SICK Showcases Innovative Solutions at SPS 2024

How sensor data and complete transparency can improve and make manageable even complex production processes in a variety of innovation sectors – this is what SICK will be presenting from November 12-14 at the SPS Smart Production Solutions trade fair in Nuremberg (Hall 7A, Booth 340). The company will be focusing this year with the motto "Your industry. Your Value. Our solution." on consumer goods manufacturing, mobile platforms, and robotics challenges in production as well as the topic of traceability in the logistical material flow and materials. Visitors can see and experience live, among other things, AI-supported products and solutions such as the Inspector83x vision sensor and the adaptive PALLOC localization system for deep learning-based robot guidance. Also on display will be the SICK Nova image processing platform, the SICK ConnectX software for direct connectivity from the field to the IIoT level, as well as further highlights.

Consumer goods manufacturing: AI-supported solutions for process and quality control
Deviations during production or defective products can lead to unnecessary rejects, product recalls, or even damage to a brand's reputation. Quality control therefore aims to monitor and optimize the quality of products and processes along the entire value chain. The aim is to identify and eliminate deviations at an early stage. The new Inspector83x 2D vision sensor from SICK with its up to five megapixel resolution, integrated illumination, and Gigabit Ethernet connection is especially suitable for typical inline inspection tasks.

Pre-installed on the Inspector83x is the SICK Nova image processing platform as a hardware-specific SensorApp, which employs artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the Inspector83x is immediately ready for operation. It allows both experts and non-experts to quickly and easily configure the sensor as well as set up powerful, high precision AI inspections via an intuitive browser-based user interface. To this end, the camera is presented with samples under production conditions. Training and execution of the inspection then follows, thus enabling initial checks to be set up within just a few minutes. Besides the Gigabit Ethernet interface, the Inspector83x offers numerous connectivity options, including two connections for integration into the OT (Operational Technology) level via EtherNet/IP and PROFINET.

The company will also be presenting at SPS 2024 the W10, a photoelectric proximity sensor series that can be used to solve a wide variety of detection tasks, in storage and conveying systems for example, by universal and possibly novel means. Photoelectric proximity sensors are used, among other things, in combination with vision sensors such as the Inspector83x from SICK. Here, the photoelectric proximity sensors serve, for example, as an image trigger by generating a trigger pulse for image capture as soon as the object moves through the field of view. Easy operation and set up is important for this.

These are performed via an intuitive touchscreen interface in the case of the photoelectric proximity sensor series, or the browser-based image processing platform SICK Nova for the Inspector83x. The photoelectric proximity sensor series currently comprises just four variants that vary with regard to the working distance and mounting options, and combine a highly accurate laser class 1 emitter LED with a fast and precise receiver array. Thanks to this powerful technology, the photoelectric proximity sensor achieves very exact detection results with a high repeatability both for the short range version with working distances between 25 mm and 400 mm as well as the long range version with sensing ranges from 25 mm to 700 mm.

Mobile platforms and robotics in production: Robot guidance via AI
Automated palletizing solutions, manual, conventional or robot-assisted – often, there are multiple solution approaches worth considering for ensuring a smooth transfer of goods from delivery to dispatch or for further processing. Robot guidance systems in conjunction with smart camera systems, AI, and deep learning functions play a key role in this, firstly by being able to speed up logistics and production processes, and secondly by significantly reducing the amount of monotonous work for employees. With its PALLOC – the camera system for "PALlet content LOCalization", SICK will be presenting at SPS an AI-supported, adaptive localization solution for automatic depalletizating using robots.

It combines a high performance 3D snapshot camera with a factory pre-installed and pre-trained neural network as well as a new deep learning-based localization algorithm that makes it possible to localize virtually unlimited variants of stacked boxes on pallets and which delivers position coordinates for reliable robot operation with a secure grip. The integrated neural network already supports a large number of different box types and can, if necessary, be extended to new carton variants via a user-friendly AI tool suite. This makes PALLOC one of the most future-proof robot guidance systems on the market because the SensorApp of the neural network is integrated directly in the camera and the browser-based user interface does not require a separate PC.

Track and traceability in production as well the logistical goods and material flow
With its Ident Gate System, SICK has developed an intelligent track and trace system solution that can help companies comply with the basic requirements that apply to a large number of locally and globally active companies as a result of the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains.

Ident Gate can help companies to optimize incoming goods through automatic delivery notification checks, avoid errors such as incorrect loading in outgoing goods and shipping, and implement safety requirements. With the help of a variety of sensors for object detection, goods identification and direction detection, it generates the necessary data for transparent logistics and supply chains as objects and goods are identified at loading gates, internal hall entrances, and other locations relevant for recording material movements.

Supplementary software solution for a variety of applications
When processing large volumes of data, it is necessary to have intelligent data structures both to maintain an overview and ensure transparency, to not unnecessarily tie up server resources, and to be able to effectively further develop the data structure. With the help of the application and integration software SICK ConnectX, a wide variety of sensor data can be collected, pre-processed and effectively made available at the IT level for I4.0 applications using open (e.g. IO-Link or MQTT) or proprietary protocols (e.g. CoLa).

This enables standardized and simplified integration into higher-level IT systems, for example ERP applications. The communication is bi-directional. Users configure the entire data flow with the help of an intuitive user interface. This also offers options for pre-processing and aggregation of data flows.

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