5 Considerations to Make When Purchasing a Vision System

Vision protection of injection molds is an important investment, and when deciding what is the best there are a few considerations you should make.

1. Industry Expertise – Would you bring a Ferrari to a Ford shop to be serviced? Of course not. So why settle for a company that does not specialize in your industry?When looking into a company you should consider where their focus and expertise lie.At Avalon Vision Solutions, we specialize specifically in vision protection for the injection molding and die cast industries. There is no other company with our expertise.
2. Ease of Use – Ease of use is one of the most important aspects of a vision inspection system. You may not always have a vision expert on staff, and at times there may not be any team members that know how to work a vision system.With this in mind, the vision solution you ultimately chose should be easy to install and easy to use by any trained member on the shop floor.Our touch screen, Windows based controller is easy to use. After the initial installation, the system can be easily navigated. Even better, if you are worried employees may tamper with the vision system, we have password protection of specific parameters within our products to prevent any unintended adjustments. That’s ease of use and ease of mind.
3. Ability to Interface with all Presses – Most companies require an integrator for the vision products to be implemented. This could potentially mean that every time you want to change the system to another press or change the mold, you will have to call the technical expert to make the necessary changes. This costs time and money.At Avalon, our solution can interface with all presses right out of the box. No integrator is needed!Plus, with our new AutoWindows feature, you can easily set up on a new mold quickly.
4. Lead Time – Typically, people do not think of vision protection until after there is an issue, which means you need the system today – not months down the road. It is always important to ask the lead time to make sure that the timeline matches with the need of you and the company. Also, be sure to take into consideration the installation time (which can be weeks or months for integrators) and any training period.When purchasing a MoldWatcher or QualityStation, Avalon’s lead time is 2-3 weeks and training with installation is only 1-2 days.
5. Lighting – One important feature of a vision system is the lighting. It may not seem important, but it plays a major role in the function of the vision system when integrated into the process. If a company is using insufficient lighting it can cause false rejects/accepts or be non-functional.Avalon’s Near-IR lighting is patented and created specifically for the use on injection molding and die cast machines. Unlike other companies who use traditional lighting – such as ring lights – our lighting will not be affected by the everyday work environment.

When purchasing vision protection for your press, there are many considerations to make. With Avalon, you can always have the peace of mind that you have made the right choice.