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Univision technology boosts accuracy, throughput and quality levels at Hawaiian Host
Complex confectionary packaging application demands the best from advanced vision system. High throughput combined with randomly shaped artisan chocolates define the challenge
In a recent packaging application in Honolulu, Hawaii, Univision has showcased its capabilities in what proved to be a highly demanding packaging operation.
Univision designed, configured and supplied two advanced 3D Laser Scanners and a controller, which deliver quality and positional information to a pick-and-place module within a turnkey packaging line, supplied by Italian packaging-machine specialist, Cama Group.
Communication and integration are essential in this application, as the cameras, grippers and robots have to deal with multiple variables and packaging recipes, including three product shapes, 15 packaging counts, 17 packaging formats and five different SKU styles.
In operation, at the machine’s inlet, chocolates are fed on a conveyor at the rate of 1,500 products per minute. The vision system scans the conveyor and feeds coordinate information to the packaging line’s Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC. Armed with this information, the PLC signals Cama’s in-house-developed robots to pick the naked chocolates from the feed and then gently place them into PET trays that arrive in parallel from a de-nester.
The chocolates’ quality and shape are also determined by the 3D scanner. Any that are deemed not of sufficient size, shape or overall quality are left on the belt before being collected at the end.
Once each tray is full, they are loaded singly or in pairs (with a cushion sheet) into a carton tray, before a lid is formed and tucked into the tray, the finished product being a completed box containing anything from four to 32 chocolates. The boxes are then fed through an X-Ray machine and check weigher before heading to a case packer at the end of the line.
Michele Giannoni, General Manager at Univision explains the technology. “The 3D Scanners used in this packaging line are designed especially for high-speed applications that require product localisation across a wide area. The system’s control and its interface with the PLC in the machine is delivered by our PROINSPECT™ software, which is designed to address the most demanding industrial vision applications.
“A 3D laser scanner was used in this instance for a number of reasons,” Giannoni explains. “A camera-based system would not have delivered optimal presence detection due to the colour of the conveyor, and its contrast versus the product. There also exists potential false impressions left by any chocolate on the conveyor surface. Secondly, the vision system is used for its highly accurate QA capabilities too, where we measure the height of the products, which is determined by the amount of chocolate and its contents. Smaller/lower/thinner products can then be rejected by simply not picking them.”
In addition to its packaging industry solutions and expertise, Univision offers an array of state-of-the-art inspection technologies for use across a number of other industries, for integrity checks, geometric analysis and position coordination, where it acts as a single-point supplier for all the hardware and software required.
These solutions integrate seamlessly with machine controllers and higher-level MES platforms, while the intuitive PROINSPECT™ software has been optimized for lineside operations. New inspection tasks can easily be introduced, without writing code and changes can be confirmed using classified images and then put online without stopping production.
Reinforcing the standard detection capabilities are artificial intelligence algorithms, which can help to capture even more accurate information relating to anomalies, segmentation, classification and OCR. Armed with this information, users get even greater peace of mind that their inspection system is telling them the whole story.
To gain a clear picture of your products in packaging operations, visit our packaging homepage – https://www.univision.it/en/solutions/packaging
Univision designed, configured and supplied two advanced 3D Laser Scanners and a controller, which deliver quality and positional information to a pick-and-place module within a turnkey packaging line, supplied by Italian packaging-machine specialist, Cama Group.
Communication and integration are essential in this application, as the cameras, grippers and robots have to deal with multiple variables and packaging recipes, including three product shapes, 15 packaging counts, 17 packaging formats and five different SKU styles.
In operation, at the machine’s inlet, chocolates are fed on a conveyor at the rate of 1,500 products per minute. The vision system scans the conveyor and feeds coordinate information to the packaging line’s Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC. Armed with this information, the PLC signals Cama’s in-house-developed robots to pick the naked chocolates from the feed and then gently place them into PET trays that arrive in parallel from a de-nester.
The chocolates’ quality and shape are also determined by the 3D scanner. Any that are deemed not of sufficient size, shape or overall quality are left on the belt before being collected at the end.
Once each tray is full, they are loaded singly or in pairs (with a cushion sheet) into a carton tray, before a lid is formed and tucked into the tray, the finished product being a completed box containing anything from four to 32 chocolates. The boxes are then fed through an X-Ray machine and check weigher before heading to a case packer at the end of the line.
Michele Giannoni, General Manager at Univision explains the technology. “The 3D Scanners used in this packaging line are designed especially for high-speed applications that require product localisation across a wide area. The system’s control and its interface with the PLC in the machine is delivered by our PROINSPECT™ software, which is designed to address the most demanding industrial vision applications.
“A 3D laser scanner was used in this instance for a number of reasons,” Giannoni explains. “A camera-based system would not have delivered optimal presence detection due to the colour of the conveyor, and its contrast versus the product. There also exists potential false impressions left by any chocolate on the conveyor surface. Secondly, the vision system is used for its highly accurate QA capabilities too, where we measure the height of the products, which is determined by the amount of chocolate and its contents. Smaller/lower/thinner products can then be rejected by simply not picking them.”
In addition to its packaging industry solutions and expertise, Univision offers an array of state-of-the-art inspection technologies for use across a number of other industries, for integrity checks, geometric analysis and position coordination, where it acts as a single-point supplier for all the hardware and software required.
These solutions integrate seamlessly with machine controllers and higher-level MES platforms, while the intuitive PROINSPECT™ software has been optimized for lineside operations. New inspection tasks can easily be introduced, without writing code and changes can be confirmed using classified images and then put online without stopping production.
Reinforcing the standard detection capabilities are artificial intelligence algorithms, which can help to capture even more accurate information relating to anomalies, segmentation, classification and OCR. Armed with this information, users get even greater peace of mind that their inspection system is telling them the whole story.
To gain a clear picture of your products in packaging operations, visit our packaging homepage – https://www.univision.it/en/solutions/packaging