Image Capture project

[Gadelric]

Wizards,

New project came across my desk yesterday.

Basic objective:

When a product passes its functionality test, take a picture of the part and save it. Saved file must contain the products traceable code. Each product gets a unique code, for tracking purposes, and this trace code is held in the PLC.

Additional info:
1.) Do not use the PC that is already in the equipment because that PC is used to test the parts and we don't want to do anything that would cause this PC to run slow/crash.

2.) Use the cameras that we have in house already. Keyence IV-2 is the camera(s) I have available that produce the best image.

3.) Add a display that will show the image(s), display will also inform the operators the final image has been stored so they know when to remove the part from the test equipment.


Overall, seems simple enough.
I have chosen the Keyence IV-2 because it gives a great image, as well as it has the ability to save pictures to a file.
I have built a display using Advanced HMI.
I am going to have to figure out some custom code to get the pictures to load and then resave them in another location with the correct file name.

My questions are:
Am I over complicating this? I tend to do that.
Is there a better way that I should go about this?
If my current process seems valid, any recommendations for vb2019 code samples?


Gad

[the_msp]

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=126669

[Gadelric]

Thank you for the link, I am limited to what I already have in house.
This tester they want me to add these cameras to will only be here for 2 years and then we get a new one. All new equipment will already have final images, so everything I am doing here is "temporary".

[the_msp]

Well, there is some food for thought within the link I provided.

In my experience, temporary can become "temporary-permanent", and in my opinion, 2 years is long enough to justify doing it right.

[James Mcquade]

one thing you must consider.
the size of the picture (pixels vs file size)
the system you are saving the images to, some systems limit the file storage in a directory to 2 GB, some more, some less. the also limit the number of files in a directory.
i ran into this issue several years ago.
james

[I_Automation]

Originally Posted by the_msp

Well, there is some food for thought within the link I provided.

In my experience, temporary can become "temporary-permanent", and in my opinion, 2 years is long enough to justify doing it right.

"Temporary"

I have temporary fixes that have been running for 20 years.

[drbitboy]

Originally Posted by I_Automation

"Temporary"

I have temporary fixes that have been running for 20 years.

There is a thread about that from sometime in the past year or so.

[Gadelric]

Update,

I was able to everything working as a proof of concept, and then I gave them the price tag to replace the items we would use out of MRO stock and now everything is on hold...
Each of you provided me with some insight on things I had either overlooked or underestimated.
Thank you for all the feedback.

At least I had a couple days of something to keep my mind busy.


Gad

[ASF]

Originally Posted by I_Automation

"Temporary"

I have temporary fixes that have been running for 20 years.

When I was an apprentice, I got a call in one Saturday to implement a temporary fix on a machine. The machine itself was a hastily thrown together assembly of spare parts, intended as temporary fix to solve a manual handling problem, until a permanent solution was implemented. This "temporary fix" machine had been in place longer than I'd been alive.

I don't know if my temporary fix of a temporary fix ever did get permanently fixed. I know that the permanent fix for the machine itself never did eventuate. There is nothing so permanent as a temporary solution that works.

[Saffa]

Originally Posted by ASF

There is nothing so permanent as a temporary solution that works.

I have a water utility here that we had a call from in 2015. Small bore pump not going. Diagnosed it was a bore casing / screen failure. Because of how their network is configured we were able to pump from another supply into this one, so within 24 hrs we'd rigged up a pump on a unistrut skid, a VSD in a cheap fibreglass enclosure and a pressure sensor wired direct into the drive to do a PID loop. This all ran on a hired diesel generator.

I figured they'd have a well driller in and a new bore sorted in maybe a month. Generator was costing them 8k a month for rental and fuel.

After a month they wanted to know what it would cost to get a permanent power supply installed to the temporary pump.

6 months later they sent through a purchase order for that. (The rental cost over those 6 months was twice the cost of the new transformer and mains connection).

We're now in 2021 and I've just replaced the motor bearings on that poor little temporary pump which has been running 24/7 since 2015.

I've priced for a permanent pump station twice since then. Still no progress.

I'm off elsewhere shortly, but i bet if I come back in 5 years time that pump will still be there, and the new maintenance guy will be saying "which a$$hole installed this rubbish! You call this a pump station!?"