Industrial Automation Magazine India

This is our first trade show in India; our focus area is factory automation

Published on : Thursday 05-10-2023

Charlie Yang, General Manager, DFI America LLC.

What are the highlights of DFI exhibits at Automation Expo 2023?
We are participating in a trade show for the first time in India. Our focus area is factory automation and we are demonstrating two main products – one is a machine vision based inspection system and the other, a controller for AGV, an automated guided vehicle. The machine vision system is equipped with a vision sensor for camera and PC-based controller to provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis. In a high production environment it is not possible for human operators to check each product for defects, so this machine vision system can be used in automated production lines for precision inspection and defect detection, which also provides quality assurance besides speeding up the production process.
 
The AGV we are demonstrating with an Indian partner uses our Intel board inside, a controller with wireless function for remote control of the AGV in warehouse management. So what we have inside is our latest 3.5-inch embedded SBC motherboard, an Intel Core processor based solution that is ideal for limited space environments like AGV on the shop floor or robotic arm control. So these are the two main applications we are demonstrating.
 
Are the machine vision solutions offered by DFI for defect detection vendor neutral for cameras and other accessories?
Yes, we offer the vision sensor and controller and the system integrators work with the customers, who will use either the Ethernet or USB to connect their camera to get the system running.
 
Apart from the two mentioned above, what are the other products seen here at the booth?
Yes, there are also some other products used in smart factory automation, for example, the panel PC on display here, which is also known as the HMI – Human Machine Interface. This can be used for controlling the machine, also to monitor the status of the machine, so it will be much easier for the operator or other people in the factory to understand what is happening. If they see the temperature or pressure go up, they will see there's some problem with that machine and initiate corrective measures.
 
What about the data solutions – is it a cloud based storage of data or on the edge?
Yes, we use both solutions for data. For edge computing we have a lot of solutions in the product. Normally we use a box PC to connect with all the sensors to collect the data and once the data comes to the edge computer, it is processed first and then after that it will go back to the cloud for cloud analyses.
 
The ECX700-AL displayed here, for example, is a ruggedised x86 PC for outdoor edge computing applications. Features like high performance capabilities, compact size, and high durability makes it an ideal solution for outdoor operations. The ECX700-AL is a rugged computer with a waterproof and dust-proof design to withstand harsh environments and any type of climate. Stable performance is ensured with its wide operating temperature of -40 to 70 degrees Celsius. It is also equipped with a smart vent that drains water automatically, preventing typical problems such as condensation within the system or excessive heat. This makes it suitable for marine fields, apart automotive, defence, medical, energy and other industries including gaming!
 
One of the core product ranges of DFI is the embedded systems. Please tell us more

DFI has on display different from factor motherboards. Here we have demonstrated the ATX, one of our top ranges known for high performance computing solutions and 7 different dispersion slots. With robust processors, expandable memory and high speed graphics analysis, it is suitable for applications with heavy workloads like defect inspection, medical imaging, smart diagnosis, etc. Customers can connect the ATX with the PCIe or PCI card and then they can use applications like machine vision through this main board. At the same time we also demonstrated a lot of small form factor motherboards here because we all know electronic devices are getting smaller and smaller. Once they get smaller, they need a small board inside it. So it's not possible to put an ATX inside. So we developed many different types of smaller boards, like the one here from 1.8 inch which is your business card size, to a 3.5 inch board that is mostly used in HMIs. So this is our very rich portfolio here, but we barely demonstrate 10% of our products range, here!
 
How do you see the Indian market growing for DFI?
This is our first trade show here and it is a major exhibition; we are very excited to be here. We actually started looking at the Indian market about five years ago and have some customers here. Now we have also appointed local distributors (see box), as India is a very big country, a big market. At the moment we do not have a big revenue, but over the next two or three years we see much opportunity for growth. The few customers we have here are happy about the quality of DFI products and the service we offer.