Future-proof logistics and production thanks to intelligent sensors and vision systems 

SICK Explore 2024 informs professionals at test center Factory Logistics

On November 5, SICK Explore 2024 took place at the Ghent facility of Fabriek Logistiek. During this event - with "Increase Quality in Production & Logistics" as the baseline - the participants in attendance were explained more about the central role vision technology plays in production processes and warehousing. In addition to fascinating presentations, there was also ample room for practical demonstrations of intelligent sensor technology.

SICK Explore 2024 started with a brief introduction by host Danny Vanrijkel, key account manager at Fabriek Logistiek. He informed the participants about the important role that Fabriek Logistiek plays as a logistics testing ground for Flemish companies and logistics service providers, highlighting, among other things, the extensive logistics testing facilities at the Ghent facility and the possibility for entrepreneurs to organize team-building activities or product demos there.

Smart cameras and LiDAR for quality control

After this introduction, Marcel de Jonge, Product Manager Quality Control & Track and Trace at SICK, presented a talk on various solutions around quality control in production and logistics with cameras and LiDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging). He focused on 2D and 3D vision technologies that are used for defect detection, label inspection and content verification, among others. 2D vision is primarily used for code reading and contrast-based quality inspections, while 3D vision provides more detailed measurements of volumes and dimensions, useful in complex logistics and manufacturing processes. Marcel de Jonge showed various products offered by SICK, such as the Inspector and TriSpector cameras that can be used for specific tasks such as sorting food, checking packaging and assisting robots in picking up objects. SICK solutions range from simple, stand-alone systems to advanced AI-assisted solutions, supporting a wide range of industries in their pursuit of higher efficiency and lower costs.

Added value of artificial intelligence

Following this, Henk Oosterhuis, Industry Manager at SICK, gave a presentation on the added value of AI and deep learning to improve quality in production processes. The professionals present discovered how AI tools can automate processes and solve complex tasks, such as detecting deviations and classifying objects. Examples include contamination detection in the food sector, control of labels in consumer products and quality control of pharmaceutical packaging. Henk Oosterhuis referred to the use of the Inspector83x 2D vision sensor and the SICK Nova platform. This combination of technologies detects errors quickly and reliably, leading to fewer product recalls and a more efficient production process. With the cloud-based dStudio, users can manage training data and train AI models without extensive AI knowledge. SICK also offers cost-effective testing capabilities and a user-friendly interface for smooth integration of AI solutions.

Engaging hands-on demos

Following these presentations, attendees had ample opportunity to see the operation of intelligent sensors and vision systems for production and intralogistics at work. The range of applications shown was wide: quality control, 2D-3D vision, ranging, pallet control, AI vision applications, content control, picking, object visualization,... Experts answered questions, after which participants could also test things themselves on the various test setups.