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Home / Case studies / Metal positioning with short-exposure strobe lighting
Application study · High-speed inspection development

Metal positioning at a source-reported 4 µs exposure

The source pairs a bright rectangular metal target with a 4 µs exposure and a strobe coaxial light. It demonstrates useful signal at that short exposure; the source does not state that the target was moving or report a production speed.

A short exposure needs a verified light-and-trigger recipe before it becomes a motion-freezing claim.

  • MethodStrobe coaxial white light
  • EvidenceReal application-lab capture
  • SetupSource light identified; imaging kit proposed
  • AcceptanceValidate on your own parts
3D view of the inspection set-up: camera, lens, light and partDrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
3D illustration · real CAD where available
Walk through this setup 5 guided stops
From component to inspection

Understand each choice.

Choose a stop to frame the part in 3D and see why it belongs in this setup. The component notes and links remain available if 3D cannot load.

Camera and available lens CAD are published models. Lens and light envelopes use printed dimensions. The linked station uses its published base size and column height; carriage, brackets, fittings, parts and spacing are illustrative. Confirm load, travel, fasteners and clearances before ordering. Light paths explain the arrangement and do not simulate optical performance. Representative part geometry is illustrative, not reconstructed inspection evidence.

From the demo to your test bench

Build around the parts you can buy.

Explore each component, check its specifications and compare alternatives. The proposed quote includes the linked test station; its catalog listing includes two lighting holders.

Mount the optics with intent

The station is an optical test bench, with its two lighting holders included in the catalog listing. The 3D column and base follow the published height and footprint. Carriages, clamps and part supports are schematic: confirm camera screw pattern, lens support, light fasteners, permissible load and actual travel before ordering.

Configure the mounting station →

Complete the electrical system

Use the matched LS-BPS24120C-4TD strobe controller identified in the light specification, subject to supplier confirmation of the complete light, pulse and duty-cycle recipe. Confirm triggering, cables and PC. A standard steady-output light controller is not a substitute.

Lighting application-lab catalog capture

Evidence you can inspect

Visible in the images

A bright rectangular target is visible against the darker background.

What the source reports

The source explicitly gives a 4 µs exposure for this strobe-coaxial metal-positioning capture.

How to use this evidence

The source supplies no movement speed, pulse duration, trigger jitter or positioning accuracy. It cannot establish a production inspection rate.

What the camera saw

Cropped from the source test sheet; original test annotations are retained. Captures are not generated or enhanced. Drag the comparison slider or use the image buttons.

Source metal-positioning capture labelled with a 4 µs exposure under the strobe coaxial light.
Source metal-positioning capture labelled with a 4 µs exposure under the strobe coaxial light.

The challenge

Short exposures reduce collected light. A sharp edge can become unusably dark before its motion blur is small enough.

Camera exposure, light pulse, trigger timing and ambient light all contribute to the final image.

How it was solved

The catalog identifies the white LS-SCOS40 and labels this metal-positioning capture with a 4 µs exposure. It gives no target speed or pulse-width measurement.

The proposed MV-CS050-10GC supports a published 1–14 µs UltraShort exposure mode. Its timing and strobe synchronization still need to be verified with the matched controller.

Why it works

  1. 1

    A synchronized strobe can deliver useful light during a short camera exposure.

  2. 2

    Object travel is speed multiplied by effective exposure time. A calculated travel value is an engineering scenario, not a measured blur or demonstrated throughput from this source.

From image contrast to a production decision

What to validate on your part

A useful sample image is the starting point. These are the checks that turn the concept into a defensible inspection.

  1. 01

    Measure the timing

    Verify camera exposure, light pulse, trigger delay and jitter together.

  2. 02

    Test actual movement

    Image the real target at maximum speed and compare edge localization and blur.

  3. 03

    Check the thermal recipe

    Confirm controller compatibility, pulse current, permitted duty cycle and ambient-light rejection.

Explore your inspection requirements

How many pixels cover your feature?

Compare feature coverage, camera pixel requirements and exposure using your own planning inputs. These are calculated planning values, not inspection results or an accuracy specification.

Editable planning scenario. Adjust these example inputs for your application; they are separate from the source test and 3D setup. Motion allowance and target coverage are starting points to validate, not acceptance limits. Pixel count starts from the proposed camera's catalog resolution.

Object sampling0.04085 mm/px
Pixels across feature12.24 px
Horizontal pixels for target1000 px
Motion during exposure0.2448 px
Exposure ceiling from motion204.2 µs
Formulas and assumptions

The field, feature, speed and exposure start with neutral example values. They are not taken from the source test or the 3D illustration. Allowed motion starts at an editable 0.5-pixel example; it is not a recommended acceptance limit. Target coverage starts at an editable 5-pixel example; it is not a recommended detection or measurement threshold. The horizontal pixel count starts from the catalog Resolution row for MV-CS050-10GC. Use the effective width after cropping, binning or decimation if those modes are enabled.

  • Object sampling (mm/px) = field width (mm) / horizontal pixels.
  • Pixels across feature = feature width (mm) / object sampling (mm/px).
  • Horizontal pixels for target = field width (mm) × target pixels across feature / feature width (mm), rounded up to a whole pixel.
  • Motion (px) = speed (mm/s) × exposure (µs) / 1,000,000 / object sampling (mm/px).
  • Exposure for allowed motion (µs) = allowed motion (px) × object sampling (mm/px) / speed (mm/s) × 1,000,000.

The exposure result is the maximum duration from this motion allowance alone. At zero speed, motion sets no exposure limit; the camera, lighting, saturation and other constraints still apply. A shorter exposure does not itself guarantee a reliable inspection.

Field width and feature width refer to the same object plane. The motion calculation assumes uniform linear motion parallel to the field-width direction and a single exposure. It does not model perspective, vibration, rolling-shutter distortion, diffraction, defocus or optical distortion. A strobe may change the effective exposure.

The target result is a horizontal sampling requirement, not a camera recommendation or a change to the selected camera. It uses the effective image width after cropping, binning or decimation and does not determine the vertical resolution or sensor size. Pixel coverage alone does not establish detectability or measurement accuracy. Validate contrast, lens performance, working distance, illumination, calibration, camera exposure limits and the inspection algorithm on representative parts. Changing field width does not change the 3D model or certify that the proposed lens can achieve that field.

The set-up and the parts

LightingStrobe coaxial white light
Test lightLS-SCOS40
Exposure (source reported)4 µs
Source speedNot supplied
Camera and lensSource versions not identified; current proposed parts below
3D spacingIllustrative, to be confirmed on the sample
Derived proposed field33.7824 × 28.2624 mm = sensor dimensions / 0.25x; source field not supplied
Mounting (proposed)LS-BT-XZ-G-6-6045; 600 mm column, 600 × 450 mm base, glass tray and two light holders

"Tested" identifies the part named in the source. "Our pick" is a proposed alternative or supporting part. The quote includes only cards marked "In proposed setup", with the quantities shown; other test arrangements are separate. Confirm colour, optics, controllers, power supplies, cables and mounting before ordering.

About this case study: the photos and camera images come from the application laboratory of the maker of the lighting and optics we sell, imaged on the parts shown; your results depend on your part, camera and set-up. This is an application-lab study, not a LumaSpec customer deployment. Source figures are reported results; proposed components require a fresh trial. The 3D scene illustrates the arrangement and does not simulate imaging performance.

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