Do I need a system integrator for my machine vision application?

In the past, many of our customers asked themselves whether they should develop their machine vision solution themselves or whether it would be better to trust a system integrator.

Certainly, there are reasons for developing your own solution, such as building up your own knowledge or maximum flexibility and control, but at the same time there are many reasons for working with a system integrator.

The decision depends on various factors and the answers to questions the user should ask himself:

Expertise: Do you have enough expertise and experience to develop an efficient solution?
Time: How much time is available to develop the vision solution?
Budget: How much budget is available for development of the vision solution?
Complexity: How complex is the vision solution that needs to be developed?

Advantages of working with a system integrator

One of the main benefits of working with a system integrator for machine vision is their expertise and experience. Integrators have extensive practical knowledge in developing and implementing vision systems.

An integrator advises companies on the selection of the right hardware and software components for specific requirements and develops customised solutions that are specifically tailored to the customer's needs.

Also in terms of optimisation and scalability, an integrator can ensure that a vision system works perfectly, can be integrated into existing architectures and is scalable to meet future requirements.

Working with a system integrator costs an initial amount of money, of course, but can save a lot of time and unnecessary costs until the final solution is in place, as they provide a one-stop solution for everything from system design to implementation and maintenance, select the most suitable components, optimise the development process and have all the necessary experience and resources to complete a project quickly and efficiently.

Choosing the right system integrator

Since applications and tasks can be very different, it is important to choose an integrator who is experienced in different industries and application areas, works as manufacturer-independently as possible and can access a variety of technologies and providers.

Make sure that the system integrator has already successfully implemented many projects and can provide references for similar applications. Verify that he has the necessary expertise, i.e. that he can draw on an experienced team of experts in all relevant fields. Knowledge of cutting-edge hardware and software technologies is indispensable for developing and implementing future-oriented solutions.

Another important selection criterion is certainly costs. Therefore, make sure that the system integrator offers a transparent pricing model that fits your budget and that all costs for hardware, software and maintenance are considered. What is often underestimated, but crucial for the success of a project is good, clear and open communication. The integrator should understand your requirements and needs, implement them accordingly and inform you regularly about the project status.

Customers should also be able to choose the " level of dependency" themselves. On one hand, the integrator should offer an all-inclusive package that contains service and maintenance of the system for years to come, but he should also offer the possibility to generate an interface for users to maintain and enhance their system themselves. Optionally, it should also be possible that the integrator "only" provides the prototype and production maintenance based on open-source code and respective training can be taken over by the customer himself.

Machine vision often looks very simple. Many manufacturers offer potential customers a short test and promise that the customer's solution will also work without problems. In our experience, this is always only a small part of the truth. There are often worlds between individual parts in the laboratory and the production variety on site. Likewise, the additional costs incurred until the application is robust enough so that the production reject rate is not too large and all faulty parts are still detected can be extremely high. Sometimes it only turns out in practice that the machine vision system purchased is not capable of imaging the production variance.

Many manufacturers also advertise with AI. What doesn't work today will be simply trained and tomorrow everything will work ... Very often you only realise at a very late stage, after you have already labelled a lot of objects, that the information cannot be differentiated by the camera with the necessary clarity.

Why phil-vision?

Based on a combination of long-term experience in the field of image processing and expertise about latest machine vision technologies, we know what is feasible in the first place and have the competence and know-how to offer comprehensive and customised solutions. We can very quickly assess whether a task can be solved with a simple, low-cost smart camera and a few hours of support, or whether the task is rather complex and needs to be solved with a specially adapted system, or if a solution might be somewhere in between.

Precise problem analysis and task definition as well as the selection of the most suitable components and technologies are a must for us and ensure that the user receives an imaging system that works reliably and is state of the art. Even after implementation, we remain in close contact with our customers and attach great importance to knowledge transfer and continuous communication in order to quickly eliminate any weaknesses and continuously improve the system.

Needless to say, phil-vision covers the entire performance spectrum, from service packages with guaranteed functionality, to the possibility of implementing your own modules, through to the provision of open source code, including the corresponding training.

In addition to all services related to machine vision, the product portfolio also includes intelligent cameras, easy-to-use entry-level systems, but also complex integrated systems that enable the customer to be completely self-sufficient after a short introduction, although he can always call on the expert if necessary.

What can we do for you?

We would be glad to discuss your ideas and requirements in detail and develop a specialised solution together with you, tailored to your individual needs.

Call us at +49 89 125094350 or use our contact form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

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