Applied Vision Corporation is to provide global packaging supplier Sonoco with a solution for vision inspection of membrane/foil ends. The new tester has spurred a multi-stage, multiple-camera order from Sonoco for a North American facility.
Membrane/foil end inspection has traditionally been performed with pressurised air or by using high-intensity light and counting photons. The pressurised air method proved to be too slow for Sonoco's application and the photon counting method resulted in false negatives - meaning good parts were rejected along with defective ones. Applied Vision's vision-based system solves both problems, allowing for the accurate and reliable inspection of this critical packaging component.
The first-of-a-kind systems will be used to inspect Sonoco's Ultraseal membrane ends. Installation is expected to be complete in early 2010. The project is a joint venture between Sonoco, Applied Vision and Stolle Machinery's EMD Division, a supplier of capital equipment, spares and service for producers of beverage and food cans.
'When Sonoco presented us this foil end inspection challenge, the Applied Vision team developed a system that not only meets their specifications, but also approaches foil end inspection in an entirely new way,' said Bud Patel, Applied Vision's vice president of sales. 'Sonoco is a company that truly stands behind the quality, safety and efficacy of its products. This project allowed us to show them that Applied Vision is a proven innovator and a valuable partner. Today we are proud to count ourselves among Sonoco's trusted vendors.'
'Applied Vision has created a very precise and efficient method to identify defects in foil end membranes. This will benefit Sonoco tremendously because we will quickly inspect 100 per cent in-line and good parts will no longer be rejected,' said Bill Suski, manager - special projects at Sonoco.
