Case Study | Precision Inspection Inside a Rotary Die Cutter
A 1,800 dpi CIS line-scan camera fits inside a rotary die cutter with a 90 mm body and 15 mm working distance. Its 14 µm, 1:1 imaging and 2.5D inspection detect defects in film, adhesive, and foil without machine redesign. The reported result: 99.98% inspection accuracy, 100% defect detection, and 70% less space used.
The challenge
A supplier of precision components needed to inspect keyboard adhesive inside a rotary die cutter. The cramped installation area ruled out a conventional line-scan camera. Blue film, black adhesive, graphite, and aluminum foil also demanded different lighting and defect-detection methods. The target was 0.01 mm measurement accuracy; a 0.05 mm gap in the black adhesive could affect conductivity.
Why the former approach fell short
The customer's rotary die-cutting line handles several thin materials in one compact machine. Manual checks could miss a small adhesive gap or a burr on the blue film, but a conventional line-scan camera and external light would not fit at the outlet. The vision unit also had to accommodate rapid product changeovers without rebuilding the machine.
How the images are used
The CIS unit combines camera, optics, and lighting in a compact assembly. Uniform 1:1 imaging keeps the measurement scale stable across the full field, so the same station can check dimensions and surface defects. Timed illumination produces different appearances for raised or recessed features; the processing software can separate them from flat contamination.
A compact CIS solution
INSNEX installed a 1,800 dpi CIS line-scan camera with a 90 mm body and 15 mm working distance at the machine outlet. Its 14 µm, distortion-free 1:1 imaging supports accurate dimensional inspection without redesigning the die cutter.
Timed strobes and photometric-stereo processing add 2.5D surface information. They help distinguish pits, raised features, scratches, and contamination on film and foil.
Reported results
The customer reported 99.98% accuracy for black-adhesive inspection, 100% detection of blue-film and foil defects, and a 70% smaller installation footprint than a conventional camera-and-light setup. The camera was installed without modifying the die cutter.
“These orders leave no room for a 0.1% error. INSNEX's CIS camera helped us meet the inspection requirements and improve customer confidence.” — Customer quality engineer
