Automobile Parts Labeling System

The book provides a detailed account of the entire process of developing the dynamic marking system, including core principles of dynamic marking technology, the challenges involved in developing the laser marking system, and practical optimization solutions.By sharing real-life examples, the company helps its customers quickly grasp the optimal solution to their parts marking needs.

Why is a dynamic tagging system needed?

In the production lines of automobile parts, the traditional method of stamping has long suffered from problems of low efficiency and the wear and tear of the marking.For example, when marking curved surfaces like the cylinders of an engine, the characters would often be blurry, resulting in a 15 % rework rate.The dynamic marking system can directly mark parts on the production line with a laser head of high precision, and track the movement of the parts in real time to control error to within 0.1 mm.

They are the three key technologies being developed.

Algorithms for calculating the trajectory of motion.

We tried both infrared sensors and visual recognition.Although visual recognition is expensive, it can adapt to parts of different shapes, such as the uneven surface of a transmission housing.In the end, it adopted a multi-camera positioning system, and used algorithms to compensate for vibrations on the production line. This raised the speed at which the system could identify objects to 30 frames per second.

Adjusting the parameters of the laser.

The laser power and focus must be adjusted for different materials.For example, aluminum alloy parts are scanned with low power many times to avoid scorching, while cast iron parts require a single high-energy scan.During the testing phase, 20 or more sample materials were burned before the balance point was found. Now, the machine can switch with a single button to any of 15 preset modes.

System integration and stability.

When the system was integrated with the factory's existing MES, a problem arose with data delays that caused the labels to be placed in the wrong locations.Later, the company switched to a dual-channel communication protocol, with the primary channel transmitting coordinates and the backup channel providing a synchronized check.

A guide to avoiding pitfalls.

Last year, when installing a machine for a brake pad supplier, dust in the workshop caused the lens to repeatedly sound the alarm.After the installation of the air filtration system, the number of cleanings required per week fell from seven to one.I recommend that in humid environments, an extra module to remove moisture be added, rather than waiting until the equipment has problems to try to remedy them.

The most important question for clients is cost.

Although initial investment is high, the cost of rework and manual inspection is greatly reduced, so the payback period is usually eight to ten months.One bearing manufacturer that switched to our system saw its daily production capacity rise from 8000 to 12000 units, and the number of defective tags used fell by 300,000 per year.

Future directions for upgrading.

We are currently testing the AI's automatic correction function, for example to automatically offset the marking position when a scratch is encountered.Next month we will be doing a trial for a new energy car manufacturer. We are specifically dealing with their new carbon fiber composite parts.