PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2017

CAPS & CLOSURES 39 PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 05/17 www.petpla.net can only inspect the assembled parts after the production process. This results in a larger installation area and slower completion times – and a finished closure cannot be illuminated with full reliability. Inline inspection before and after assembly For this reason, Contexo has adopted a different method for quality control: the individual components are inspected before assembly, the finished closure is inspected after assembly. For this to work, the inspec- tion systems are integrated, inline, into the assembly machine and work in sync with it. The endeavour is a cooperation between Contexo and Intravis, a German supplier of vision inspection systems for the plastics packaging industry. “As the output rates of continuous- motion technologies improved, we quickly noticed limits to its speed in the area of part inspection. We have found a great partner in Intravis, who provides us with exactly the support we need in the integration of inline inspection systems into our high- speed systems”, explains Müller. Contexo has fully integrated the Intravis CapWatcher system into their machine concept. The additional system enables the comprehensive inspection and evaluation of all of the sportscap’s features. Before assembly the spout is for example checked for geometrical characteristics such as diameter or ovality, contour defects as well as a flawless plug seal. After assembly the whole closure is inspected for assembly faults, defec- tive or missing tamper evident bands, contour and geometrical defects of the body and even if the closure is opened. Chained TE-proof feeding with injection-moulding machines At high assembly speeds, reli- able feeding is the primary and larg- est challenge. These performance rates can be too much for existing feeder technologies. At high speeds, they cause pearlescence and other damage to the fed-in parts. Contexo therefore had to develop their own TE-proof vibration feeder. To ensure continuous flow, the solution is an especially stable unit capable of 80% overcapacity and can process warm-moulded parts directly from the system. This means sportscaps machines can be directly chained with the injection-moulding machine and feed in the parts without human logis- tics or contamination. The key to success: Continu- ous motion, vibration feeding and inline vision inspection The expansion of the purely continuous-motion unit into an inspection instrument and injection- moulded-parts feeder appears to be a trend-setting step towards higher effectiveness. The concept tackles the most severely limiting factors of sportscap production. By chaining injection-moulding machine, assembly unit, vision inspection system and packaging system, Contexo offers a space-sav- ing and effective alternative for manu- facturing sportscaps. www.contexo-gmbh.de www.intravis.de Full inspection: the closures are exam- ined from all sides on an inspection belt. Quality control of individual parts: the parts are first inspected before assem- bly for any defects that would be diffi- cult to detect in the finished closure. ZZZ IOH[EORZ FRP )OH[%ORZ 8OWUD )OH[LEOH 3(7 6WUHWFK %ORZPRXOGHUV :LGH 0RXWK -DUV +RW )LOO &RQWDLQHUV 2YDO %RWWOHV /DUJH 6L]H &RQWDLQHUV &KRL F H E\ 3 D FN DJLQJ 3 URGX F HUV 21( IRU $//