CAPS & CLOSURES 28 PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 0/24 www.petpla.net Calibrated and validated in-line inspection Consistent cap quality For over two decades, IMD has dedicated itself to expanding and optimising in-line and off-line inspection systems for beverage closures. Throughout this period, technological advances have shaped the landscape. The fundamental principle, however, has endured - the operator’s precise setup of the inspection system remains pivotal in guaranteeing closure quality before packaging and delivery to customers. This standard, IMD claims, could now be replaced by a new quality assurance system. “To this day, the operator is a key factor in ensuring quality and system settings,” says IMD. “Globally, we have found it more difficult to find qualified operators who can set up and operate the production lines and the vision systems according to quality specifications. It is becoming obvious and imperative to be able to eliminate this uncertainty factor in the future.” In response, the Swiss company introduces the IMDvista Cap Master - a vision inspection system that can be calibrated and validated for inline high-speed systems. If a system does not successfully pass the validation process, the production line cannot be started until re-calibrated in order to ensure customer quality. It actually should be already a standard process, the company says, as manual adjustments by operators can lead to variations in test tolerances and settings across different systems. The calibration and validation process involves a reference tool which itself is calibrated and provided with a test certificate. Operators can use an automatic software process to calibrate the system, aligning factors such as lens, illumination, camera, software, and mechanics through a reliable and repeatable process. The “backbone”, a new mechanical structure and essential concept A completely revised mechanical structure of the conveyor was required in order to calibrate the system in a very precise manner. IMD developed a new type of basic mechanical frame concept for this purpose. The so-called “backbone” is the solid and robust fundament of this new concept. The calibration concept can only be implemented if the mechanics are designed to ensure 100% repeatability during assembly, operation, maintenance and service. Through the backbone also the cameras, sensors and blow-out nozzles can be calibrated and set up into operation with a claimed 100% accurate repeatability. CAPS & CLOSURES /' The IMDvista Cap Master has been designed to guarantee quality assurance across all test systems, regardless of who sets it up.
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