PRESSESERVICE

The autoVimation configurator guides users to suitable protective enclosures for a wide range of camera formats in just a few steps, including the adaptation to specific applications. Users can directly request a quote, which is usually sent by email in less than 24 hours on weekdays. Upon entering some basic parameters for the camera, lens and connector, the configurator automatically suggests the smallest suitable protective enclosure from the autoVimation portfolio. Users can customize the front lid and rear wall options and select feature options and accessories. The manufacturer offers a wide range of mounting accessories, heating and cooling devices and wind curtains for vision applications in extreme environments as well as various window materials, such as germanium for infrared cameras. The configuration result is displayed with the correct order number. There are direct links to the data sheets for all housing series and accessories. autoVimation has been designing and manufacturing enclosures and mounting solutions for machine vision applications for 15 years. The effective, industrial-grade products featuring high ingress protection save customers the time-consuming development of their own enclosures and brackets.
Link to the enclosure configurator: https://www.autovimation.com/en/enclosures-en/enclosure-configurator

New lightweight Stingray enclosures launched by autoVimation provide reliable protection for cameras with cross sections up to 75 mm x 75 mm. The enclosure profile is roomy enough for line-scan cameras as well as other large camera models that are too large for Orca-type enclosures, such as Allied Vision Bonito Pro or Flir A6xx thermal imaging cameras. The manufacturer offers BK7 or acrylic glasses up to ~2000 nm and sapphire and germanium discs for sensors in the infrared wavelength range. Stingray enclosures come in three standard lengths and with different window options. The “flange” version can be used with a Meganova ring light, all Orca front lids, including the dome window, and 30-mm and 60-mm extensions for easy lens access. Thanks to the flexible Quick-Lock/Heat-Guide camera mount, lenses can be positioned directly behind the enclosure window to avoid vignetting. In addition, special front covers are available for time-of-flight (ToF) cameras from IFM and Lucid and others. In addition to a high IP66 protection rating, the anodized aluminum enclosures feature high chemical resistance, vibration-proof mounting and very good heat dissipation, which ensures passive cooling of the installed camera. Both a 40-mm dovetail and a T-slot can be used for mounting. The manufacturer offers a wide range of accessories that facilitate efficient and reliable configurations for all kinds of demanding application scenarios; these include various mounting kits, sunroofs, protective lids, air nozzles, heating plates and cooling technology.
More information: https://www.autovimation.com/en/enclosures-en/stingray

autoVimation has expanded its Chameleon series of protective camera enclosures, adding a model for the FLIR AX8 thermal imaging camera. The germanium and BK7 glass windows are perfectly aligned with the FLIR AX8 imagers to allow simultaneous operation of the infrared camera, visual camera and LED lighting. The rugged aluminum enclosure with protection class IP66/IP67 is designed for long-term use in demanding industrial environments with high humidity levels. In order to compensate for thermal expansion and vibrations, autoVimation does not glue the germanium and BK7 lenses, but fits them with a special sealing system. Under normal ambient conditions, the enclosure requires no internal cooling as the solid camera mounting plate ensures reliable heat dissipation. The manufacturer provides extensive accessories including a wide range of brackets and mounting kits for precise angled orientation. An optional dovetail profile on the back of the protective enclosure ensures heavy-duty, vibration-proof connection to the brackets. The enclosure measures 175 mm x 80 mm x 57 mm without cable gland.

Camera applications in dirty industrial environments require appropriate devices to keep the windows of protective enclosures free from dust, moisture and oily substances. Pneumatic devices from autoVimation such as wind curtains, protective flaps and air nozzles have proven themselves to be efficient protection methods against window contamination that impairs vision. Introducing the Dragon High Power fan nozzle, the German manufacturer now provides a new solution for its Salamander, Gecko and Orca series protective enclosures, which combines economical compressed air consumption and low noise emissions with high blowing force. The tiltable air nozzle blows a fan-shaped air jet over the enclosure window at a 20° angle. Due to its blowing force of 3.3 N at a pressure of 5 bar and an air flow of 333 liters per minute, Dragon High Power prevents dirt accumulation and can remove even severe pollution. The blowing force of the nozzle corresponds to an open pipe with an inner diameter of 4 mm, but the energy consumption is 33 % lower and noise is reduced by 40 % to 82 dB(A). The air fan is wide enough to clean 3-inch windows at only 50 mm from the nozzle outlet. Therefore, Dragon High Power can be directly affixed to the protective camera enclosure, saving installation space. autoVimation also supplies brackets with dovetail connection as accessories for flexible mounting and orientation of the nozzle on the enclosure.

autoVimation expands its protective enclosure range for Specim FX10 and FX17 hyperspectral cameras by two new models. In addition to the standard enclosure for Specim cameras featuring protection class IP66/IP67, a stainless-steel version in hygienic design and a temperature-controlled version are now also available. Specim hyperspectral cameras are mainly used for foreign object detection, plastics sorting and drug concentration analysis in food and pharmaceutical processes. However, until now, no suitable, hygienically designed protective enclosures were available that could be safely installed above the production lines. autoVimation now closes this gap, launching the new camera enclosures made of AISI 316L (V4A) stainless steel, which withstand wet cleaning with aggressive cleaning agents. Gap-free enclosure surfaces and hygienic cable glands minimize the risk of contamination. The second innovation for Specim cameras, thermoelectrically temperature-controlled protective enclosures allow cameras with a permissible temperature range of 5 °C to 40 °C to be used in ambient temperatures up to -20 °C to 70 °C. The system provides camera cooling by up to 25 K below the ambient temperature. The enclosures can also be used to stabilize camera temperatures to increase measuring accuracy in critical applications.

Camera applications in dirty industrial environments require appropriate devices to keep the windows of protective enclosures free from dust, moisture and oily substances. Pneumatic devices from autoVimation such as wind curtains, protective flaps and air nozzles have proven themselves to be efficient protection methods against window contamination that impairs vision. Introducing the Dragon High Power fan nozzle, the German manufacturer now provides a new solution for its Salamander, Gecko and Orca series protective enclosures, which combines economical compressed air consumption and low noise emissions with high blowing force. The tiltable air nozzle blows a fan-shaped air jet over the enclosure window at a 20° angle. Due to its blowing force of 3.3 N at a pressure of 5 bar and an air flow of 333 liters per minute, Dragon High Power prevents dirt accumulation and can remove even severe pollution. The blowing force of the nozzle corresponds to an open pipe with an inner diameter of 4 mm, but the energy consumption is 33 % lower and noise is reduced by 40 % to 82 dB(A). The air fan is wide enough to clean 3-inch windows at only 50 mm from the nozzle outlet. Therefore, Dragon High Power can be directly affixed to the protective camera enclosure, saving installation space. autoVimation also supplies brackets with dovetail connection as accessories for flexible mounting and orientation of the nozzle on the enclosure.

In 2008, autoVimation introduced the Orca and Salamander series of protective camera enclosures with a patented camera mounting technology and standout features like compact size, high robustness and excellent heat dissipation. To celebrate the highly successful series’ 14th anniversary, the German manufacturer has examined the enclosures thoroughly and improved the design for even easier camera mounting. The enhanced Quick-Lock/Heat-Guide mounting system simplifies horizontal camera mounting inside the enclosure. The tolerance compensation is tripled, so cameras that deviate from the specified heights can still be precisely positioned. As a further innovation, Orca enclosures have a 10 mm slimmer camera mount and can now accommodate cameras up to 70 mm high at 50 mm maximum width. In addition, both Orca and Salamander enclosures feature new internal guides for precise alignment of cameras parallel to the outer wall: autoVimation added guides to the camera mounts, so users can now easily slide cameras with grooved housings into the cylindrical installation space, exactly parallel to the outer wall of the enclosure. If applications require rotated installation, users can easily dismantle the guides and affix the cameras as usual. Last but not least, autoVimation has simplified the replacement of enclosure windows, which are now fastened by retaining rings with holes. Using suitable pliers, the change takes only a very short time. For ESD-protected camera mounting, the manufacturer offers double-sided adhesive thermal conductive films with a dielectric strength of 3 kV, which offer high-level protection against electrostatic discharge in indoor or outdoor areas and prevent ground loops because of electric potential differences between camera and enclosure.

autoVimation has expanded its Chameleon series of protective camera enclosures, adding a model for the FLIR AX8 thermal imaging camera. The germanium and BK7 glass windows are perfectly aligned with the FLIR AX8 imagers to allow simultaneous operation of the infrared camera, visual camera and LED lighting. The rugged aluminum enclosure with protection class IP66/IP67 is designed for long-term use in demanding industrial environments with high humidity levels. In order to compensate for thermal expansion and vibrations, autoVimation does not glue the germanium and BK7 lenses, but fits them with a special sealing system. Under normal ambient conditions, the enclosure requires no internal cooling as the solid camera mounting plate ensures reliable heat dissipation. The manufacturer provides extensive accessories including a wide range of brackets and mounting kits for precise angled orientation. An optional dovetail profile on the back of the protective enclosure ensures heavy-duty, vibration-proof connection to the brackets. The enclosure measures 175 mm x 80 mm x 57 mm without cable gland.

Introducing the Piranha series of extremely robust protective laser enclosures, autoVimation completes its new Hygienic Building Kit, which is the world’s first system for fully hygienic mounting of cameras, lighting and lasers in machine vision applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries and in cleanrooms. The Piranha enclosures – now available – are used to integrate line lasers with a diameter of 19 – 20 mm and up to 160 mm length with or without focusing ring. Featuring an IP69k protection rating and hygienic design without recesses, they are suitable for thorough cleaning with steam jets. The AISI 316L stainless-steel material ensures high corrosion resistance to harsh disinfectants and other aggressive chemicals. The 28 mm wide front window, which can be easily attached or replaced by means of a circlip, comes with a BK7 window with double-sided anti-reflective coating, or optionally with a sapphire or acrylic window. The deep front cover allows for placement of lasers with or without focusing ring directly behind the front window. Users can access the focusing ring at any time, simply by removing the screw cap. autoVimation supplies Piranha enclosures with a standard cable gland made of AISI 316L stainless steel for easy mounting to hygienic T-pieces and tubes. In addition, versions with hygienic cable glands and hoses are available for other mounting variants. For users to easily achieve compliance in every application, autoVimation is undergoing EHEDG certification of the protective laser enclosures.

autoVimation now offers highly efficient, easy-to-use polarization filters and diffusers for its innovative Meganova ring light for installation in Orca, Shark and Megalodon protective camera enclosures. The Meganova ring light with eight high-power LEDs, placed directly behind the enclosure front window, eliminates the need for further external lighting. The ring light design is matched to the enclosure series cited above for efficient heat dissipation. This allows for continuous operation at 200 % power and brightness under normal conditions. In standard vertical installations, coaxial orientation of light source and camera lens can cause light reflections on reflective surfaces and thus impair the inspection of metallic parts or paper packaging. The new Meganova polarizing filters solve this issue by means of two linear, crossed polarization filters, which completely eliminate light reflections into the camera lens and thus enable excellent imaging quality. The solution consists of a polarization ring placed over the ring of LEDs and a polarization disc for the central lens aperture, which eliminates the need for a polarizer on the lens. The ring and disc are simply attached to the lighting tube, then, the outer ring, which polarizes the LED light, is twisted against the inner disk until their polarization directions are offset by 90°. The newly available Meganova diffusion rings for homogenizing light distribution in the camera image are mounted analogously to the polarization ring. They are available in two versions with strong and weak diffusion at light transmission coefficients of 45 % and 80 % respectively.

Launching the Hygienic Building Kit, autoVimation presents the world’s first mounting system for machine vision applications that is suitable for installing cameras, lighting and lasers in the food and pharmaceutical industries or in cleanrooms. Since imaging components can be contaminated with product residues during steam-jet cleaning of conveyor systems and can thus become a source of germs themselves, they are subject to the same hygiene requirements that apply to plant components in direct contact with the product. autoVimation’s existing, proven machine vision mounting systems use aluminum dovetail profiles for easy adjustment of the camera housings and are therefore out of the question for use in hygienically sensitive areas. For one thing, the recesses and undercuts of the joints create difficult-to-clean dead spaces, for another, the materials do not have the corrosion resistance required by regular cleaning and disinfection with aggressive chemicals. In contrast, the new Hygienic Building Kit is based on autoVimation’s hygienic, IP69k-protected, AISI 316L stainless-steel enclosure series Dolphin, Shark and Piranha. The camera, lighting and laser enclosures are mounted on rails made of smooth stainless-steel rods. Hygienic T-pieces enable flexible positioning and orientation. Cable routing within the tubes not only ensures optimum protection against mechanical forces, but also eliminates the need for a separate food approval of cable materials. Alternatively, hygienic protective hoses are available for cable routing; these can also be used for additional cable routes to machines etc. All gaskets as well as an acrylic window are approved for direct food contact according to FDA and EU guidelines. In addition, all components meet the strictest criteria for hygienic surface design. The kit can be mounted directly on conveyors, walls, machine covers and ceilings. For application-specific configuration, users can shorten the available shafts to the required length and machine a hole for cable entry at the required location. The tube connectors for IP69k sealing of the joints enable sturdy designs even with longer rods and eccentric loads due to their strong internal clamping. For users to easily achieve compliance in every application, autoVimation is undergoing EHEDG certification of all components of the modular system.

The new Megalodon series from autoVimation features the same outer dimensions as Orca protective camera enclosures but with a larger inner diameter. It thus provides IP66/67 protection for all those camera types that are slightly too large for the existing enclosures. Due to the 2 mm wider inside dimensions, Megalodon enclosures are suitable for Flir A400 and Dalsa Linea as well as for other, similarly sized large-format cameras, such as Jai Spark, Runner Basler and many more. autoVimation supplies a mount for cameras from the new Flir A400/700 series, as well as a special dual germanium and BK7 front window, which enables simultaneous operation of infrared and visible-light cameras. For “reverse” installations, Megalodon enclosures are designed to fit all available Orca front lids such as the dome window. The existing 30 mm or 60 mm Orca extensions allow users to increase the standard housing length of 227 mm. Thanks to the flexible Quick-Lock/Heat-Guide camera mount, lenses can be positioned directly behind the enclosure window to avoid corner shading. In addition to the high protection rating, Megalodon housings made of anodized aluminum are characterized by chemical resistance, vibration-proof camera mounting, very good heat dissipation and passive cooling of cameras by up to 23 °C. Numerous optional accessories ensure optimal configuration for demanding application scenarios: various mounting kits, deflection mirrors, sun roofs, protective shutters, heating plates and cooling units.

With double the power and half the size, the new autoVimation heating plate ensures trouble-free camera operation even in arctic temperatures and strong winds. Thanks to its compact design, it is now suitable for all Salamander, Gecko and Orca series housings from size S. The new mode of attachment via lateral clamping ensures easy installation since no components have to be removed. The controlled heating plate with a built-in PT100 temperature sensor consumes less energy, heats up faster in interval operation and does not overheat at higher ambient temperature levels. Featuring exact temperature control with a freely adjustable setpoint, it constantly provides the right heating power even with severe ambient temperatures fluctuations. The large-area heating keeps the camera temperature above freezing point at outside temperatures as low as -50 °C, minimizes temperature differences in the housing and thus avoids dew points and the resulting condensation. The easy-to-use 75 W and 24 V/DC heating plate is available as a set with a five-meter connection cable and adjustable heating controller. It is supplied with a controller that can supply several heating plates. It also fits under the sun roof if that is required. autoVimation has managed to reduce the price and offer customers higher quantity discounts through increased in-house production.

autoVimation expands its Chameleon XS enclosure series for the Intel® RealSense™ Depth Camera family, adding a new enclosure for the D455 camera. The 500g lightweight aluminum enclosure provides reliable IP66/67 ingress protection all-around, allowing the depth cameras to be employed in unmanned aerial vehicles, in outdoor vision applications, and in challenging industrial environments. The outer dimensions are 150 mm x 64 mm x 34 mm. Like the existing Chameleon XS enclosures for the RealSense sensors D415, D435, and T265, the D455 model ensures shade-free images thanks to the special arrangement of the windows. The windows are made of anti-reflective BK7 glass. To compensate for thermal expansion and vibrations, they are fitted into the housing openings with special seals instead of being glued. Under normal conditions, cooling is not required because the camera is connected with a solid aluminum adapter and a double-layer thermal film for heat coupling with the enclosure. A cable gland with an extra-large sealing inlay enables tool-free entry of standard cables with USB-C plugs. With the help of a dovetail adapter plate, the Chameleon XS enclosures are fully compatible to autoVimation’s machine vision construction kit. This way, all 30mm dovetail mounting kits can be used to mount and align the housing vibration-proof on flat surfaces or slot profiles.

autoVimation has launched a new, particularly compact system for positioning and precise alignment of protective camera enclosures. At the heart of the modular system, fine positioning axes with a 150-mm adjusting range feature hand cranks with 1.5 mm feed per revolution for maximum adjustment accuracy. The axes are more compact than conventional types, since slides travel directly on the spindle channel’s dovetail profile. At 40 mm x 16 mm, the axes‘ profile cross-section is similar in size to a matchbox. Cameras can be freely positioned at any angle. The system includes a comprehensive range of accessories – profile rails, rotary axes, angles, and exchangeable positioning tables for vertical or parallel-axis mounting – which allow for rapid construction of multi-axis assemblies. Unlike existing products, the autoVimation system requires no adapter plates, since all components feature the same profile systems. Camera housings or other axes can be mounted on the positioning tables by means of dovetail brackets. For ergonomic handling in any position, the feed cranks can be mounted on either end as required. A millimeter scale on the side of the profile facilitates exact adjustment of the slide position. Alternatively, autoVimation offers fine positioning axes with an integrated position sensor and an accuracy of 10 µm, accompanied by digital display modules that can visualize positioning data for up to three axes. Fixed in place, form-fit dovetail brackets withstand replacement forces up to 2000 N. They prevent scratching of the profiles and provide a secure hold even of vertically mounted axes and under high loads. Even with the bracket lose, the self-locking spindle drive prevents uncontrolled movement of the load in axial direction.

A specialist in protective enclosures for industrial cameras and laser systems, German manufacturer autoVimation has further expanded its range of Dolphin camera housings for very demanding hygienic requirements. The Dolphin series now comprises three lengths suitable for compact cameras with cross sections between 29 x 47 mm and 40 x 40 mm. Up to 218 mm long camera assemblies including lens and connectors can be comfortably fitted within. Since the enclosures are made to EHEDG design specifications, direct contact with food and placement in high contamination risk areas are no problem. The housings made of V4A AISI 316L stainless steel can be cleaned with pressure washers. Electropolished surfaces and a surface roughness of less than 0.8 µm reliably prevent bacteria buildup. All seals and cable conduits are FDA-approved and comply with EU regulations 10/2011 or 1935/2004 for use in hygienically sensitive areas in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The sealing materials feature high chemical and temperature resistance. They permanently withstand fats, mineral oils as well as aggressive cleaning agents. The enclosures achieve IP69K ingress protection, and the lids feature dual seals for additional safety. The front lid is optionally available in acrylic or BK7 glass. Versatile mounting options and compact dimensions allow for vibration-proof installation of the Dolphin enclosures in any location. The new rear wall mount enables 360° enclosure rotation and 50 mm height adjustment above the mounting surface. The patented Quick-lock/Heat-guide mount provides excellent dissipation to the outer housing and therefore cools the housed camera.

A specialist in protective enclosures for industrial cameras and laser systems, German manufacturer autoVimation has further expanded its range of Dolphin camera housings for very demanding hygienic requirements. The Dolphin series now comprises three lengths suitable for compact cameras with cross sections between 29 x 47 mm and 40 x 40 mm. Up to 218 mm long camera assemblies including lens and connectors can be comfortably fitted within. Since the enclosures are made to EHEDG design specifications, direct contact with food and placement in high contamination risk areas are no problem. The housings made of V4A AISI 316L stainless steel can be cleaned with pressure washers. Electropolished surfaces and a surface roughness of less than 0.8 µm reliably prevent bacteria buildup. All seals and cable conduits are FDA-approved and comply with EU regulations 10/2011 or 1935/2004 for use in hygienically sensitive areas in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The sealing materials feature high chemical and temperature resistance. They permanently withstand fats, mineral oils as well as aggressive cleaning agents. The enclosures achieve IP69K ingress protection, and the lids feature dual seals for additional safety. The front lid is optionally available in acrylic or BK7 glass. Versatile mounting options and compact dimensions allow for vibration-proof installation of the Dolphin enclosures in any location. The new rear wall mount enables 360° enclosure rotation and 50 mm height adjustment above the mounting surface. The patented Quick-lock/Heat-guide mount provides excellent dissipation to the outer housing and therefore cools the housed camera.

autoVimation now offers Meganova ring lights in six different colors. These modules are equipped with an onboard strobe controller. Developed to fit into autoVimation’s enclosures with a 3″ front window, like the Orca and Mammoth housings, the special clamping mount ensures good heat dissipation. Each light contains eight high-performance LEDs in four optional beam angles between 14° and 76° for optimal illumination of the camera field of view. In addition to two white ring lights with different CRIs, Meganova is available with red, green, blue, and infrared light. They are mounted using the integrated clamps with a large contact area. The ring lights feature a large enough inner radius for wide-angle lenses with diameters up to 36 mm to be fitted right behind the front window. This prevents reflection of light onto the camera lens. The LEDs can be pulsed with almost six times the nominal current, resulting in four times the normal brightness. The onboard controller calculates the maximum pulse/pause ratio depending on shutter speed and gain and prevents users from selecting damaging settings. Due to good heat dissipation via the camera enclosure, 200 % nominal current – almost twice the normal brightness – can be continuously maintained under room temperature conditions at 16 W power consumption. Continuous temperature monitoring with automatic emergency shut-off prevents overheating. Users can set the pulse length, triggering behavior, exposure time, current amplification, and other ring lighting and flash parameters exactly as required via RS232 interface. The trigger is controlled via an optically isolated 5…24 V DC wide-range input. The onboard flash controller enables direct connection of the camera trigger output to synchronize light activation, ensuring particularly accurate flashing especially with short pulses. Reflections at a vertical angle of view can be reduced with an optional polarizing filter ring. A matching diffuser ensures homogenous illumination. Water cooling systems developed by autoVimation can additionally protect the lights and camera even at higher ambient temperatures of up to 200 °C.

autoVimation celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The company has been developing and manufacturing modular enclosures for cameras and laser systems since 2008. Under the direction of founder and managing director Peter Neuhaus, the company has made its name as a renowned specialist in rugged protective housings and fixtures for vision technology. „Our concept, first launched at VISION Stuttgart in 2008, became an instant success with customers,“ says Neuhaus. „Our modular system enables easy installation of sensitive cameras and laser technology in virtually any environment. It allows users to save a lot of effort for in-house development of protective housings and mounting accessories.“ The company has seen a steady growth in sales volume. Its products and special solutions made in Germany are in demand around the world. Only last year, autoVimation’s expanding business prompted an HQ relocation to a larger facility in the Karlsruhe area. autoVimation has won the innovation prize of the Technologiefabrik Karlsruhe tech hub on two different occasions: in 2011 for its overall concept of protective enclosures and mounting systems; in 2013 for temperature-controlled desert-proof enclosures used by the solar industry. autoVimation enclosing solutions feature in all industrial sectors and across a wide variety of special applications. They are used in extreme climates and for extremely varied purposes, from solar power plant operations in the Mojave Desert to penguin monitoring in Antarctica. Past projects have also covered numerous water and underwater applications, including one with an underwater camera in a TV show segment about seven swimmers climbing into one bathing cap. Most recently, the company has launched a hygienic camera mounting and enclosing system for the food and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as ring lights in six colors with a flash controller for installation in Orca protective camera enclosures. More information on the company, applications, and international distributors as well as the product catalog are available at www.autovimation.com.

Enclosure specialist autoVimation helps users choose individual laboratory setups and provides custom-specific configurations according to the best possible cost-benefit assessment. The advantages of a flexible modular system for laboratory setups in image processing are clear: with just a few, re-usable components it is possible to assemble complex image processing setups for laboratory tests or for a proof-of-concept at a client’s facility in a simple, fast and flexible way. After successful tests, the system can be integrated into the final installation directly on-site, using just the existing parts and necessitating almost no adaptations. The dovetail profiles, mounting clamps and brackets enable flexible configurations. At the same time the robust rotation, tilt and ball joints offer maximum flexibility combined with excellent stability. Universal camera/lighting fixtures and laser mounts facilitate the realization of inexpensive test setups with prefabricated components. Even large illuminations and lenses are held securely, exactly positioned and aligned. On request, autoVimation provides customers with individual proposals for custom-specific setups suited to their applications.

Karlsruhe – autoVimation presents an innovative LED ring light with integrated strobe controller at this year’s Vision trade show in Stuttgart for the first time. The inbuilt micro controller allows for the customization of various parameters such as pulse length, trigger behavior, current amplification and many other settings. Another feature is the opto-isolated wide range trigger input (5-24V). The ring light is programmed via RS232, with Bluetooth and WLAN options to follow soon. The amplification can be regulated to up to 6x nominal current to achieve a maximum power of up to 46W for the eight 1 Watt Oslon LEDs.

The controller verifies the adjusted settings and gives an alarm in case the current is too high for the pulse length/cycle time ratio. In addition, the controller continuously checks the LED temperature and switches off in case of overheating, with the temperature being transmitted periodically via RS232 (if activated). The integrated strobe controller significantly reduces costs and simplifies cabling – the camera trigger output can be connected directly to the light inside the camera enclosure. Shorter wiring also increases the pulse accuracy by reducing the inductivity of long cables to and from the control cabinet.

The LED ring light fits into the Orca enclosure – the excellent thermal connection to the enclosure passively cools the light. Adding a water cooling system, the enclosure allows greatly increased intensity or strobe length. The ring light is available in typical colors (R, G, B, IR and white). Fan angles can be easily changed by using the proven Lisa2 lenses. Several lights can be strobed and exactly synchronized, triggered by the sync output of the LED master light. A linear IP67 bar light with the same features will be realeased soon, with elements available in ~15cm length and extension options up to 120cm. The single panels with 8 to 46W and a minimal cross section of only 16x40mm feature a very compact form-factor. The bar light is based on the autoVimation double sided dovetail profile and allows for simple positioning and adjusting by using dovetail brackets and mounting kits. It can be combined with other lights, e.G. for dark field illumination from all four sides of the camera image, top lights, light tunnels etc. very easily. Additional passive or water cooling elements can be attached to increase brightness or pulse length up to continuous.

Karlsruhe – autoVimation presents the first models of their brand new stainless steel enclosures series at this year’s VISION trade show in Stuttgart. The housings now allow for the protection of cameras with up to 62x62mm cross section – often used within the food industry – from aggressive cleaning agents and high pressure water jets. Featuring IP69K ingress protection and a consistent hygienic design, the new housings meet all requirements of the food and pharma industry. All new stainless products comply with the highest standards, such as FDA, KTW, EU-Directive EG No. 1935/2004 and EHEDG requirements – thanks to hygienic design measures such as flush mounted windows, using gap-free seals, lack of concave corners, sealing of all touching surfaces and hygienic cable glands and cable conduits. Furthermore, a notable new hygienic mounting solution in stainless steel will be on display. It provides nearly the same flexibility as the established dovetail system from autoVimation. An IP69k laser enclosure in combination with a hygienic triangulation building kit is also in the works. A matching bar light is scheduled to launch in 2017.

Karlsruhe – The new stereo vision building kit is extended by an electronics box, calculating the stereo image from two USB cameras with FPGA support. The output delivers a depth of field image or point cloud that is transmitted to a PC via Ethernet and processed there. The system works with ambient light, but light sources or pattern projectors can be added if required. Compared with common stereo sensors, users benefit from having full control over the system – the optical base (distance between cameras), camera resolution and lens as well as the working distance may be configured by the customer. The complete set-up is IP66 proof and therefore suitable for wash-down conditions. All that is needed to connect the system, is a LAN and Trigger/Power cable. The stereo vision box can be mounted on the autoVimation dovetail profiles together with the two camera enclosures.

Karlsruhe – Due to a modified design, the new version of the Flir Ax5 has significantly larger dimensions. By customizing the Gecko housing, autoVimation has succeeded in accommodating the Ax5 with lenses up to 35mm focal length in this housing type once more. The overall dimensions are a decisive factor for many customers. The larger lenses with 50, 60 and 100mm focal length can be placed in the Orca enclosure with 3″ Germanium window.