Study of the Vision System’s Impact on Increasing the Reliability of the Production System

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to present the validity of the investment of a production plant in the development of production automation. The optimal use of production lines is the way to achieve the right return on investment and profits. Any unplanned stops reduce profitability of production and do not allow to achieve high production output. The introduction of various types of safety devices and process automation allows to prevent unwanted events. In particular, relieving employees of their responsibility and thus avoiding breakdowns caused by operator error can lead to an effective increase in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). The publication presents a study of the impact of the use of a vision system on increasing the reliability of the production system. As a result, an effective vision system based on a 3D sensor has been developed, which protects the production line against collision of the robot’s chuck plate with final products, thus not leading to the collision and destruction of the robot’s tools. The camera has been implemented in the robot’s control system, which excludes the need to change the settings, because the necessary change of work parameters is made automatically via the communication interface, thus making the work easier for employees when retooling the production machine between orders. Increasing the Overall Equipment Effectiveness and high level of Return Of Investment (ROI) allow for an unequivocal decision on the importance of the investment decision. The financial expense allowed for increasing the efficiency and productivity of production line, which contributes to the growth of the company’s competitiveness. The predictability of lead time has been significantly improved, which led to an increase in customer satisfaction.