Method and system for optically inspecting headed manufactured parts

A system for optically inspecting manufactured parts, each of the manufactured parts of type having a length, a width, an axis and a head with an underside bearing surface, the system comprising:

• an angulated, split track configured as a pair of parallel glide rails separated by a gap, to suspend a part on the rails by its underside bearing surface, the track having sufficient angulation to permit the part to glide on the rails to an inspection station under gravitational force, and wherein the track is separated by a gap at the inspection station to facilitate imaging of the underside bearing surface of the part as it traverses the gap;
• an imaging assembly at the inspection station to image a plurality of exterior surfaces of the part, including surfaces which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part, a top surface and the underside bearing surface, when the part is within a field of view of the imaging assembly at the inspection station, the assembly including a detector assembly to simultaneously form an optical image of at least a portion of each of the imaged surfaces of the part and to detect the optical images;
• and
• a processor to process the detected optical images to obtain a plurality of views of the part which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part.

A system for optically inspecting parts, each of the parts of type having a length, a width, an axis and a head with an underside bearing surface, the system comprising:

• an angulated, split track, configured as a pair of parallel glide rails separated by a gap, to suspend the part on the rails by its underside bearing surface, the gap width being adjustable by an adjustment mechanism so the part head has a width greater than the width of the gap, the track having an adjustable hinged connection to a supporting frame to permit selection of an angle that allows the part to glide on the rails to an inspection station under gravitational force, and the track further being separated by the gap at the inspection station to facilitate imaging of the underside bearing surface of the part as it traverses the gap;
• an imaging assembly at the inspection station to simultaneously image a plurality of exterior surfaces of the part, including surfaces which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part, a top surface and the underside bearing surface, when the part is within a field of view of the imaging assembly at the inspection station, the assembly including a detector assembly to simultaneously form an optical image of at least a portion of each of the imaged side surfaces of the part and to detect the optical images;
• a processor to process the detected optical images to obtain a plurality of views of the part which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part and perform a comparison of one or more of the plurality of views of the inspected part to determine if the part conforms to a predetermined criterion for a physical property of the part;
• and
• a reject mechanism responsive to a signal from the processor for controlling the routing of conforming parts and non-conforming parts after each part exits the track.

A high-speed method of inspecting manufactured parts of type having a head with an underside surface and sorting the inspected parts, the method comprising the steps of:

• consecutively transferring a stream of the parts suspended by their underside surfaces in rapid succession from a load station so that the suspended parts travel at a substantially constant velocity along a path which extends from the load station through at least one inspection station including a single vision station at which exterior side surfaces of each part which are angularly spaced about an axis of the part and the underside surface of the head are at least temporarily, substantially visually unobstructed and from the vision station to an unload station;
• illuminating the exterior side surfaces and the underside surface of each part with radiant energy when each part is at least temporarily, substantially visually unobstructed in the vision station to obtain sets of reflected and unreflected radiation signals;
• detecting and processing the sets of reflected and unreflected radiation signals for each part to identify parts having unacceptable part characteristics or defects;
• and
• sorting the parts at the unload station based on the inspection.

A high-speed system for inspecting manufactured parts of type having a head with an underside surface and sorting the inspected parts, the system comprising:

• an angulated split track to consecutively transfer a stream of the parts suspended by their underside surfaces in rapid succession from a load station so that the suspended parts travel at a substantially constant velocity along a path which extends from the load station through at least one inspection station including a single vision station at which exterior side surfaces of each part which are angularly spaced about an axis of the part and the underside surface of the head are at least temporarily, substantially visually unobstructed and from the vision station to an unload station;
• a plurality of illumination sources to illuminate the exterior side surfaces and the underside surface of each part with radiant energy when each part is at least temporarily,
• substantially visually unobstructed in the vision station to obtain sets of reflected and unreflected radiation signals;
• a plurality of cameras to detect the sets of reflected and unreflected radiation signals for each part;
• at least one processor to identify parts having unacceptable part characteristics or defects based on the detected signals;
• and
• a sorter to sort the parts at the unload station based on the inspection.