What Do I Look for in System Lighting?
Why is the Tungsten/Halogen lighting Solution the Optimum choice for general purpose measurement systems
The Tungsten/Halogen lighting solution gives you more of the color spectrum that the human eye is accustomed to looking at. Most people want to see the image exactly the way it is in real life as opposed to black and white or simple profile.
Lighting can make or break the results of an accurate measurement.
Be sure to work with companies which have the experience to evaluate the best type of lighting for your application and can integrate any and all lighting solutions into their hardware design for turn key solutions.
What are the 3 types of Lighting Generally Used in Video Measurement Systems
- Simple Profile (Bottom Lighting) - Diffused Lighting primarily used for flat parts in which you want outer edges to look sharp and crisp.
- Through the Lens Lighting (Episcopic) - On axis illumination which works well for round parts when looking from the top. The key to on-axis illumination is having something reflective on the bottom. Whether it be the stage glass or a highly reflective surface or something that is of different contrast (example: a dull white card) to increase the contrast level. By combining these 2 features you are getting a true collimated light so it will measure diameters correctly.
- Ring Light - (Oblique) - A general purpose illumination technique which is bringing light in at an angle away from the camera (angle of incidence) to bounce light back up into the camera to image the part.
If I find the right light source will my problems be solved?
No! There are hundreds of types of illumination. Choosing the right light source is not the only solution to imaging a part. Changing the angle of incidence can dramatically enhance the desired features being imaged. There are a number of ways to change the angle of incidence and direction of light. Angle of incidence and generating contrast is the key to imaging a part properly.
Our sponsors can quadrant the light or change the angle of incidence by moving the light closer to the part or further away from the part. They can also increase the ring diameter of the ring light (top light) to get more oblique illumination.
Lighting Takes Real World Experience
Work with companies which have an extensive background in lighting, looks at the part, and makes a recommendations based on real world experience and applications.
While it is possible to go to engineering school to learn about lighting, optics, cameras etc. you would probably walk away with 20% of the knowledge required to overcome real world lighting solutions. It is much easier to work with those who have "been there and done that" and has the experience to make recommendations quickly and accurately.