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LMI Technologies: Advancing 3D Imaging with Smart Sensor Technology

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Michael Chen, Regional Development Manager, APAC, LMI TechnologiesMichael Chen, Regional Development Manager, APAC
Over the last few years, 3D imaging has been regarded as an essential technology for developing next-generation vision systems. The advancement and proliferation of this technology has triggered many tech-savvy manufacturers to leverage the potential benefits of 3D in order to excel in the competitive marketplace. That said, for a long time 2D imaging was regarded as the most effective solution for quality inspection and scanning. True to this belief, many hardware providers in the machine vision space still rely solely on 2D inspection but are unable to assess product quality with regards to shape and size. This often leads to poor assembly results, with environmental factors such a slight variation further undermining the inspection process.

In response to this challenge, LMI Technologies (a company based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada), developed its flagship product—Gocator®—to provide a comprehensive inspection solution that enables manufacturers to overcome the limitations of 2D with state-of-the-art sensor technology. Powered by built-in scanning, measurement, and control capabilities, Gocator®’s robust inspection platform enables companies to perform 3D measurement and inspection with optimal flexibility and ease of use. The Gocator® smart sensor product series delivers 100 percent inspection capabilities to its customers, which results in higher production quality and volume while automating manual tasks and minimizing rework and waste.

“Our products are bringing revolutionary changes in the 3D scanning and inspection space. As we develop state-of-the-art smart sensor technology, our goal is to advance the present and shape the future of 3D imaging,” says Terry Arden, CEO of LMI.

The company recently introduced the next evolution in 3D scanning and inspection, driven by three new smart 3D products.

We are ushering in a new era of smart 3D technology along with providing the impetus for the growth of 3D machine vision


First, Gocator® 2500 laser profilers power the consumer electronics (CE) market to perform high-speed inspections at speeds up to 10 kHz. In terms of speed, resolution, and size, Gocator® 2500 leads the way ahead of other similar offerings in the market. Next, with Gocator® 3504, LMI addresses the need for a high-resolution, metrology-grade, stereo snapshot sensor that customers can use while inspecting small size applications where the target is momentarily stationary. And third, the GoMax® Smart Vision Accelerator leverages cutting-edge multi- GPU data processing in a dedicated hardware device used with any Gocator® sensor to dramatically increase inspection speed in challenging applications. “With these three products, we are ushering in a new era of smart 3D technology along with providing the impetus for the growth of 3D machine vision,” states Michael Chen, Regional Development Manager, APAC.

With a customer-centric approach, LMI takes pride in bringing unprecedented value in the 3D imaging space by assisting manufacturers in connecting factories, detecting quality issues, and making image processing configurable. Quoting an example, Chen mentions that Bluewrist, one of LMI’s partners, used Gocator® 2300 line profilers for vision-guidance in its windshield insertion system. Through mounting multiple Gocator® 2300 series 3D smart sensors in the robot-end effectors of their insertion system, Bluewrist was able to oversee the 3D location of critical points on the windshield aperture. “The Bluewrist Windshield Insertion System is an example of how LMI partners with innovative manufacturers to create leading-edge robotic machine vision systems,” cites Chen.

In its bid to expand overseas, the firm stepped into Korea in 2018. With this, LMI intends to establish a “3D center of excellence lab” that can power its Korean clients’ to meet their quality control challenges. The firm is committed to continually support Korean manufacturers in achieving optimal production quality by arming them with cutting-edge 3D technologies. “We have this in place now with LMI technical and sales staff established to work with our customers and prospects in this territory. In the days ahead, we will continue to grow our base in the Korean market along with expanding in the Japanese market,” concludes Chen.