SMALL CALIBER PRIMER AUTOMATED INSPECTION SYSTEM

A SYSTEM UTILIZING THE COMPANY'S RAM 200 VISION MACHINE IS DESCRIBED. IT PROVIDES A NON-CONTACT ON-LINE NON-OPERATOR DEPENDENT INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR SMALL CALIBER PRIMER. THE HARDWARE CONSISTS OF A MACHINE VISION SYSTEM INCLUDING LIGHTS CAMERAS, ETC., UTILIZING ULTRA HIGH SPEED ECL GATE ARRAY TEMPLATE MATCHING TOGETHER WITH EQUIPMENT TO HANDLE THE PRIMERS THROUGH THE INSPECTION PROCESS. PRIMERS TO BE INSPECTED WILL FIRST BE ORIENTED BY THE HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND THEN PASSED UNDER THIS SYSTEM'S CAMERAS. DEFECTIVE PRIMERS WILL BE MARKED FOR AUTOMATIC REJECTION LATER. THE PRIMERS WILL THAN BE AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OVER AND THE INSPECTION REPEATED. SUBSEQUENTLY MARKED PRIMERS WILL BE REJECTED. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT ONE RAM 200 VISION MACHINE WILL BE CAPABLE OF HANDLING, USING A MULTI-CAMERA SET UP THE ENTIRE 2.1 MILLION DAILY PRIMER INSPECTIONS WITHIN AN EIGHT HOUR PERIOD.