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A wide range of single-purpose point sensors such as proximity sensors, lasers and photocells have long played a key role in virtually all factory automation systems by detecting the presence of parts or assemblies, performing measurements, and identifying colors.

Since its early days, machine vision has been primarily used to check the liquid level in a bottle, or verify if a packaging label is applied correctly.

For several years now the technologies used in machine vision have gotten more sophisticated, and at the same time the applications for quality checks are solved with a new ease. 

Whether it’s called a compression tester, tensile tester, dual-column tester or twin-column tester, material testing machines go by many names. So, when users need to find the best machine to test their products, the market can appear to be a difficult one to navigate. 

As technology has marched forward, advanced manufacturing organizations have wrestled with how to fill jobs with competent workers. 

While enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has existed as a manufacturing tool for nearly five decades, digital manufacturing has taken a giant leap forward over the past several years with companies increasingly adopting Software as a Service (SaaS) or Cloud ERP models. 

According to the 2017 World Robotics Report, conducted by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), more than 1.7 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories around the world by 2020. 

Machine vision technologies for Vision Guided Robotics (VGR) have greatly enhanced the flexibility and capability of robots in many industrial applications, expanding the value of robots in markets ranging from automotive to food to pharmaceutical to warehousing/distribution/order fulfillment. 

The benefits of smart cameras have made them an ideal match for a manufacturing environment. Combining a camera, processor, software and communications in one small, low-power package, smart cameras are highly integrated optical inspection tools for controlling quality and increasing productivity—required tasks in manufacturing.