Helix 200HDR Sensor

Perceptron has extended the performance range of its HELIX smart scanning sensor with the addition of a high power version, offering higher dynamic range. The new HELIX 200HDR sensor offers an adjustable power range up to the maximum permitted for a Class 3R laser. The higher power allows more complex measurement applications, including inspection of highly reflective metallic surfaces such as machined aluminum castings. The HELIX 200HDR produces a thinner laser line and offers a higher measurement resolution ideally suited for the inspection of complex aerospace machined parts and assemblies.

Perceptron's CEO Jeff Armstrong states "Perceptron is a leader in supplying automated metrology using robotic technology to the automotive sector, technology that is used in the most demanding production line applications. HELIX allows us to deliver Robotic Inspection Cells for production metrology applications that are flexible and freely-programmable, allowing our customers to monitor their product in real-time. The extended-range HELIX 200HDR smart sensor further extends our measuring reach into both additional automotive applications and the aerospace sector."

The patented HELIX smart scanning sensor is used extensively throughout the global automotive industry for in-process laser scanning of car bodies for dimensional stability and gap-and-flush measurement. HELIX incorporates MEMS technology and offers a programmable laser scanner, where the laser line quantity, density, length and orientation characteristics are all user-programmable. This eliminates the need to physically move the laser unit during scanning, which helps ensure both accurate and repeatable measurement results.

All motion is contained within the HELIX smart-scanning sensor, dramatically improving the quality and accuracy of scanned data and allowing the capture of multiple part features in one sensor position. HELIX contains an imbedded accelerometer to determine real-time sensor orientation and has been developed specifically for advanced robotic inspection applications where the robot moves the sensor to discrete measuring positions from which the HELIX sensor can collect all required measuring data.

The scanned dataset from HELIX is streamed real-time into a shop-hardened control system which uses Perceptron proprietary VECTOR software which allows automatic part feature geometry extraction from the generated point cloud for dimensional analysis.