The Mico sensor by Smartray has the same form factor as a standard weld torch allowing complete integration of weld inspections on most production lines. The thin and compact shape enables customers to weld and inspect with 100% correspondence as the tool centre point of both systems is identical. The tiny sensor has a resolution a little over 1.000px on a field of view of 40mm. Consequently, the lateral resolution of this sensor is 40µm. This allows for detection of very fine defects on a weld. Typically customers require a sensor to identify defects of a size of about 0,5mm, and sometimes 0,3 or 0,2mm. This sensor can reliably detect defects of 0,2mm in diameter. The sensor operates at about 3kHz, taking 3000 profile cuts per second. The regular inspection speed of this sensor is 200mm/s. With this new design, Smartray has also allowed for internal wiring through the hollow wrist of the robot, eliminating the need for external robot dress packs. This is not only more cost-effective, but predominantly more advantageous in terms of reachability, as the blocking contours of a dress pack is avoided. Maintenance time is reduced as the wear and tear of these cables decreases and eliminates the need for an adapter cable, which typically goes from the robot wrist to the sensor, so there is one less cable in the cable chain.
