and makes pass/fail judgments based on distance rather than color or reflectivity.
A door panel has four areas where foam should be present, so four Q4X sensors are set up to target these areas and confirm proper assembly by the operator. In this case, three targets are verified, but the fourth is missing. A fail signal is sent to alert the operator that the part needs to be reworked before releasing it from the assembly station.
Along with reliable sensing on challenging targets, the Q4X is extremely durable with a stainless steel housing that resists mechanical impact, vibrations and over tightening. The setup is simple with clear user feedback on the four-digit angled display and set-up buttons located on the back of the Q4X housing.
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Q4X Series Rugged Laser Distance Sensor
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