Inspection station assembly manual
The camera is only one part. Reliable detection requires the same position, distance and light every time. This manual defines a minimum rig, a production cell and a large-part station.
The short answer
Start with a rigid overhead UVC camera, two diffused LED bars, a physical jig on an illuminated opal-white acrylic bed, and Windows 11 running Chrome or Edge. Do not rely on ceiling light or hold the camera/tablet by hand.
More important than megapixels: the camera must not move and the light must not change.What the image must look like
Camera at 90°
Keep the lens parallel to the bed and centred. Recommended tilt is no more than 1°.
Two lighting systems
The illuminated white bed evens the background; top bars at 45° reveal hair, chips, insects and surface dirt.
Block ambient light
Add side panels or a hood. Sunlight, people shadows and factory lights change the reading.
Repeatable jig
Use removable physical stops so the part lands in the same place. A line drawn on acrylic is not enough.
Choose the structure
These dimensions are starting points. Choose by the inspection area that must fit in the image, not the machine envelope.
Compact bench
Pilot and low rate, parts up to 300 × 220 mm
- Approx. 450 × 350 × 650 mm
- Logitech C920s or IPEVO V4K PRO (UVC)
- Existing Windows 11 laptop, or N100/N200 mini PC with 8 GB RAM
3 mm opal acrylic, 60–100 mm light-box depth, two 300–400 mm LED bars and 2020/3030 column. Camera 250–400 mm above part.
Production cell
Daily use, parts up to 600 × 450 mm
- Approx. 700 × 600 × 1,000 mm
- IDS uEye XC — select the UVC variant
- Fanless Windows 11 PC, N100/N200 or better, 8 GB + 15-inch touchscreen
3030 frame, white hood, 5 mm acrylic or glass plus diffuser, 5000 K LED bars at 45°, cable ducts and physical master power.
Conveyor portal
Panels and mats up to about 800 × 600 mm per zone
- Approx. 1,100 × 1,000 × 1,600 mm
- 1 × centred IDS uEye XC UVC, adjustable height
- Industrial/fanless Windows 11 PC, 8–16 GB + 15–21-inch display
Closed tunnel, black entrance/exit curtains, four diffused LED bars, backlight section under the zone and a stop/sensor for repeatable position.
Shopping list and suppliers
Models are selected for browser-compatible UVC operation. Confirm stock, lead time and connector before ordering.
Logitech C920s
1080p · autofocus · USB-A · tripod thread
IPEVO V4K PRO
UVC · 8 MP · articulated arm · USB-A
IDS uEye XC UVC Starter Set
13 MP · UVC plug-and-play · 100 mm–∞ focus · USB 3
Surface Go 4 for Business
Windows 11 Pro · Intel N200 · 8 GB · USB-C
Opal white acrylic sheet
LED-grade opal/milky white · 35–50% transmission · 3–4 mm
Diffused 5000 K LED bar
2 bars · CRI/Ra ≥ 90 · fixed brightness · stable DC supply
2020/3030 aluminium extrusion
rigid column, brackets, T nuts and levelling feet
Overhead 1/4-20 camera mount
rigid metal base; do not use a flexible arm during inspection
Assembly: zero to first test
Build the base
Use a closed, ventilated box. Keep LEDs 60–100 mm below the acrylic so individual dots disappear. Make the interior white.
Fit the acrylic
Use opal/milky white, not transparent or opaque white. Support all four edges. Heavy parts need 5 mm or tempered glass over a diffuser.
Make the jig
Use removable stops of equal height, outside the analysis area. Measure the internal width and height in mm.
Fix camera and top lights
Centre the camera at 90°. Mount two symmetrical 45° bars outside lens reflections and lock every fastener.
Connect the computer
Prefer direct USB and a cable up to 3 m. On a Windows tablet use a powered USB-C hub. Open Chrome/Edge and allow the camera.
Register and tune
Enter the jig inner dimensions on Parts. Set the frame, register a good baseline, then tune sensitivity and minimum area.
Lighting recipe
- Colour temperature: 5000 K (4000–5500 K acceptable).
- CRI/Ra 90 or higher.
- Start at 2,000–5,000 lux on the part plane.
- Uniformity: darkest corner at least 80% of the centre.
- Fixed brightness and stable DC supply; avoid cheap PWM/flickering strips.
- After calibration, do not use auto brightness or change light height.
Optical bed: correct acrylic and top/bottom light ratio
White foam needs a material that fully diffuses LED points without visually merging the part and background. Use this specification for bench and production stations.
- Material
- LED-backlight opal/milky-white PMMAJapan search term: 乳半アクリル板 LED拡散. No individual LED may remain visible.
- Thickness
- 3–4 mm bench; 5 mm or glass over diffuser for heavier partsSupport all four edges. Structural glass does not replace the diffuser.
- Transmission
- 35–50%; initial target about 40–45%Clear sheet passes too much direct light; opaque sheet removes the backlight.
- Lower box
- Dimmable 5000 K LED, initially 80–100 mm belowReflective white interior, ventilation and no hot source touching foam.
- Top light
- Two diffused 5000 K / CRI 90+ bars at 35–45°Symmetrical, outside lens reflection and stronger than lower light.
- Camera
- Lock exposure, gain and white balanceSet white foam around RGB 190–225; 255 means clipped white.
- Part support
- Perimeter jig, 3–5 mm above diffuserDo not drag or compress foam against acrylic; keep stops outside analysis.
Initial settings
Continuous inspection
Top 100% · bottom 10–20%Preserves stains, paint, insects and texture while retaining background assistance.
Hole and tear test
Strong bottom · low topUse during acceptance to prove outline, transmitted light and missing material.
Recommended evolution
Two frames: surface + backlightWith synchronised control, each defect class receives its optimal illumination.
Computer, tablet and connection
| Device | Recommendation | How to connect |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 + Chrome/Edge | RECOMMENDED | Connect the UVC webcam by USB, open Inspection and allow camera access. Most predictable path. |
| Surface Go 4 | RECOMMENDED | A tablet-shaped full Windows PC. Use a powered USB-C hub for camera and charging together. |
| Mini PC + touchscreen | RECOMMENDED | Best fixed station. N100/N200, 8 GB and 128 GB SSD are enough for the current engine. |
| Android tablet | TEST FIRST | Built-in camera works, but external UVC support varies by manufacturer and browser. Pilot the exact model before buying a batch. |
| iPad | NOT STANDARD | Useful for dashboards, but not the approved external-camera endpoint for this station. |
| Remote tablet | NOT THE CAMERA | The camera must connect to the device running Inspection. Another tablet may view dashboards but cannot supply video remotely. |
Validation before factory release
This is a pilot gate, not metrology certification. Repeat after changing camera, lens, height, lights, acrylic or jig.
- Mark camera and part positions; save an empty-station reference photo.
- Run 30 good parts: target 30/30 PASSED with no persistent box.
- Prepare hair, chip, simulated insect, coloured plastic and stain samples.
- Test each at centre + four corners: target 25/25 PROBLEM.
- Repeat with the part moved against every jig stop.
- Run for 30 minutes and repeat five tests for heat/flicker drift.
- Save sharp samples as references and record camera model/serial in the line procedure.
- If one case fails, do not only raise sensitivity. Fix light, focus, shadow and position first.
Installations that make detection unstable
Camera on a flexible arm or laptop display.
Bottom white light only, washing away surface texture.
Transparent/opaque acrylic or visible LED dots.
Loose part rotating or changing distance.
Sunlight, face or clothing inside the inspection frame.
Buying 4K as a cure: current analysis is 320 × 240; stability beats resolution.
Recommended first station
Build the compact bench with a C920s, two 5000 K/CRI 90+ LED bars, 3 mm opal acrylic, a physical jig and an existing Windows 11 PC. Pass the gate above, then replicate as a production cell with the uEye XC UVC.