The Expert ETK inspection system from Syscona Kontrollsysteme and Weber Systemtechnik, incorporating Cognex OmniView technology, combines different quality control functionality for inspecting labels on cylindrical objects.
Tthe OmniView vision technology from Cognex provides a 360° complete view of the bottle surface, which means bottle features can be inspected with much greater reliability.
The Expert ETK system carries out QC checks outside the labelling machine, as the non-aligned bottle travels freely along the line. The result is a complete inspection of all bottle features with maximum identification reliability and maximum flexibility. The system checks the quality, presence, position, and completeness of neck, back, and front labels, as well as the location, edge waviness and logo on the cap.
OmniView vision technology creates a complete image from four individual images provided by four industrial cameras arranged at angles of 90°. An additional camera mounted above inspects the quality of the cap. A throughput of 72,000 bottles an hour is achievable, and the inspection data and 360° image for each bottle is available in 50 milliseconds.
Tolerance limits are specified by parameters set for each type of bottle. Expert ETK also detects damaged products, date code presence, and whether the right label has been applied to the right product. The intelligent system can also read 1D barcodes and 2D data matrix codes.
The system visualises QM data in fractions of a second. Specific fault characteristics are quickly detected so that potential sources of faults can be identified immediately. In the inspection tunnel, high-performance LED lights ensure that the lighting environment adapts to suit the different exposure requirements for each type of label.
The stainless steel inspection system meets the high standard demanded by the beverage industry and converting to different types of bottle is easy. Every detail of the system configuration of Expert ETK can be adapted for the specific requirements of different bottles at any time.
