Modular testing system for all key aspects of plastic bottles
UK-based quality control equipment manufacturer Torus Measurement Systems, which specialises in measuring all aspects of plastic bottles, presented its ‘TQ Lab’. The fully automated device combines the three modular units B302, B309 and B304 to provide reliable measurements for neck and body dimensions, thickness distribution, load, volume and weight.
According to Torus, the system can either be used as a standalone solution with up to 50 bottles to be tested en bloc or integrated inline into the existing production line. The B302 thread, body and thickness module is said to offer all the features of external dimensions for all areas of plastic bottles. All neck, body and height features are to be measured in seconds and industry-leading accuracies can be achieved using telecentric camera equipment. Thread and body alignment routines are designed to automatically position the bottle for measurement and significantly reduce operator intervention. The combination of white light technology and bottom-up bottle orientation enables thickness measurements at the shoulder, top and bottom to maximise material savings.
The B309 inner diameter module also utilises confocal white light technology, which enables non-contact inspection of the inner neck diameter and is designed to eliminate the operator and measurement influences of conventional contact methods. According to the manufacturer, the module covers small neck openings through to wide neck finishes by combining a right-angled sensor with a precision gantry system. This setup enables measurements at user-defined heights from the seal surface.
Finally, the B304 top load, volume and weight module offers the ability to check the structural integrity of the bottle and perform wet top load, brim full volume and programmable fill height measurements within a single measurement cycle. The system is therefore able to automatically fill and empty bottles for all wet test routines. The load tests range from aerated, sealed, capped or side-loaded bottles.
Caption: F.l.t.r.: Chloe Coles, Group Marketing and Graphics Coordinator, and Greg Schultz, Regional Managing Director US, next to the TQ Lab
