An Introduction to Line Scan Cameras

In this era of high tech and advanced technology, the Evolution of cameras took a new path with the introduction of Line scan cameras.

The cameras ability to capture large, high resolution and high speed images made it a game changer in the industry. Manufactured with the client’s needs in mind, the high tech line scan cameras will never disappoint.

How does the Line scan cameras work?

The line scan camera is built with only one sensitive pixel inside the camera. This enables it to scan objects moving at a very high speed/frequency.it does this by scanning each line of the image at a time thus making it possible to inspect long objects.

Commercial companies use this camera to scan moving objects on a conveyor belt. By the help of an encoder that is always fitted to the same computer host as the camera, it can capture the speed of the conveyor belt via the encoder. The captured speed helps in putting together the lines of images captured to form a complete image.

The encoder which outputs a pulse for each motion undertaken by an object facilitates the line scanner exposure to co-occur according to the movement of the objects.

The cameras lighting ability comes from a series of line lights focused from LEDS which help to light up along the pixels of the objects being visualized. The high angles of the line lights make them to overlook down on the objects or behind it making it possible to create back lighting. Back lighting in important in the detection of chipping edges in non-translucent materials and can also be used to make bubble and cracks in transparent objects.

The cameras are also fitted with high sensitive optics, these optics are capable of magnifying and minifying object line to be in line with the cameras size of line sensors.

In making of high grade images, the line scan sensor has one or more sensor of pixels, from the projected image the pixels build up photo-electric charges. To come up with a quality camera output, the read out register shifts the pixel charges, amplifies them, corrects them before digitizing them to quality outputs. The ability of the line scan camera to drive the line rate up to 200 kilohertz enables the first moving objects to freeze. It builds an image on one horizontal line, this is because it has one dimensional array of sensor.

Does the line scan camera produce colored images?

yes they do, they work with a variety of colors to deliver the best quality of images.

The first Line scan cameras that projected colored images were used for screening currencies and also on high value packaging. Color imaging displays the intensity of the reflected image. Due to monochrome imaging, inspecting a colored object gives out a high quality observation and also its easier to differentiate something that is faulty from the good ones. For example, in the food industry colored images would be suitable when trying to identify between a ripe apple and a green one.

Due to technological advances the demand for better color imaging line scan cameras continue to increase.

Features of a line scan camera:

Line Scan Cameras are designed with machine vision latest technology which enables them to offer a high tech performance.

They are ideal choice for various line scan application for example, Fast moving and High speed inspections like color sorting machine, paper inspections, web inspections, ceramic tiles, wood, print inspections.

Applications of Line scan cameras:

Used in sports and games. In athletics, it usually used to determine the winner of races where the finishers crossed the finishing line at almost the same time. In football it has been used to determine goals in what has come to be known as the goal line technology.

Sorting

Inspection systems equipped with line scan cameras can be used for sorting of a large variety of objects, like food, waste, mining products, mail, parcels, etc. Typically these objects are moving past a camera system on a conveyor. Line scan systems can also be used for sorting free falling products such as rice, vegetables, postal, molten glass, steel, pharmaceutical products, rocks which cascade past one or more cameras like a curtain.

Line scan cameras have also been used in companies that produce their products in Bulk. For example it is used in the textile industry to check for any fault in a fabric. Food production companies that deal in large food productions also depend on the line scan cameras to configure the quality of the products.

It’s also used to inspect roads and railway lines.

Cylindrical components have also been imaged this cameras, it does this by recording the same position on the whole object thus eliminating any chances of distortion.

Airports used them to inspect goods and luggage. The line scanners are able to project what is inside a bag without the bag being opened. Body searches are also conducted using line scanners with

Why use line scanner cameras?

To every company on saving the time it takes to produce quality work, this is what you really need to have for your operations. While using the line scan cameras, you don’t need to counter check your goods one by one, it will not only check on the quality and standard of your products but will also detect any fault that could not be identified by human eyes. There is nothing that works better than having one line scanner camera that can perform task that manually would require a lot of human labor to complete.

They are automatic, work without any force of human effort, this makes it costs effective.

Conclusion

The introduction of the line scan cameras proved to be one of the best efforts ever made to enter the production industry, replacing the human effort by far; they are now being used commercially in large production companies. Technological evolution has seen it enter the security circle. Their unmatched effectiveness has made them unique and improved their demand in the market.