VISION BENDER

At JUPITER we received a new order from a Graphic Arts Technical Solutions (GATS) for manufacturing of Automatic Vision Plate Bender, a machine used in printing application. This was the first vision system project undertaken by JUPITER. The application consists for bending the printing plate after precise positioning, so it can be fitted to the printing machine and the following printing on paper, is highly accurate.

Since printing machine requires high level of accuracy, the measurements are usually in microns. Hence such accuracy is sensed with the help of industrial vision smart camera (2 nos.) and the movement for positioning is done with the help of three axis servo systems. Once the camera senses the plate is in accurate position it commences the bending cycle.

The entire system uses predominantly OMRON make, which includes, PLC, servo system, vision smart cameras etc. It is a three axis servos system, whose position is controlled through proprietary communication (EtherCAT - yellow cable seen in images) from the PLC. The position feed back is fed to the PLC from the camera using TCP/IP. All other clamping and bending cycles are using pneumatic cylinders controlled by the PLC digital IO. With the above setup we were able to achieve an accuracy of less than 15 microns (<0.015 mm).

This machine has already been commissioned on site and running efficiently on site. The second machine was displayed at PAMAEX 2017 (Printing exhibition in Mumbai)