Millimeter-Level Precision Picking: Transfer Technology 3D Industrial Cameras Enable Automated Feeding of Castings

In the automation upgrade of the metal casting industry, workpiece positioning accuracy and operational efficiency represent core pain points. Today, we share a vision-guided depalletizing project built around a high-precision 3D industrial camera, demonstrating how it achieves stable and efficient picking of castings in actual production.

Project Background

This project targets automated feeding of castings. Robots automatically and orderly pick aluminum castings stacked inside bins and place them at designated stations. Core challenges include:

• Workpieces are semi-finished aluminum castings. Their surfaces may suffer abrasion and feature inconsistent reflectivity.

• Bins are allowed certain positional offsets upon arrival. Although castings are stacked neatly, precise visual positioning is still required.

• The production line demands tight cycle times; recognition and calculation for each cycle must be completed within 6 seconds.

Technical Core

To tackle the above challenges, the project adopts Transfer Technology’s self-developed Epic Eye Laser L V2S 3D camera as the "visual sensor".

The camera is fixed-mounted directly above the bin. With a single scan, it captures precise 3D position and pose data of workpieces or layer partitions, and transmits data to the robot control system in real time. The camera delivers the following key performance:

• High Accuracy: 3D vision system recognition accuracy ≤ ±1 mm, satisfying workpiece dimensional tolerance requirements;

• Reliable Recognition: Recognition rate reaches 99.9%, guaranteeing continuous production;

• Fast Response: Single scan plus software calculation takes ≤ 6 s, matching production line cycle requirements;

• Strong Anti-Interference: Equipped with a blue laser light source, it is unaffected by workpiece colors and adapts to varying surface conditions of aluminum castings.

Workflow

In this project, the vision system works in deep coordination with robots, grippers and control systems to realize fully automatic operation:

Intelligent Recognition: A forklift transports the bin to the detection zone and triggers scanning by the 3D camera. Precise Positioning: The vision system identifies the position and height of the workpiece’s central hole and calculates optimal picking points.

Robot Picking: Coordinate data is sent to the robot, which drives the internal expanding gripper to grab the workpiece. Partition Handling: After all workpieces on one layer are picked, the system automatically switches schemes and guides the suction cup gripper to handle the layer partition.

Cyclic Operation: The process repeats until all workpieces in the bin are picked.

Customer Value

• Cost Reduction & Efficiency Gains: Replaces manual feeding, greatly cutting labor costs and workload. It enables stable 24/7 operation and lifts overall production line OEE.

• Continuous Production Assurance: The 99.9% recognition rate and fast response drastically reduce line downtime caused by positioning failures, ensuring stable material supply for downstream processes.

• Flexible Production Enablement: The vision system features excellent adaptability, reserving technical interfaces for future expansion of workpiece models and protecting customers’ long-term investment.

The successful rollout of this automated casting feeding project verifies the critical value of high-precision 3D vision for complex industrial scenarios. Controlling vision positioning accuracy at the millimeter level not only elevates automation levels, but also fulfills production targets of high recognition rate, fast cycle time and superior stability.

On the path toward intelligent manufacturing transformation, reliable and precise visual perception has become the core technical support to bridge the "last mile" of automation.