Background: Part numbers used to identify jet engine components are alphanumerics peened into the surface of the part. Frequent errors occur when these numbers are recorded manually. A system was needed to read the numbers directly into a computer.

Project: Product Resources was contracted to design a hand-held reader which could be used on the shop floor to record numbers directly from the surface of metal parts. The numbers are peened into the surface in a dot matrix pattern similar to that used by dot matrix printers. Each number consists of up to ten alphanumeric characters less than 0.18 inches tall. The reader designed by Product Resources is gun-shaped and contains a miniature video camera with a closeup lens and a three-inch video monitor to display the camera image. LED's in the gun illuminate the number either obliquely or directly depending upon the characteristics of the metal surface. The operator locates the part number on the video screen and pulls the trigger. The video frame is transmitted to an industrial computer, which reads the number using character recognition software. The reader is ruggedly constructed to withstand rough treatment, but light enough to be used continuously in a production environment.

Technologies: object and character recognition (OCR) interface/integration, optics, video signal transmission, digital logic, ergonomics, plastics molding

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