by Shun Otsuki
President & Editor in Chief KINSAN FASTENER NEWS,
 

Tokyo Giken industry (Tokyo, President Kazuhisa Yokoyama) developed the VC-63, an image processing and sorting machine for micro screws and micro parts using wire conveyance, in December last year. The company has applied for a patent for this technology and plans to release it for fastener and parts manufacturers.

The VC-63 is a new model of the company's flagship product, ViewChecker. It utilizes an extremely fine wire with a thickness of 0.2 mm to rapidly convey M2-class micro screws and micro parts for inspection with multi-directional cameras. Leveraging the wire conveyance technology, a feature of ViewChecker, the VC-63 achieves high-speed conveyance of up to 500 units per minute for micro screws and finely crafted parts, which were previously considered challenging. It supports the suspended conveyance of micro screws with heads and the lateral conveyance of micro parts.

The inspection items include dimensions, presence of screw threads, irregular shapes, scratches, and detection of marks. Taking advantage of its ability to design inspection software, image processing programs, control programs, and interfaces in-house, the company has realized a highly functional and user-friendly system. Further development is underway to enable the conveyance of even smaller workpieces by reducing the wire diameter.

In the field of fastener manufacturing, there is a demand for automation. While user expectations for quality have become more sophisticated, the shortage of inspection personnel has become critical. Therefore, image processing and sorting machines capable of fully automated inspection are gaining renewed attention. Although advanced processing technology allows mass production of fine components, there has been a need for technology that can automatically inspect these products with high precision to ensure quality. The company plans to include the newly developed VC-63 in its standard lineup to meet these demands.