The Application of Ultraviolet Light in Machine Vision
What is UV Ultraviolet Light?
Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 10 to 400 nanometers, divided into three distinct bands. The spectral range between 300-400 nanometers is referred to as the near-ultraviolet band, which is further divided into UV-A (315-400 nanometers) and UV-B (280-315 nanometers) sub-bands. Below 300 nanometers, the UV-C band covers wavelengths from 100 to 280 nanometers. In machine vision applications, the most commonly used wavelengths are within the UV-A band, with 365 nanometers and 395 nanometers being the most common.
UV light can be utilized in machine vision applications to detect features that are not detectable with visible light. Due to being absorbed by many materials, UV light can capture images of surfaces of products, and because of its shorter wavelength compared to visible light, it is scattered by surface features on the product.
In machine vision systems, UV light is typically applied in two different ways. In UV illumination reflection imaging applications, UV light is applied to the object and images are captured using monochrome or color cameras sensitive to UV. In UV fluorescence imaging, the surface of the object is again illuminated with UV light. For products containing fluorescent whitening agents such as paint, plastic, printing ink, and dyes, these fluorescent materials absorb UV radiation and then emit longer wavelengths of scattered light. The difference between the absorption and emission spectra is called the Stokes shift.
In industry, the applications of ultraviolet light include detecting coating defects, leak detection, detecting pathogens and microorganisms, food inspection, etc. The use of ultraviolet light in machine vision provides an effective means to detect and analyze various materials and surface characteristics, thereby enhancing product quality and production efficiency.
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