Nitpicker: The camera-based counting system
for advanced order picking tasks
Service
Fast and efficient counting of small parts
Counting products or their parts is an everyday task that most companies perform manually or using counting scales. Whether for storage, shipping, assembly or inventory management: Counting processes often occur within many workflows and are often inefficient and inaccurate. Traditional counting scales quickly reach their limits, especially for parts with low or fluctuating weights and in environments with vibration or air movement. Their mobile use, e.g. on a trolley, is unthinkable in most cases. Our camera-based counting system is completely independent of the part weight and offers a reliable solution for all these cases, without unnecessarily straining your wallet for purchase or your patience during configuration. Correct counting is a quality feature - and can save you money and trouble with customers.
Our product flyer contains all information at a glance.
Questions?
Please contact us! We will be happy to prove the suitability of our system for your parts. Simply send us samples or you come by personally.
Use
Easy to understand operation
1.
A part is selected from the list using the built-in touch screen or a barcode scanner.
2.
The parts to be counted are distributed on the light panel. The system continuously determines the number of parts. The smaller the groups of adjacent parts, the more accurate the result. However, overlapping parts are also counted correctly within certain limits.
3.
The parts are removed from the light panel and filled into cartons, for example. Our optionally available tools and attachments for the counting machine help you to make this process as efficient as possible.
Setup
Your road to reliable counting results
Assembly
Remove the counting system from the box and assemble it using the included instructions. Connect the system to the power supply and switch on the PC and the light panel at the highest brightness level. After booting, the software starts automatically. You are ready to use in just a few minutes.
Calibration
Aim the camera at the light panel as centrally as possible using the live image. You can use the "Image Settings" dialog to restrict the area of the image to the illuminated area. Then focus the camera lens so that parts in the center and at the edge are as clear as possible. The "Calibration" function of the counting software will help you with this.
Create Parts
The automated setup makes it easy to create new types of parts. Place some parts on the light panel and open the "Create part" dialog. Assign a name and click on "Calculate". The system will then determine the optimum configuration.
Tip: Also place parts in the corners of the light panel during setup and let some parts overlap - just as it may occur during later operation. Show the system the possible "problem cases" in advance.
Modular System
Tailored to your requirements
Every company has individual needs regarding the workflow and the parts to be counted. Our modular system allows us to optimally configure Nitpicker for your application.
Nitpicker V3
Nitpicker V5
Hardware Choices
There are two variants of our nitpicker. Version 3 consists of a RaspberryPi with Linux operating system and a 7" touchscreen. It is suitable for the economical entry into camera-based counting and for example for mobile use on a trolley. Version 5 includes a faster industrial PC with Windows 10 operating system and a large 15.6" touch screen, which make input and reading easier. In addition, a different industrial camera with a higher quality lens is used. Both versions have the same powerful counting software installed and there are no limitations to the available features.
Surface
Many companies process cylindrical or spherical parts that could roll into one corner on the light panel. The textured glass plate prevents this and provides a better distribution without large groups of parts. If you have particularly small parts or, for example, special hygienic requirements, the structured surface can be inconvenient. In this case, the textured pane can be replaced by a flat glass pane or another transparent material of your choice in A3 format.
Tools and Handling
The fast and even distribution of the parts on the light panel as well as the simple packaging or further processing of the counted parts is essential for the efficient use of our counting system in your company. We therefore offer a number of additions to our counting system that can make your work easier. The shovel helps to distribute parts from a large container on the light panel. With the rake and stainless steel chute, the counted parts are quickly and easily filled into bags or cartons, for example. The frame made of aluminium profiles opens up countless possibilities in integrating our system optimally into your working environment.
Operating Principle
How is the number of parts determined?
To assess the suitability for your application, you need to understand how it works. We believe that our counting system can be used in almost all companies, but it is not always the most efficient solution. We only want satisfied customers, so the most important thing first: Like a counting scale Nitpicker does not recognize any parts!
What initially sounds like a restriction is one of our strengths. Many of our customers work with thousands of different parts. The set-up process must therefore be as quick and easy as possible and should be carried out by staff without the need for weeks of training. True part recognition would require a complex set-up process, where each part would have to be manually defined with individual recognition characteristics in each position.
Our counting software finds coherent dark image areas on the bright light panel. For each type of part, the user stores the average size per part in the system once. To determine the number of parts on the light panel, Nitpicker divides the size of each group by the size of the currently selected part and thus obtains the number of parts per group. The total number corresponds to the sum of the parts of all groups. So only one parameter has to be defined per part!
Counting with Nitpicker is always done by type. A mixture of different parts cannot be recognized and may lead to wrong results. Our system is extremely accurate if the groups of parts on the light panel are small. Therefore Nitpicker warns you against too large groups, which can be separated again manually for more reliable results. Counting is done completely independently of the weight, colour or texture of the parts. Only in very rare cases, e.g. with extremely transparent parts, can problems occur. Extremely small parts are no problem with a different camera lens. One of our customers counts 20,000 parts on a DIN A5 large area.
APPLICATION EXAMPLES
Which parts are suitable?
Our system is suitable for almost all parts from almost all industries. You can find an overview of parts that our customers already successfully count today in our application examples.