At ProMat in Chicago, Sick Sensor Intelligence demonstrated its sensingCam 100 and 110, a pair of compact, industrial live-streaming cameras designed for workflow monitoring, documentation, and analysis on both packaging lines and plant floors.
The company, a global provider of sensor technology and industrial automation, offers both cameras separately as cost-effective, easy-to-clean options.
“It’s a new industrial camera that is triggered by events and gives us the ability to track and FTP (file transfer protocol) images based on events that happen on the network,” said Jim Anderson, vision systems specialist for Sick, during an interview with Packaging OEM.
Built for rugged conditions
Engineered to withstand industrial environments, the sensingCam features IP65 housing, protected optics, and M12 connections for reliable, high-performance operations.
Equipped with a 5-megapixel color camera that streams live video using real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) and motion JPEG (MJPEG), it also accepts digital input or software via the representational state transfer application programming interface (REST API) to integrate the live stream into existing systems like human machine interfaces (HMI) or displays.
It can monitor hard-to-reach or blind spots in production lines, recording event videos 40 seconds before and after, to provide comprehensive coverage.
“Oftentimes this would get used for checking jams on a conveyor, looking for maybe an intrusion to a safety cell where you didn’t have a video,” said Anderson. “That event from the safety scanner can trigger the video, and you can have that data to fall back on to see how you can improve your processes.”
In case of an unplanned machine stop or error, the camera records what happened before and after the event to help identify the root cause.
Finding the right model for your production line
Sick offers the sensingCam in two variants, the 100 and 110, with the 110 being a more premium option because it features higher-performance vision and is optimized for complex, higher-speed processes. Both models are the same size, measuring 57.5 millimeters (mm) by 49 mm x 33.6 mm, excluding connections.
“If you go to the 110 model, we have a video feed that’s being recorded. When it records an event, either a shock or vibration on a motor, then we can set a time frame to capture data before and after the event,” said Anderson, while demonstrating the camera’s capabilities.
Both options can be mounted with M4 screws or ¼ inch camera thread. An integrated web server also provides quick installation and commissioning without additional software.
Using the sensingCam in packaging
Sick’s sensingCam provides packaging teams with a view into their processes, recording events when errors occur. Machine builders could also utilize it for remote troubleshooting and to optimize packaging line layouts.
“In the packaging industry, this would be a solution that we could use for looking at inline flow – say, on a motor, a printer, or a labeler,” said Anderson. “It would be jams, defects, just on a smaller scale compared to a full conveyor.”
To learn more about the sensingCam, click here. If you missed ProMat, catch up on the action by viewing our photo gallery.
