The machine frame already exists.
Reach for SightLink when the cell, guarding, conveyor, or enclosure is already in place and you need to add lightweight vision hardware to it - not rebuild it.
That covers the integrator retrofitting a proof-of-concept onto a customer's line and the machine-vision department adding a camera, light, or sensor to a running 3030 / 4040 cell. Every kit is modular: you pay for the base, arm, and device interface your build needs, and nothing you don't.
Don't quote SightLink from extrusion size alone - confirm the actual mounting face, slot access, nearby guards, connector clearance, cable bend radius, and arm sweep for the specific spot on the frame.
Use the frame you already paid for.
The SightLink node creates a defined mounting point in the extrusion slot without drilling, welding, or adding a second support frame.
That matters during integration: you can move the node to test a new camera view, keep the machine structure intact, and replace the arm style without changing the extrusion-side attachment. The node handles structure fit; the arm handles reach and aim.
The tradeoff is that a modular retrofit inherits the real machine environment. Slot access, vibration, guarding, cable pull, and off-axis leverage still decide whether the completed installation is suitable. The node is an interface, not an automatic production approval.
The flexible-arm path.
SightLink E3040 uses a single reconfigurable base node - one design that T-slots onto both 3030 and 4040 extrusion the same way, so the size of your frame never changes the base you buy. With the ball head fitted, the base presents a ball interface for the Super Knuckle and OmniGrip arms: the fast, adjustable path for finding and proving a camera, light, sensor, or monitor position.
The direct-thread path.
Remove the ball head and the same base exposes a 1/4"-20 thread for the Vision Arm - a lower-profile route that keeps a small camera close to the frame. Because it is one base, you commit to the extrusion mount first and choose the arm interface second - and you can change your mind about the arm without changing the base.
Compare all basesPick the adjustment behavior before the length.
| Arm family | Advantages | Disadvantages | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Knuckle | One-knob freehand aim; quickest to reposition; compact short option. | Friction-held, so a disturbed position is normally re-aimed by eye; longer versions lose stiffness and load margin. | You are discovering a camera or light position, or changing it often. |
| OmniGrip | Highest close-in load margin; indexed center joint resists slip and returns to a discrete angle. | Heavier and slower to adjust; tooth positions are stepped rather than infinitely fine; longer arms add base torque. | The view is known and repeatability or stability matters more than adjustment speed. |
| Vision Arm | Low-profile direct-thread path; compact around guards and small cameras; avoids the extra ball interface at the base. | Light-duty articulating geometry with less load margin; friction joints are not indexed; direct-thread setup requires removing the ball head. | A small camera must stay close to the extrusion and clearance is more important than maximum load. |
| Arm | Length | Working load (close-in) | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Knuckle | 3 in / 7.6 cm | Up to 5 kg / 11 lb | The camera stays close to the frame and you want the quickest hand adjustment. |
| Super Knuckle | 6 in / 15.2 cm | Up to 3 kg / 6.6 lb | More clearance than 3 inch, still fast tool-free positioning. |
| Super Knuckle | 9 in / 22.9 cm | Up to 2 kg / 4.4 lb | Reach matters more than stiffness and the payload is light. |
| OmniGrip | 20 cm / 7.9 in | Up to 8 kg / 17.6 lb | Camera stability matters most - the best first Omni choice. |
| OmniGrip | 30 cm / 11.8 in | Up to 6 kg / 13.2 lb | General-purpose reach with a repeatable indexed angle. |
| OmniGrip | 40 cm / 15.7 in | Up to 4 kg / 8.8 lb | Workspace coverage - reduce payload expectations for long offsets. |
| Mini Vision Arm | 7 in / 18.7 cm | Up to 2 kg / 4.4 lb | A small, lightweight camera should sit close to the frame on the direct thread. |
| Vision Arm | 11 in / 30 cm | Up to 3 kg / 6.6 lb | A small camera needs extra reach and you've checked sweep, cable bend, and drift. |
Turn a proven position into an indexed mounting path.
SightLink Rosette Link is the rigid, modular side of the E3040 family: short aluminum links joined by toothed rosettes, so an angle can be recorded, tightened, released for service, and rebuilt at the same indexed position.
Use a flexible Super Knuckle, OmniGrip, or Vision Arm while you are still discovering the view. Once the working distance, direction, and clearance are known, rebuild that geometry with the fewest Rosette Link parts that reach it. The result trades freehand adjustment for a shorter, more repeatable support path.
The dedicated Rosette Mounts page explains the frame-side interface, 90° direction change, 100 / 150 / 200 mm extensions, device holders, advantages, disadvantages, and validation workflow.
Explore SightLink Rosette MountsThree fast ways to find the working position.
OmniGrip 20 cm
Highest close-in arm margin and repeatable center angle.
Flexible arm finds it. Rosette Link rebuilds it.
Super Knuckle, OmniGrip, and Vision Arm let you mount, aim, test, and prove the view quickly. Rosette Link then expresses that known geometry with indexed joints and rigid extension arms.
This is not an automatic conversion kit and it is not automatic production approval. The correct rosette chain depends on the measured direction, offset, camera interface, cable path, and service clearance. KUPO can help translate a successful trial into the shortest credible indexed stack.
Use the flexible arms to decide where the device goes; use Rosette Link when documenting and rebuilding that position matters more than freehand adjustment.
Retrofit honestly.
Confirm the landing spot
Extrusion size and series, accessible slot face, guard and conveyor clearance, cable bend radius, arm sweep, vibration, and image-position tolerance.
Not automatic approval
SightLink can be part of a production mounting path after validation, using the repeatable production mount - final release depends on load, vibration, cable management, installation, and guarding.
What's in a kit
The reconfigurable extrusion base, your selected arm, and its 1/4"-20 male output. Frame, camera, plates, guarding, and strain relief are separate.
Asked before ordering.
Do I need a different base for 3030 versus 4040?
No. SightLink uses one reconfigurable base node that T-slots onto both 3030 and 4040 the same way. The frame size doesn't change the base - only a side-extension coupler, if you use one, matches the profile.
How do I switch between the flexible arms and the Vision Arm?
It's the same base. With the ball head fitted, the base takes the Super Knuckle and OmniGrip arms; remove the ball head and it exposes a 1/4"-20 thread for the Vision Arm. You choose the arm interface without changing the extrusion mount.
Can I run a SightLink flexible arm in production?
Treat the flexible arms as positioning and setup tools - they're how you find and prove the camera position. For released production, move the proven geometry onto the indexed rosette / square-coupler production mount, which is a separate repeatable-angle route.
When should I move from a flexible arm to a rosette mount?
Move after the camera or light position is proven and repeatable rebuilding matters more than freehand adjustment. The SightLink Rosette Mounts guide explains how to select the direction-change connector, extension length, and device holder.
What should I send KUPO before I order?
Extrusion size and slot face, device weight and working distance, camera or light mounting interface, cable direction, vibration condition, nearby guards, maintenance access, and image-position tolerance.