Machine Vision

 

Basler’s eXcite and HALCON Software in a New Edge Inspection System

Solar cell wafers with more than minimal cracking on the edges can cause serious problems on a solar cell production line. If the wafers break during the production process, significant downtime of the production machinery can result. And if cells with edge breakage do make it out of production, they often fail quickly. The prototype of Basler's newest inspection system detects broken wafer edges rapidly and reliably. Because Basler’s intelligent eXcite camera is used in the system, components such as a PC and other operational controls are no longer needed. This makes the system extremely compact and much easier to integrate into production equipment. In addition, the use of MVTec’s HALCON software package for image processing in the eXcite guarantees robust performance and reliable inspection results.

After the inspection system is installed and parameters are set, the system will operate without the need for active control by the user. The eXcite camera transmits inspection results to the production equipment and defective wafers can be immediately removed from the production line. Visualization of the inspection results can be done remotely on any PC connected to the equipment's network.

According to Ulli Kyas, product manager for the inspection system, "The excellent fit between eXcite and HALCON software helped us develop the new system in a very short time frame. This is quite important if you want to enter fast growing or rapidly changing areas such as the semiconductor market or the new photovoltaic market". In addition to the small form factor of the eXcite, the ease of adapting the powerful, integrated HALCON software to new inspection tasks means that the system can be quickly tailored to the changing requirements of a young market.

This rapid adaptability is a key success factor, and we are looking forward to many sunny days in the near future.