Position precision improvement throughout controlled led paths by artificial vision in micromachining processes

Abstract

Vision control systems applied to manufacturing processes have become an important research area in recent years. In this proceeding a robust and innovative artificial vision algorithm (AVA) has been developed in order to control the positioning system of a micro-machine tool mounted with a camera-LCD screen system. This study differs from previous research by using an enhanced AVA, which processes the capture image of pattern of LEDs, where the gap between illuminated LEDs is of one single LED, thus gaining in resolution. A new camera lens has been mounted on the micro-machine tool, which jointly moves with the XY platform with better resolution that that applied in previous research. The camera captures the optimized image of the tool path represented in the form of a series of lighted LEDs on a 326ppi smartphone screen. Moreover, the implementation of two new processes, such as the auto-alignment and autofocus along with a robust grid window of 5×5 lighted LEDs, let the AVA be more robust and accurate. As a result, a significant positioning error decrease is achieved for the controlling system, thus obtaining and important precision and repeatability improvement in the position system of the micro-machine tool.