Manufacturers face unique challenges when tracking steel products during production. While barcoding has long been a cornerstone technology for item tracking across industries, its implementation in high-volume steel manufacturing environments presents specific hurdles. This article explores how one Japanese manufacturer leveraged machine vision to overcome these challenges.

Challenge: Inconsistent Barcode Recognition

Linear (1D) barcodes have proven reliable for decades, but their effectiveness diminishes when dealing with large steel products. These items are often cumbersome or too heavy to position consistently, making barcode scanning difficult. Additionally, factory environments can be noisy and poorly lit, further complicating manual tracking processes such as handwritten labels sprayed onto products.

Solution: GigE Zoom Cameras

The Imaging Source’s GigE color zoom cameras provided a robust solution. Featuring global and rolling shutter sensors ranging from 1.3MP to 5MP, these cameras include motorized zoom, focus, and iris controlled via PoE through the GigE interface. Their optical zoom capability allows operators to capture not only barcode data but also critical visual information about product quality—even when positioning is suboptimal or distances vary.

Image-based recognition via IC Barcode software enables tracking of both 1D and 2D barcodes in any orientation, offering greater flexibility than traditional laser scanners. This system converts barcode images into actionable data for inventory management while enabling vision-based surface inspections to detect defects like scratches or uneven textures.

By combining machine vision with advanced barcode technology, manufacturers can improve accuracy, reduce operational costs, and enhance worker safety—without compromising production efficiency.

Last Updated: 2025-09-05 00:39:39