Contact Image Sensors

In the growing market of Surface Vision / Machine Vision solutions, image quality, resolution and ease of integration are becoming more and more important success factors. Automating previously manual quality controls opens up a large potential for cost reduction. Especially the possibility to not only detect defects but control the entire process and start countermeasures before defects actually occur provides additional production capacity and a reduction of production costs.

In addition, the area of detection, selection and positioning and measurement provides a wide area of application for optical solutions.

For several decades, Mitsubishi Electric has been the worldwide leading supplier of CMOS chip-based Contact Image Sensors (CIS) for professional image capture. These sensors, marketed under the name Mitsubishi Electric - Line Scan Bar, feature not only high image quality, resolution and line rate, but also a very compact design ideal for integration in machines or mechanical devices.

Through consistent and continuous further development of the CIS technology, Mitsubishi Electric offers the sensors in increasingly higher resolutions
speeds and larger scanning-widths. The Line Scan Bar is therefore not only a real alternative to well-known line scan cameras, but it also offers a whole series of additional benefits.

Mitsubishi Electric's "Preferred Distributors" STEMMER IMAGING GmbH and ImageS demonstrate the manifold applications of Mitsubishi Electric CIS KD – Contact Image Sensors. Watch the video.

The Mitsubishi Electric - Line Scan Bar is a CMOS-based sensor for optical image capture. The image is captured line-by-line, and this data is then composited into a complete image by an external frame grabber card. The light reflected by an object through a lens is recorded in the Line Scan Bar and directed to a photodiode. This converts the incoming light into an electrical signal whose strength is proportional to the light intensity. In an analogue to digital converter, the signal is finally converted into an 8- or 10-bit value. An essential part of the Line Scan Bar is the ‘Grin lens’ - a gradient-index lens, allowing distortion-free 1:1 representation of the object on the sensor surface, thereby crucially contributing to the high image recording quality without any optical distortions. The sensor is also a trilinear sensor, i.e. it has a separate sensitive area for red, green and blue light. It is therefore a true colour sensor that records true-colour images. For applications that do not require a RGB image, the sensor is also available in a monochrome version that only detects gray values.

Integrated LED illumination

A highly intensive and homogeneous LED illumination is integrated directly in the frame of the sensor housing. The illumination is therefore always optimally aligned on the sensor. Cumbersome calibration and alignment of external light sources is unnecessary. Another advantage is that an additional power supply can be omitted.
For inspection tasks in transmitted light or in special lighting specifications, our sensors are also optionally available without integrated LED illumination.

Integrated optics

In conventional line scan cameras, the image is distorted towards the edge by the lens used. The Line Scan Bar, however, guarantees a distortion-free 1:1 copy of the object. This is achieved by means of a specially designed array of rod lenses, GRIN lenses, with a defined working distance that produce the necessary telecentric captured radiation. This is an optimal prerequisite for the quality inspection of problematic surfaces. Furthermore, it also eliminates the need for time-consuming alignment or focus during the commissioning.

Sensor ICs

The Mitsubishi Electric - Line Scan Bar uses CMOS high-end chips for high-speed image acquisition, a defined pixel size of 0,042 mm and real trilinear CMOS chips with RGB filters.
For applications in which no RGB image is necessary, a monochrome CIS sensor is also available.

Compact design

Due to its very compact design, the sensor only requires a fraction of the space that a system still based on line scan cameras would need. This allows system integrators and machine manufacturers more installation options when integrating the sensors in machines or systems - and important cost savings.

Easy mounting and installation

The Line Scan Bar is mounted to the side of the machine wall by just four screws at a working distance of 12 mm from the protective glass surface. Then the power cable and the data cable are simply plugged in, and assembly is completed. Time-consuming calibration, alignment or other settings are no longer necessary. The Line Scan Bar is pre-calibrated at the factory with a white/black correction. Compared with the assembly of a normal line camera system, a time-saving of up to two days assembly time can be achieved with the Line Scan Bar from Mitsubishi Electric.

Low service costs

Thanks to its easy installation, any replacement of the Line Scan Bar that is required can be done by the in-house technicians. There are no costs for deployment of service staff. Here also, there is an enormous savings potential for the end-user and the system integrator or machine manufacturer.

Sophisticated surface check
• Lithium Ion Battery production
• Paper
• Foil
• Textiles
• Metal
• Wood
• Flat glass
• Other web-feed products

Printing inspection
• Paper
• Foil
• Textile
• Analogue and Digital Print applications

Inspection of optical security features
• Holograms
• Foil elements
• Bank notes and IDs

Robot and machine vision
• Sorting
• 2D-Robot Vision
• 2D measurement
• Position monitoring
• Orientation monitoring

Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.
German Branch
Mitsubishi-Electric-Platz 1
D-40882 Ratingen

Phone.: +49 (0) 2102-486 4681
Fax: +49 (0) 2102-486 7880

martin.messy@meg.mee.com
markus.koehler@meg.mee.com
mareike.damm@meg.mee.com

CIS.Support.MEU@meg.mee.com