PETpla.net Insider 08 / 2017

INSPECTION PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 08/17 www.petpla.net 46 sensor and camera delivers raw data to this software. The height informa- tion from the ultrasound sensors is converted into grey tones so that the image processing software generates a three-dimensional image of the con- tainer to be examined. Using scalable evaluation algorithms, an assessment is then made of the contents and the case. Shortcuts and dependencies of different features can be set here so as to guarantee a high degree of recognition, even under variable conditions. The software contains a comprehensive database function, which ensures the saving and recog- nition of the widest range of different case types. Recognition of many features Up to 7,000 cases per hour can be precisely checked. They are fed into the system and are stopped for a brief moment. A second transporta- tion conveyor then draws each case forward individually leaving a small distance between them and guides them under the measuring bridge. High-performance LEDs in differ- ent colours, a dual lighting module and ultrasound sensors check the case against numerous criteria as it passes. The system recognises foreign bodies, lying down, broken or upside down bottles, damage or misshaping of the case, missing bot- tles or one or more “incorrect” bottles (made of glass or without the distinc- tive eight or ten-sided neck ring) in the case. Another possibility is a clo- sure or case label recognition system and the recognition of case format and colour but these criteria play no role for the mineral spring. The entire system is controlled by a central operating and processing unit in a stainless steel housing and a logical 13” touch screen user interface. Errors sorted and removed manually All cases with one or more errors are passed carefully by the pneu- matic “Sinus-Sorter” onto a parallel transportation conveyor for manual error rectification. Incorrect bottles are removed and collected in large sacks, then the case is placed back into the production flow. “When we’re running with litre bottles and 9x cases, we take out around two large sacks of incorrect bottles every shift. But when we run with 0.5l (20x cases) or 1.5l (6x cases), then there are eight to ten sacks per shift. Every incorrect Each year, the Bad Dürrheimer mineral spring fills over 40 million PETCycle bottles. Accounting for each individual bottle correctly with the licence issuer represents cash in the bank for the spring. Removed cases with errors are cor- rected manually and placed back into the production flow. Cases with recognised errors are carefully transferred by the pneumatic “Sinus Sorter” to a parallel conveyor and transported for manual checking. or missing bottle means ready cash for us because we offset the total number of bottles against the deposit at the PETCycle main office. So the BBull machine has been scrutinised carefully, by PETCycle too, and has been assessed as very good,” reports Business Economics Manager, Günter Höfler. All sacks of removed bottles are then examined again bottle by bottle by a service provider in a separate sorting centre to find disposable or reusable deposit bottles. These are then offset. “On average, the return- ing empties are 5 to 8 percent incor- rect bottles and naturally we want to identify these very accurately. Otherwise we would have to pay for them because each of our bottles has a deposit value of 25 cents,” says Markus Link. www.bbull.com Tricky for the cameras and sensors to recognise are the “correct” PETCycle bottles with eight or ten-sided neck rings.