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The features and functionality of cameras, sensors, and scanners won’t matter if you don’t have the right software underneath.
Just curious: How many questions did you ask about software the last time you bought a machine vision system or considered using machine vision to automate quality inspection?
Probably just these two, right?
1. How much will the software license cost me to run the hardware?
2. What’s it going take to integrate, manage, and train users on the new component? Which I translate to mean: “How difficult will it be to deal with the software that you’re telling me I need to run the hardware?”
While these are some of the right questions to ask, I bet if you had asked just one more question, your job would be a lot easier than it is right now.
3. Is there a way to run my entire system from the same vision software suite (i.e., all the software is provided by a single vendor) even if I need vision hardware from different vendors?
This third question is the one you should ask first. It’s the question that will help you decide whether the money you’re about to spend will finally fix – or help you avoid – the most frustrating thing about traditional machine vision system designs: the hodgepodge of software platforms from different vendors and the challenges that setup poses when you want to add or update hardware components.
I say that because software is the glue that underpins these systems. It either enables or prevents the different hardware components from coming together in the way you need to automate quality inspections.
Whether you’re trying to improve quality control or conduct compliance audits, software is what…
Many people assume that using hardware from different vendors is the major challenge when building a vision system, but hardware isn’t the problem. What’s tricky is getting the mix of software packages from different vendors to work well and with one another that gets tricky!
So, make sure you scrutinize the software underpinning your machine vision system, especially if you’re an automaker or supplier who is gearing up for increased demand for electric vehicles (EVs).
Don’t let someone tell you that you must use software from five or six different hardware vendors to be able to automate quality inspections. You don’t.
There are user-friendly, scalable, and secure single-vendor software suites that can …
I realize that you – like many automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers – likely turned to machine vision in the past because you wanted to make it easier to meet stringent production tolerances, ensure precise quality control, and keep pace with evolving industry standards. So, you probably pieced together a system over time as you needed new capabilities to satisfy increasingly complex production demands, maintain consistency with your inspections, and reduce defects. It’s difficult to maintain higher throughput and regulatory compliance without automating. But in the effort to gain efficiency and ensure repeatable accuracy, you ended up with a collection of various software packages, along with a never-ending headache.
That’s okay. The growing demand for EVs is giving you a very rare opportunity to reset things – or ensure you get things right the first time if you’re new to the industry.
Machine vision doesn’t just have to be a way to compensate for labor shortages or validate your workers’ decisions. Machine vision can be the mechanism you use to build trust in your brand and protect your bottom line. It can help you be confident that defective parts or vehicles aren’t slipping past inspectors and help you intervene quickly when issues are identified. It can be an accountability tool.
But you must be able to make incremental changes to your machine vision system as business needs change.
So, next time you have a conversation about automating inspections, ask the tech provider or system integrator:
“Can the system design you’re recommending be set up to run from a single software suite, even if I use different hardware vendors?”
If they say, “Yes,” then you can start asking about the software’s interoperability/compatibility with everything else in your tech stack, data security options, and how it impacts the overall scalability of your operations:
Now, I realize some people may tell you that you can’t run your entire machine vision system using a single software suite from one vendor, a la Microsoft Office. They may tell you that you must use the software provided by each hardware component’s manufacturer or say that your manufacturing execution software (MES) is actually “the glue” for your inspection process.
But my team and I can show you how to build a machine vision system in which you only have…
We’ve done this for several automakers and suppliers over the years, and we’re doing it now for EV OEMs, including electric battery suppliers. We’ve also done this for others outside the auto industry, such as KINE (food and beverage production) and STIHL (power tool manufacturer).
So, if you’re feeling stuck or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you find the right “glue” for your system based on your objectives, budget, and operational design.
Remember…
Building a machine vision system is like constructing a house. If you invest in the right software foundation now, it will save you from constant remodeling later.
Swapping out hardware is easy, and the right software will make future workflow updates feel like minor tweaks rather than major overhauls. So, give yourself room to grow. Focus on finding software that can run any hardware you want and won’t leave you with regrets in a couple months or years. And find someone you can trust to ask and answer the right questions, starting with software-related questions.
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You may also want to hear what’s shared by other vision specialists here…
As well as these stories from people who have found effective ways to use machine vision technology to solve lingering pain points and save money in the process…
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