Non-Contact Measurement of Car Bodywork with Handheld Opto-Electronic Meter

By AZoOptics

Table of Contents

Introduction
Opto-Electronic Single-Handed Meter
USB uEye cameras
Scope for Further Developments
About IDS Imaging Development Systems

Introduction

Since accuracy is crucial in automotive production, the automotive industry requires measuring instruments that produce accurate results without creating marks on the body paint after testing.

Clearances and offsets on bodies is a vital quality parameter in the automotive production. Conventional scanning measuring techniques have drawbacks such as the occurrence of classic measuring errors because of inclined positioning, undefined measuring force, and skewed readings while measuring with sliding calipers for instance. Besides these operator errors, the mechanical measurement may also cause damage to the highly sensitive vehicle paint.

Opto-Electronic Single-Handed Meter

To avoid errors and paint damage, Nextsense Mess- und Prufsysteme, a high tech firm based in Graz, has created an innovative opto-electronic single-handed meter capable of completely detecting different profile shapes without making contact.

These measured profiles are useful in the calculation of relevant features such as clearances and offsets, thus eliminating classic measuring errors induced by the operators. The measured result is objective and reproducible as it is independent of operator influences. The non-contact measurement also protects the measuring instrument from damage caused by materials such as lubricants or the object being measured.

To take measurements, the opto-electronic meter is held by the user at a distance of roughly 10 cm from above the object being measured. The profile of the measuring object is scanned from different sides by a sensor and a camera. The sensor is linked to a portable tablet PC. Tilting of the meter is automatically determined and correction of the measured result is performed accordingly.

The meter has to be moved around the object being measured to capture the contours from several angles. It is not necessary to keep the hand sensor at an exact distance and angle from the object being measured. An acoustic signal sounds if the sensor is at a very large distance from the object. The meter analyzes the measured data by itself and rejects any unsuitable data.

Figure 1. The inclination angle between the measuring instrument and the surface is detected and used to correct the result. This means that precise alignment of the manual sensor is not essential for the measurement

USB uEye cameras

The use of USB 2.0 uEye cameras from IDS Imaging Development Systems helps to take 100% accurate measurements. The integration of type UI-1221LE-M-GL cameras into the opto-electronic meters fulfill the high standards set by the Nextsense engineers.

Figure 2. USB uEye LE Board level version

Besides compact dimensions, power supply through USB 2.0, and variable object installation, the camera features a Wide-VGA-CMOS sensor manufactured by Aptina and a global shutter delivering completely distortion free images. The high frame rate and the sensor’s high sensitivity are the other two factors considered for the selection of the camera.

Scope for Further Developments

Nextsense utilizes proprietary image processing algorithms for the evaluation of the measured data, which are provided in CSV or XML format for processing on the tablet PC. It is also possible to visualize and analyze the measurements with the Nextsense Calipri Explorer.

The software package is intended for easy expansion, thus customer-specific adaptation is possible at any time. It is possible to access the comprehensive function library in the Software Development Kit utilizing standard C++/C# or VB-based programs.

The user does not require any additional programming for switching to different IDS camera models or interfaces, thus providing plenty of scope to the engineers for future developments.

Nevertheless, Calipri single-handed meters hold potential for several applications other than the automotive technology. Different versions pave way to applications in rail vehicles, measurement of bending contours, cracks, weld seams, elastic profiles, and much more.

About IDS Imaging Development Systems

IDS Imaging Development Systems, a key manufacturer of digital industrial cameras and frame grabbers, was founded as a ‘two-man firm’ by Jürgen Hartmann and Armin Vogt in 1997. Today the company employs more than 120 staff and is internationally represented by offices in the USA, Japan and France and through their network of distributors in almost all European and Asian countries.

IDS Imaging Development Systems’ customers include OEMs, system integrators and manufacturers in the industrial, security, scientific and medical industries. The company’s products are well-known for their consistent high quality, long-term availability and maximum ease of integration.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by IDS Imaging Development Systems.

For more information on this source, please visit IDS Imaging Development Systems.