Strategies for making vision affordable
An exclusive interview with a technical leader.
By Larry Maloney, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM
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Q: How did the recession change the machine-vision industry?
A: It certainly put a reset on growth in the business. The sense I get is that there will be more consolidation in the industry. Companies will also need to focus more on doing a few things really well, rather than trying to support a large breadth of products.
Q: What areas will grow fastest as machine vision rebounds?
A: For Dalsa, recovery in semiconductors will be very important, both because we supply capital equipment to that industry and because we are a semiconductor foundry ourselves. Fortunately, semiconductor markets have started to rebound, both for capital equipment for wafer and mask inspection as well as for inspection of flat-panel displays. A second area of growth is the smart-camera business. While companies are still cautious about large outlays for capital equipment, smaller-scale vision systems featuring smart cameras are much more affordable and will see solid growth as automation specialists seek efficiency improvements.
Q: How did Dalsa revamp its product development during the downswing?
A: We definitely had to make some choices. My goal was to have important new products available and ready to ship as we recovered from the slump. We focused especially on smart cameras, introducing the new BOA camera, a very powerful and self-contained solution for factory automation. We also introduced the Piranha HS 12K, the next generation of our high-sensitivity, high-speed digital cameras targeted primarily at the semiconductor and electronics inspection markets.
Q: What do you see as the prime obstacles to greater adoption of vision solutions?
A: In the short run, costs will continue to be the prime obstacle. Integration of machine vision with existing automation can also be an issue, particularly as companies move past early vision systems and adopt more advanced solutions. In such cases, companies can incur some pretty significant nonrecurring engineering costs. And certainly, ease of use is always a concern when new companies adopt machine vision.
Q: How is Dalsa addressing these obstacles?
A: A good example is the launch of our BOA smart-camera line. The camera offers complete plug-and-play capability with no CDs to load and has built-in multiple processors and control lines that can be connected to standard PLCs [programmable logic controllers] on the factory floor. When you combine all these elements, you get for a few thousand dollars a very compact machine-vision system that can be easily integrated into existing equipment. At the other end of the scale, for continued leadership in the semiconductor inspection and flat-panel display markets, we must have products that deliver speed and high performance. That’s the focus of our Piranha HS camera line. Certainly, strong technical support is also very important, especially in emerging regions, such as China, where we’re adding more customer support staff.
Q: As companies boost productivity with lean manufacturing, does the case for machine vision get stronger?
A: I think it does. Machine-vision applications are becoming more cost-effective, particularly with the availability of small-scale systems based on smart cameras. And that trend will give a boost to companies that are under pressure to get their manufacturing back on line while keeping costs in check.
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