The Boutique of Machine Vision
Vision, a company with over 30 years of experience in designing machine vision solutions with a high level of customization, introduces at the Digital District of SPS Italia 2018 an application for pick & place and tracking deposit, thought for the cosmetic industry but rather suitable for other production fields, relying on a sophisticated system for automatic objects identification.
di Giorgia Stella
Not only designing and implementing complex solutions in machine vision, but also providing services related to handling, maintenance, monitoring and technical support. Know-how and experience gained over the past 30 years have gradually widened the skills acknowledged to Vision, a Lombard company based in Vimercate. Similarly, the number of applications in which the company is engaged has increased over time: from cosmetics to glass working; from fasteners to printing and food, to name just a few. “The ability to handle, thanks to cross-sector skills, several application fields is a great competitive advantage for the company”, says Nicola Lo Russo, Managing Director. “The ability to understand also different needs and to find efficient and innovative solutions makes Vision relevant and allows us to create value for our customers. The solutions we create are thought according to the requirements coming from our customers, almost as if we were a boutique that only makes tailor-made applications. Furthermore, and this is a very important issue for us, we take care of the whole software development directly”.
The cosmetics industry as a starting point
Given these premises, the presence of Vision at SPS Italia 2018 “doubles”: in addition to the company stand, in fact, within the Know How 4.it area of the Digital District, the Lombard company leads a project involving some more important companies and resulting in a machine designed for the cosmetics industry and presented last March at Cosmoprof trade fair in Bologna, where it was quite appreciated. The machine, which will be on display at a dedicated stand in Hall 7, is a pick & place and tracking deposit application that relies on a sophisticated system for the automatic identification of the part to be checked to make the tracking deposit. Furthermore, objects can be oriented according to symbols, colours or other features. The system was designed to make product changeover as easy as possible, thus minimizing downtime, but also to start production in a very short time. As a result, there is a significant cost reduction due to the machine setup.
“The machine features – explains Mr Lo Russo – make it also suitable for other applications based on a similar process: an example comes from the food sector, where pick & place and tracking deposit operations – let’s think of automated filling of trays – are quite widespread”.
Wrapping up the project
An interesting aspects related to the machine on display at SPS Italia is the fact that its making is indeed the result of a synergy between several companies working in mechatronics, machine vision or robotics, with Vision in charge of wrapping up the project. “Basically, Vision acts as the integrator within the project”, adds Mr Lo Russo. “Besides managing directly both the software and the PLC, we take care of the direct relationship with the customer as well as the training for installation or issues such as documentation, maintenance and after-sales service. We truly think that it is quite important when a customer can count on a company capable to lead, oversee and coordinate even complex projects”.