JP2019045330A - Visual inspection device and product manufacturing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a visual inspection device with which it is possible to detect a flaw, dent or filth on the surface of an inspection object with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A visual inspection device 3 comprises: a support stage 20 for supporting an inspection object 10; a light source 40 for irradiating the inspection object 10 on the support stage 20 with inspection light L; an imaging unit 30 for imaging the outward appearance of the inspection object 10 irradiated with inspection light L from the light source 40; and a multi-joint robot 50 having the light source 40 attached thereto. The multi-joint robot 50 moves the light source 40 relative to the inspection object 10 while changing a relative positional relationship between the light source 40 and the imaging unit 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an appearance inspection apparatus and a product manufacturing system, and more particularly to an appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of a product in the manufacturing process of the product.

  In the appearance inspection carried out in the manufacturing process of a product, the surface of the product is irradiated with inspection light from the light source, and the inspection light causes scratches, dents, dirt, etc. on the surface of the product to be manifested by a camera It is a common practice to detect scratches, dents and stains by analyzing images taken with a camera. In such visual inspection, in order to inspect various parts of the product, the camera is moved relative to the product (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  For example, the angle, direction, and length at which scratches and dents are formed on the surface of a product vary, and in order to detect these flaws and dents with high accuracy, it is necessary to irradiate inspection light from various directions. is there. However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the light source and the camera are integrally provided in the frame, the positional relationship between the light source and the camera is always constant, and depending on the structure of the product surface, scratches and In some cases, dents and dirt can not be detected. For example, depending on the direction in which the inspection light is irradiated, if the outline of the dirt becomes unclear or if the shadow caused by the inspection light overlaps with the flaw or dent, these scratches or dents may occur. The dirt can not be detected, and inspection by human eyes is required, resulting in a decrease in production efficiency.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2004-226319

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an appearance inspection apparatus capable of detecting scratches, dents, stains and the like on the surface of an inspection object with high accuracy. The purpose of

  It is a second object of the present invention to provide a product manufacturing system capable of accurately detecting defective products in which scratches, dents, dirt, etc. are present on the surface, and capable of manufacturing high quality products.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an appearance inspection apparatus capable of detecting scratches, dents, stains and the like on the surface of an inspection object with high accuracy. An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of an inspection object includes a support stage for supporting the inspection object, a light source for irradiating inspection light to the inspection object on the support stage, and the inspection from the light source. It comprises an imaging unit for imaging the appearance of the inspection object irradiated with light, and an articulated robot to which the light source is attached. The articulated robot moves the light source relative to the inspection object while changing the relative positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit.

  Thus, by using the articulated robot, the light source for irradiating the inspection light to the inspection object can be moved independently from the imaging unit, so the positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit is changed in real time It is possible to irradiate the inspection light to the inspection object while making the Therefore, the light source should be in an appropriate posture so that the outlines of scratches, dents and dirt on the surface of the inspection object become clear, or these scratches, dents and dirt do not overlap with the shadow caused by the inspection light. By moving it to an appropriate position, it is possible to detect scratches, dents, dirt, etc. which could not be detected by the conventional appearance inspection apparatus. As described above, the appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention can detect scratches, dents, dirt and the like on the surface of the inspection object with high accuracy.

  The appearance inspection apparatus preferably further includes an analysis unit that analyzes the image captured by the imaging unit and performs an appearance inspection of the inspection object. Further, the appearance inspection apparatus controls the articulated robot to move the light source relative to the inspection object while changing the relative positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit. It is preferable to further comprise In this case, the control unit may control the articulated robot to irradiate the inspection light in a direction perpendicular to the inspection target portion of the surface of the inspection object from the light source, or The articulated robot may be controlled such that the inspection light is emitted from the light source in a direction tangential to the inspection target portion of the surface of the inspection object.

  It is preferable that the support stage is configured to change the posture of the inspection object with respect to the imaging unit. In this case, not only the positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit can be changed by the above-described articulated robot, but also the positional relationship between the inspection object on the support stage and the imaging unit can be changed. Therefore, the inspection object can be observed from various angles, and detection of scratches, dents, dirt, etc. on the surface of the inspection object can be performed with higher accuracy.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product manufacturing system capable of accurately detecting defective products having scratches, dents, dirt, etc. on the surface, and capable of manufacturing high quality products. . The product manufacturing system includes the appearance inspection apparatus described above, a first transport apparatus for carrying the inspection object into the appearance inspection apparatus, and the appearance inspection of the inspection object whose appearance is inspected in the appearance inspection apparatus. And a second transport device for unloading the device.

  As described above, by including the appearance inspection apparatus described above in a product manufacturing system, it is possible to detect scratches, dents, dirt, etc. of the product generated in the manufacturing process with high accuracy. It can be highly detected and excluded from the final product, which can improve the quality of the final product.

  According to the appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention, by using the articulated robot, the inspection light can be irradiated to the inspection object while changing the positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit in real time. Therefore, scratches, dents, dirt and the like which can not be detected by the conventional appearance inspection apparatus can be detected with high accuracy. In addition, according to the product manufacturing system according to the present invention, it is possible to detect with high accuracy the scratches, dents, dirt, etc. of the product generated in the manufacturing process, so it is possible to detect such defective products with high accuracy. It can be excluded from the product, and the quality of the final product can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a product manufacturing system in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an appearance inspection apparatus in the product manufacturing system of FIG. FIG. 3A is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source for irradiating inspection light in a horizontal direction to a flat inspection object. FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source that irradiates inspection light in a diagonal direction to a flat inspection object. FIG. 3C is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source which emits inspection light in a direction perpendicular to a flat inspection object. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a route for moving a light source with respect to a flat inspection object. FIG. 5A is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source which irradiates inspection light in an oblique direction to an inspection object having a convex portion. FIG. 5B is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source for irradiating the inspection light in the vertical direction to the inspection object having the convex portion. FIG. 6A is a schematic view showing the positional relationship between the light source and the inspection object when the inspection light is irradiated in the direction perpendicular to a part of the convex portion of the inspection object shown in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6B is a schematic view showing a positional relationship between the light source and the inspection object in the case where the inspection light is irradiated in the tangential direction to a part of the convex portion of the inspection object shown in FIG. 5A. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a route for moving the light source with respect to the inspection object having the convex portion. FIG. 8A is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source which irradiates inspection light in an oblique direction to an inspection object having a recess. FIG. 8B is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a light source for irradiating the inspection light in the vertical direction to the inspection object having the recess. FIG. 9A is a schematic view showing a positional relationship between the light source and the inspection object when the inspection light is irradiated in the direction perpendicular to a part of the concave portion of the inspection object shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 9B is a schematic view showing the positional relationship between the light source and the inspection object when the inspection light is irradiated in the tangential direction to a part of the recess of the inspection object shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a route for moving a light source with respect to an inspection object having a recess.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a product manufacturing system and an appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. Note that, in FIG. 1 to FIG. 10, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted. Further, in FIGS. 1 to 10, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated and shown, or some components may be omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a product manufacturing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the product manufacturing system 1 constitutes a manufacturing line for manufacturing a desired product, and in the present embodiment, the processing object is subjected to predetermined processing to manufacture a product before completion. Pre-processing apparatus 2, an appearance inspection apparatus 3 for inspecting the appearance of the product before completion obtained by the pre-processing apparatus 2, and predetermined processing for the product before completion whose appearance is inspected by the appearance inspection apparatus 3 It is equipped with a post-stage processing device 4 that completes the product by applying (for example, packaging etc.).

  Between the pre-processing device 2 and the appearance inspection device 3, a first transfer device 5 such as a belt conveyor or a robot hand is provided. The first transfer device 5 obtains the pre-processing device 2. The product before completion is transported to the visual inspection apparatus 3. In addition, a second conveyance device 6 such as a belt conveyor or a robot hand is provided between the appearance inspection device 3 and the post-stage processing device 4, and the appearance of the appearance inspection device 3 by the second conveyance device 6 is provided. The product before completion, which has been inspected, is transported to the post-stage processing device 4.

  When the processing in the pre-processing device 2 includes a plurality of steps, the pre-processing device 2 may be divided for each step to provide a plurality of pre-processing devices. Similarly, when the processing in the post-stage processing device 4 includes a plurality of steps, the post-stage processing device 4 may be divided for each process to provide a plurality of post-stage processing devices. Further, when a product which has passed the appearance inspection by the appearance inspection apparatus 3 is to be a finished product, the post-stage processing apparatus 4 is unnecessary.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the appearance inspection apparatus 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the appearance inspection apparatus 3 includes the support stage 20 for supporting the product (inspection object) 10 carried in from the pre-processing apparatus 2 by the first transfer device 5 and the appearance of the inspection object 10. An imaging unit 30 for imaging, a light source 40 for irradiating the inspection light L onto the inspection object 10 on the support stage 20, and an articulated robot 50 for moving the light source 40 to a desired position around the inspection object 10; And a control unit 60 including a microprocessor, a memory, and the like. The imaging unit 30 includes, for example, a camera that acquires a still image or a video image of the inspection object 10. Further, as the light source 40, a fluorescent tube, an LED, a ring illumination or the like can be used.

  The control unit 60 includes an analysis unit 62 that analyzes an image captured by the imaging unit 30, and a robot control unit 64 that controls the operation of the articulated robot 50. The analysis unit 62 analyzes the image of the inspection object 10 illuminated by the inspection light L from the light source 40 by various analysis methods, and determines whether the surface of the inspection object 10 is scratched, dented or dirty. . In addition, since these analysis methods can use the well-known arbitrary methods, description is abbreviate | omitted here.

  The articulated robot 50 includes a base portion 51, a plurality of joints 52 to 54, and a plurality of link members 55 to 57 connected to the joints 52 to 54, and the light source 40 described above is a link member 57. It is attached to the tip. The articulated robot 50 is connected to the robot control unit 64 of the control unit 60, and link members 55 to 57 rotate around the joints 52 to 54 in response to an instruction from the robot control unit 64. . Therefore, the robot control unit 64 can move the light source 40 attached to the tip of the link member 57 to an arbitrary position in an arbitrary posture by appropriately combining the instruction to be transmitted to the articulated robot 50.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the light source 40 for irradiating the inspection light L to the inspection object 10 can be moved independently from the imaging unit 30 by the articulated robot 50, the light source 40 and the imaging unit 30 and The inspection light L can be irradiated to the inspection object 10 while changing the positional relationship between the components in real time. Therefore, the light source 40 is appropriately selected so that the outlines of the surface of the inspection object 10 such as scratches, dents and dirt become clear, or these scratches, dents and dirt do not overlap with the shadow caused by the inspection light L By moving to an appropriate position in a proper posture, it is possible to detect scratches, dents, dirt and the like which can not be detected by the conventional appearance inspection apparatus. As described above, the appearance inspection apparatus 3 of the present embodiment can detect scratches, dents, dirt, and the like on the surface of the inspection object 10 with high accuracy.

  Although the support stage 20 is mounted on the stage table 22, it is preferable that the stage table 22 be configured to be able to change the posture of the support stage 20 by driving an actuator or the like. In this case, not only the positional relationship between the light source 40 and the imaging unit 30 is changed by the articulated robot 50 described above, but also the positional relationship between the inspection object 10 on the support stage 20 and the imaging unit 30 Since the inspection object 10 can be observed from various angles, it is possible to detect scratches, dents, dirt and the like on the surface of the inspection object 10 with higher accuracy.

  The form of the inspection object 10 may be flat or uneven (for example, a casing or a shoe of a camera), but when the inspection object 10 has a complicated shape, conventional appearance inspection There is a tendency for many scratches, dents, dirt, etc. that can not be detected by the device. According to the appearance inspection apparatus 3 in the present embodiment, as described above, the inspection light L can be irradiated to the inspection object 10 while changing the positional relationship between the light source 40 and the imaging unit 30 in real time. Even such scratches, dents and dirt can be detected with high accuracy.

  Further, by including the appearance inspection apparatus 3 described above in the product manufacturing system 1, it is possible to detect scratches, dents, stains, etc. of the product generated in the manufacturing process with high accuracy, so the product with such a defect is accurate. It can be highly detected and excluded from the final product. Thus, the quality of the final product is improved.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the light source 40 can be moved to any position in any posture by the articulated robot 50, but in the following, some of the positions and postures of the light source 40 with respect to the inspection object 10 An example of

  3A to 3C are schematic perspective views showing an example of the position and posture of the light source 40 for irradiating the inspection light L to the flat inspection object 10A. As shown in FIG. 3A, the inspection light L may be applied to the flat inspection object 10A in a direction (horizontal direction) parallel to a plane in which the inspection object 10A extends. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the light source 40 may be moved at every 90 degrees around the center of the inspection object 10A corresponding to the four sides of the inspection object 10A (states A1 to A4). Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the inspection light L may be irradiated in an oblique direction (for example, 45 degrees) to the surface of the inspection object 10A from above the inspection object 10A (states B1 to B4). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3C, the inspection light L may be irradiated from above the inspection object 10A in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the inspection object 10A (state C1).

  When the appearance inspection of the inspection object 10A is performed, the robot control unit 64 of the control unit 60 irradiates the inspection light L from the horizontal direction (FIG. 3A) and irradiates the inspection light L from the oblique direction (FIG. 3B) The articulated robot 50 is controlled to move the light source 40 along a predetermined route combining the irradiation of the inspection light L from the vertical direction (FIG. 3C). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the light source 40 is in the state A1 in which the inspection light L is irradiated in the horizontal direction to the inspection object 10A, and the light source 40 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise in the horizontal plane Let it be the state A2. Then, the light source 40 is rotated downward 180 degrees counterclockwise while inclining the light source 40 downward from this state A2 to a state B4, and the light source 40 is rotated 180 degrees clockwise from this state B4 to a state B2. Finally, the light source 40 is moved from this state B2 to a state C1 in which the inspection light L is irradiated in the direction perpendicular to the inspection object 10A. Note that the light source 40 may follow a route reverse to this route, or may follow another arbitrary route.

  5A and 5B are schematic perspective views showing an example of the position and posture of the light source 40 for irradiating the inspection light L to the inspection object 10B having the convex portion 12. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, the inspection light L may be irradiated obliquely to the inspection object 10B from above the inspection object 10B with respect to the inspection object 10B having the convex portion 12 (state D1 ~ State D4). Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the inspection light L may be irradiated from above the inspection object 10B in a direction perpendicular to the inspection object 10B (state E1).

  As shown in FIG. 5A, in the case where the inspection light L is irradiated to the inspection object 10B in an oblique direction, in order to make the surface of the convex portion 12 of the inspection object 10B appear scratches, dents, etc. The inspection light L is irradiated from a direction perpendicular to the inspection target portion P of the convex portion 12 as shown in 6A, or the inspection light in a tangential direction to the inspection target portion P of the convex portion 12 as shown in FIG. It is preferable to irradiate L.

  When the appearance inspection of the inspection object 10B is performed, the robot control unit 64 of the control unit 60 irradiates the inspection light L from the oblique direction (FIG. 5A) and the irradiation of the inspection light L from the vertical direction (FIG. 5B) The articulated robot 50 is controlled to move the light source 40 along a predetermined route combining the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, first, the light source 40 is set to a state D3 in which the inspection light L is irradiated obliquely to the inspection object 10B, and the light source 40 is rotated clockwise from this state D3 to sequentially state D4. , State D1, and state D2. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, it is possible to rotate the light source 40 while changing the inclination so as to irradiate the inspection light L in a direction perpendicular or tangential to the inspection target portion of the convex portion 12. preferable. Then, the light source 40 is moved from the state D2 to a state E1 in which the inspection light L is irradiated in the direction perpendicular to the inspection object 10B. Note that the light source 40 may follow a route reverse to this route, or may follow another arbitrary route.

  8A and 8B are schematic perspective views showing an example of the position and posture of the light source 40 for irradiating the inspection light L to the inspection object 10C having the recess 14. As shown in FIG. 8A, the inspection light L may be irradiated to the inspection object 10C from above the inspection object 10C in an oblique direction as shown in FIG. State F4). Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the inspection light L may be emitted from above the inspection object 10C in a direction perpendicular to the inspection object 10C (state G1).

  As shown in FIG. 8A, in the case where the inspection light L is irradiated to the inspection object 10C in an oblique direction, in order to make scratches, dents, etc. on the surface of the recess 14 of the inspection object 10C apparent, FIG. The inspection light L is irradiated from a direction perpendicular to the inspection target portion P in the recess 14 as shown in FIG. 9 or the inspection light L in a tangential direction to the inspection target portion P in the recess 14 as shown in FIG. It is preferable to irradiate.

  When the appearance inspection of the inspection object 10C is performed, the robot control unit 64 of the control unit 60 irradiates the inspection light L from an oblique direction (FIG. 8A) and irradiates the inspection light L from a vertical direction (FIG. 8B) The articulated robot 50 is controlled to move the light source 40 along a predetermined route combining the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, first, the light source 40 is set to a state F3 in which the inspection light L is irradiated obliquely to the inspection object 10C, and the light source 40 is rotated clockwise from this state F3 to sequentially state , F1 and F2. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, it is preferable to rotate the light source 40 while changing the tilt of the light source 40 so that the inspection light L is irradiated in a direction perpendicular or tangential to the inspection target portion of the recess 14 . Then, the light source 40 is moved from the state F2 to a state G1 in which the inspection light L is irradiated in the direction perpendicular to the inspection object 10C. Note that the light source 40 may follow a route reverse to this route, or may follow another arbitrary route.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Product manufacturing system 2 Pre-processing apparatus 3 Visual inspection apparatus 4 Post-processing apparatus 5 1st conveying apparatus 6 2nd conveying apparatus 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Inspection object 12 Convex part 14 Recess 20 Support stage 22 Stage stand 30 Imaging unit 40 light source 50 articulated robot 51 base 52 to 54 joints 55 to 57 link member 60 control unit 62 analysis unit 64 robot control unit L inspection light P inspection target portion

Claims (7)

An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of an inspection object, comprising:
A support stage for supporting the inspection object;
A light source for irradiating the inspection object on the inspection object on the support stage;
An imaging unit for imaging the appearance of the inspection object irradiated with the inspection light from the light source;
The articulated robot to which the light source is attached, the articulated robot moving the light source with respect to the inspection object while changing the relative positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit , Appearance inspection device.   The appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an analysis unit that analyzes an image captured by the imaging unit and performs an appearance inspection of the inspection object.   The control unit further controls the articulated robot to move the light source with respect to the inspection object while changing the relative positional relationship between the light source and the imaging unit. The appearance inspection device according to 2.   The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the articulated robot to irradiate the inspection light in a direction perpendicular to the inspection target portion of the surface of the inspection object from the light source. .   5. The appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the articulated robot to irradiate the inspection light from the light source in a tangential direction to the inspection target portion of the surface of the inspection object.   The appearance inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the support stage is configured to change a posture of the inspection object with respect to the imaging unit. An appearance inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A first transport device for carrying the inspection object into the appearance inspection device;
A second manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the inspection object whose appearance has been inspected by the appearance inspection apparatus from the appearance inspection apparatus.

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