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Selecting an LED Line light for your machine vision system? Here are four tips to ensure you get the optimum solution for your application.
1. Consider Form Factor carefully
It may sound obvious, but the form factor of the lighting is often overlooked when a vision system is designed. The form factor of the lighting is often critical when vision systems are being retro-fitted to production lines, as space can be constrained.
The geometry of a lighting application can also demand a slim form factor. When the LED line lights need to be placed close to the target, as occurs in dark-field applications, or when the application demands that the lights be placed close to the camera, as is the case in co-axial applications, a slim form factor is very advantageous
The length of the LED line light is also important to ensure uniformity of light across the target.
2. Select the optimum wavelength
Selecting the correct wavelength for your application will determine the success of your vision system. While most suppliers offer a range of colours, the ability to tailor the wavelength or wavelengths of the light to your specific application can significantly improve your results.
3. Ensure your optics are optimized
To get the most from your application, a good line light should be optically optimized to achieve your intensity and line width requirements. As there is a trade-off between line width & intensity, a good LED Line Light supplier should be able to advise you on the optimum solution for you.
The COBRA Slim series is unique in that it offers field adjustable optics & diffusers, allowing you to select the optimum lens position (which determines line width & intensity) in the field.
4. Maximize your intensity
The intensity of the line light can determine the speed of your vision system and therefore your production line. Installing a higher intensity LED Line light enabled one of our customers to double their line speed.
If you are considering the purchase of an LED Line Light, evaluate it according to the criteria above to ensure you get the most from your line scan vision system. For more information on the ProPhotonix range, visit the LED Line Lights page.
