Challenge
Engineer a solution to eliminate downtime caused by a hotspot on a 2D DataMatrix code.
Solution
An EMP custom-engineered dome light.
Story
A diesel engine manufacturer was having trouble with a barcode scanning application on one of its fuel injection nozzles. The 2D DataMatrix code is printed on the round, shiny surface of the nozzle, and a Cognex DataMan 360 reads it before the part moves to the next station. The customer was experiencing significant downtime on several scanning lines. As the part came into view, the vision light was supposed to illuminate the code, but instead it created a bright hotspot right on top of it, causing many no-reads.
When a no-read signal is sent, the DataMan keeps triggering in hopes of a good read. While it triggers over and over, the production line waits until an operator can come over and manually rotate the part to remove the hotspot.
Failed testing with IR lights led to a second visit to the customer’s facility. That visit revealed that the customer had the same setup on a different line running without any hiccups. The difference was the lighting: light coming from two angles gave a soft glow that illuminated the 2D code without creating hotspots.
The engineers at EMP applied the phrase “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” and designed a similar light for the other lines. The custom dome light was developed in-house at EMP and is now used on a number of lines.
Sometimes the best solution is not the simplest one. Call EMP today to make sure you get the best solution possible.
