Cognex ID Reader -The right mix for complete job tracking

With the Cognex DataMan 7500, DataMan 100 ID reader and In-Sight 5110 vision system, Germany's Borg Warner turbocharger system can take quality control of its turbocharger production in a new direction. When they used Cognex's ID readers - DataMan 7500 and DataMan 100 - to execute quality tracking projects, focusing on the identification of various codes on components, they could create seamless tracking throughout the production process and beyond.

3.5 million products are being tracked...

The BorgWarner turbocharger manufacturing plant sells approximately 3.5 million turbochargers per year. More than 2,000 employees are responsible for product, marketing and development. In early 2006, an innovative team of experts first launched their data tracking project with the aim of tracking data using core assembly coding. The core assembly is the primary production state of the turbocharger, and all other components must be adapted to this core assembly. The turbocharger is a small power supply that can improve the efficiency of a diesel engine more effectively than other technologies, especially for automobiles. With ambient temperatures up to 1050 °C and pressures up to 3 bar, product quality is very important. One of the aims of the project is to use Cognex's ID readers - DataMan 7500 and DataMan 100 - to identify various encoders on components. After a few tests, the company decided to use a self-adhesive label with a two-dimensional matrix code so that components could be coded quickly and easily. At the same time, - this type of code can also be easily read, even if it is dirty.

Cost saving tracking

From the first step of the workpiece assembly to the final inspection, all important product parameters are checked and verified, and the results are stored in the BorgWarner central database for the further processing. It not only minimizes production errors, but also if any defects are detected after the fact, the turbocharger data description reconstructs the production conditions to prevent claims made by the car manufacturer from being disputed in the future. Meanwhile, the number of investigations was kept to a minimum. Continuous validation of existing steps using data collected in previous steps can also prevent errors, making a data tracking system a pre-emptive tool. This means that this tool can save a lot of money for automotive suppliers.

Read all codes at any stage...

A PC is installed at each workstation where the operator scans the code using the DataMan 7500. The created data can then be accurately allocated to the current core assembly. The corresponding work steps and inspection criteria are specified in the data system, and once the work is completed, it is determined whether the module can pass the verification. The DataMan 100 - , on the other hand, checks the operating balance to ensure that the turbocharger is concentric.

... Even under difficult production conditions

Finally, according to the customer classification, the corresponding data matrix code is marked on the turbocharger label. In less than a second, Cognex In-Sight 5110 tests the code quality of the data matrix code. This way, even if the self-adhesive label is damaged by thermal handling during production, the settings and assembly values detected can still be linked to the turbocharger number through a database generated years ago.