Reading stamped numbers on hot billets and slabs
A cut hot billet stops on the roller line; an enclosed camera images its end-face stamp. Characters extracted using a filtered view and low-angle light are matched to the traceability record; a missing character is shown as NG.
The read number and end-face image are linked to the traceability record; a missing character or unmatched record produces an operator inspection request.
- 01 Billet
- 02 Filter
- 03 Acquire
- 04 Read
- 05 Record
The cut billet stops in the reading position.
- Read characters
- —
- Missing characters
- —
- Record match
- —
Scenes are illustrative simulations; they are not customer references or performance guarantees.
Need
Radiation from the hot end face, scale and weak stamp shadows obscure character boundaries. A view protected from heat and glare is needed together with record matching.
Solution approach
An enclosure and heat shield protect the camera; a filter and narrow-band illumination limit the effect of surface radiation. Low-angle bar light casts shadows from stamp relief. Character regions are read by OCR and compared with the expected cast-sequence record.
Process steps
- 01
Billet
The cut billet stops in the reading position.
- 02
Filter
Shielding and filtered light make the stamp visible.
- 03
Acquire
Character regions are extracted from the end-face image.
- 04
Read
The OCR result is matched to the expected record.
- 05
Record
An inspection request is issued for a missing character.
Related applications
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