Cooled automation camera for process control and quality assurance

FLIR, a Teledyne Technologies company, has announced the FLIR A6301, a highly sensitive, cooled midwave thermal imaging camera designed for 24/7 inspection and automation applications. It aims to make production lines more efficient and improve product quality.

The new device delivers a new level of thermal imaging capabilities to process control and quality assurance applications in the manufacturing industry. It captures high-speed product movement with up to 20 times less motion blur, and its rapid integration times greatly reduce image blur, ensuring precise temperature readings even on the go. It detects small thermal variations and accurately measures temperatures on moving products, supplying machine builders and integrators with the cutting-edge tools they require to tackle challenging machine vision applications, boosting throughput, cutting disruptions, and minimising downtime with sharper measurements.

"The A6301 camera offers a new level of thermal imagining capabilities to process control and quality assurance applications in the manufacturing industry. FLIR is driving the market forward with the latest in thermal imaging automation innovation, meeting the demanding requirements for production floors while also delivering the most platform flexibility for integrators, all in a single solution," said Jerry Beeney, business development director, FLIR.

The company developed the camera with customers and integrators at the forefront. Camera interfaces, commands, and connectors are all purpose-built to industry standards. Simple, standard GEV and GenICam industry protocols simplify implementation, and the long-life cooler lessens concerns about costly annual maintenance.

Further, the device is the smallest commercial-cooled camera platform ever built by the company, so size and weight will not prevent system integration. When integrated with extra sensors within a broader automation system, advanced machine learning, and deep learning methods can provide a smarter, more efficient process.