Balluff Launches Advanced BVS Vision-Based Sensor

Balluff has introduced an advanced BVS vision-based sensor with increased functionality and an advanced vision sensing capability. The new advanced BVS, which is said to be available at a lower cost than traditional vision sensors, adds 360deg part-rotation recognition, which enables infinite part position recognition. All configured inspections are also compensated for the parts rotation, minimising the need to tightly fixture parts while reducing setup costs.

The new BVS's added output logic functionality provides the ability to link any tool or combination of tools to any output. This allows the inspection to be customised to any production situation where simple inspection results are not enough. The new BVS uses an updated version of the free Convis configuration and emulation software. This Convis 1.2 software supports all sensors in the BVS line and provides added functionality, including Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for remotely assigning IP addresses and rotatable tool regions for tool flexibility and use. In most production error-proofing situations, vision sensors or vision systems can be too expensive and too complex.

As BVS can be configured and used like a smart sensor, it is much easier to set up and use than other complex vision solutions and yet it provides more functionality than any discrete sensor array, according to the company. The BVS vision-based sensor is designed to be an extension of a customer's present sensor-based error proofing system. It provides part or feature presence/absence and inspection, position detection and dimension verification, all in one product. Balluff claims that this single-unit sensor can replace expensive, cumbersome multi-sensor solutions.