Lumenera USB 2.0 Cameras Deployed in Next Generation Tire-Testing System
                  
L-Ray®, a leading industry developer of tire-testing systems, recently introduced Differometric Digital Tire Test Machines – an optically-based system that relies on the advanced capabilities of Lumenera’s USB 2.0 cameras.

In developing its latest machine, L-Ray found themselves up against several challenges including lengthy tire testing times, high production costs, space constraints, and difficult to understand results. Testing a tire through the conventional standard using shearography – a technique developed more than 25 years ago, could take up to 20 minutes per tire and cost as much as $10. Additionally, shearography produced confusing, hard-to-interpret results because all tire anomalies (when the layers or plies of a tire separate) appeared as laterally displaced images.

In order to succeed, L-Ray required a new non-destructive system that promised to quickly and inexpensively test tires. The implementation of Lumenera’s USB 2.0 cameras, along with a new testing technique – differometry, greatly contributed to L-Ray’s feat in creating a product that could meet all of their needs, including:

• Significantly reduce testing time: the use of the latest technology available, including Lumenera’s high quality and performance cameras, cut testing time to 26 seconds.
• Dramatically reduce costs: testing cost is down to less than 50 cents. When development of the new tire tester began in 2000, the cost of components was around $100,000. A sharp drop in the cost of today’s advanced solutions has brought down the component cost to just a few thousand dollars.
• Easily interpreted results: Through the use of proprietary algorithms, installing 4 cameras instead of just one, and 16 laser diodes instead of a single light source, test results are easily understood by a technician.
• Meet tight system space constraints: Lumenera’s small form-factor allows for 4 cameras to fit inside a tire. Thanks to carefully designed optics, each camera is capable of capturing precise images of the inside of one tire quadrant, although the cameras are only the size of a deck of cards.
• High quality images for precise analysis: Through Lumenera’s high quality images, the tire-testing machine is able to display results and single out any anomalies, specifically where the anomaly actually lies, its size and intensity. The differences between images are processed by algorithms into an easy-to-comprehend output, and allows for the automated rejection of defective tires.
• Real-time results: With the improved use of optics, light and reflection, this machine utilizes a digital CCD camera where results are provided in “Real-Time”. 
  

After years of development and several million dollars in expense, the tire-testing product is in production and being deployed. Besides testing the 190 million or more passenger tires shipped in the US every year, the system can be used to test recapped or retreaded tires. Rehabilitated tires are used for the US Postal Service fleet as well as in trucking, military and aerospace applications.

L-RAY
118 Indianwood Road
Lake Orion, Michigan 48362-1509
(t): (248) 814-6900
(f): (248) 814-6901
sales@lray.com
www.lray.com

L-Ray®

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