Quality control and productivity improvement
Agr International Hall C6 – Booth 521
Laboratory automation, precision bottle measurement and innovations in automated blowmoulder control
At drinktec, Agr will showcase its latest innovations in quality management and process control for beverage containers. With nearly a century of industry leadership, Agr supports producers in meeting rising quality standards – especially as the shift toward lighter PET bottles and higher rPET content adds complexity. Visitors can expect updates to Agr’s blowmoulder management, vision, and automated lab systems, all designed to optimise production efficiency and to ensure consistent container quality.
Photo top: Agr’s Gawis 4D features high pixel density camera components, along with telecentric optics and lighting to achieve high level dimensional precision and repeatability.
Automated process control
Process Pilot+ reflects the latest advancements in automated process control for PET bottles and will be a focal point of Agr’s display. Recent updates and enhancements to Process Pilot+ incorporate further AI that is claimed to significantly improve blowmoulder efficiency and profitability by enabling operators to automatically optimise the blowmoulder based on performance, energy efficiency, or operating costs. As the Pilot Profiler system continuously measures material distribution on every bottle, the Process Pilot+ works in conjunction with the blowmoulder to proactively manage optimal material distribution. With its ability to manage the blowmoulder to maintain quality and performance attributes despite environmental, blowmoulder, and, especially, material variations due to rPET that occur during the production process, the Process Pilot+ system is an essential tool for PET bottle manufacturers that are committed to incorporating rPET into their product mix.
Blowmoulder vision system
Pilot Vision+ is Agr’s latest and most powerful in-the-blowmoulder vision system. This system is well suited for the quality management of bottles containing high percentages of rPET. Designed to work in conjunction with today’s high-speed reheat stretch blowmoulding equipment, the system offers a modular approach to defect detection integrated within the blowmoulder. The open architecture of this system allows for simultaneous management of up to six cameras, in multiple locations.
As part of Agr’s Process Pilot family of products, Pilot Vision+ can be combined with Process Pilot+ for a total bottle management solution, providing the ability to detect random occurring defects as well as manage the process to maintain precise material distribution, even with light and/or difficult-to-process bottle design.
All-in-one measurement system
The Gawis 4D is the latest and most advanced measurement system for beverages and other types of bottles. This all-in-one laboratory measurement system streamlines laboratory measurement operations by performing a multitude of critical dimensional and thickness measurements in a simple operation with unmatched accuracy, repeatability and operational throughput. Mated with a robotic handling system, the Gawis 4D can measure up to 128 bottles or preforms in one hands-free operation. The Gawis 4D features Agr’s patent pending AutoJob that provides the ability to create complicated job setups in a matter of seconds.
Recognising the industry’s trend toward material reduction and increased use of rPET, manufacturers also need to make certain that their bottles will perform during the filling process and while filled. At their drinktec booth, Agr will demonstrate its Plastic Pressure Tester, featuring the latest advancements in burst, expansion and shelf-life testing.
Thickness measurement device
In addition, Agr will display its ThicknessPen handheld thickness measurement device which offers a convenient approach to portable thickness measurement with its dual-mode design. Developed to address the multiple and diverse thickness measurement applications of the production environment, the ThicknessPen can be used anywhere, from the laboratory, the plant floor or even in a wet environment at a job site in the field.
Experts from Agr will be available to discuss these products as well as the complete line of process monitoring and quality control equipment available from Agr for the beverage industry.