Palatine, IL. (May 28, 2020) – The Backlight fluoreSHEET™ by MidOpt is used to provide affordable, indirect illumination for machine vision applications. Unlike other backlighting technologies, the Backlight fluoreSHEET™ does not require power input. A backlighting effect is created when an orange Backlight fluoreSHEET™ is coupled with a blue LED light and a MidOpt Orange Bandpass Filter. The fluoreSHEET™ emits an orange fluorescence when a blue LED shines on it from the front. The Bandpass Filter captures the orange emission and blocks the blue LED excitation, resulting in a bright white diffuse background within a monochrome image.

The Backlight fluoreSHEET™, which is only 0.2 millimeters thick, is available in three sizes (ranging from 216 x 280 millimeters to 280 x 432 millimeters). It can also be cut to fit within small, narrow spaces or attached together to provide a streamlined option for backlighting in more spacious settings.

Lightweight and equipped with an adhesive backing, the Backlight fluoreSHEET™ can work in diverse configurations, even if it must be placed on the side or underside of an object or adhered to a rotating part. It is flexible, durable, water-resistant and tear-resistant.

Chief Instructor of Stemmer Imaging® Lars Fermum Shares his Insights

The importance of proper optics and illumination are often underestimated in machine vision, with many people “believing they can solve any problem with software” or cameras, according to Lars Fermum, Chief Instructor of Stemmer Imaging®. The Backlight fluoreSHEET™ is “an interesting, new solution” to traditional illumination problems within machine vision, Fermum said.

“[In] one quite popular way to inspect, you have to do some measuring,” Fermum said. For this purpose, backlighting must be diffuse and homogeneous. While LED light plates can meet those requirements, the Backlight fluoreSHEET™ can achieve the same effect, but is far more adaptable and cost effective. It’s peel-and-stick design is also simple and easy to use.

The fluoreSHEET™ can be placed on curved surfaces or even spinning turntables, providing an easy-to-use, versatile backlighting solution, Fermum noted. “It saves a lot of space behind the [imaged] object,” he added.

The featherlike weight of the Backlight fluoreSHEET™ makes it an ideal option for machine vision environments that are unable to accommodate the size and scale of many other backlighting technologies.

About Midwest Optical Systems (MidOpt)

Midwest Optical Systems (MidOpt) has more than 30 years of experience and innovation in the fields of optical design, fabrication and inspection. MidOpt is a worldwide leader in machine vision filters and optical solutions. They are represented in over 30 countries and offer more than 3,000 cutting-edge products.