INSPECTION 36 PETplanet Insider Vol. 27 No. 01+02/26 www.petpla.net Closure inspection: managing space, data, and variety Increasing requirements The operating conditions for closure manufacturers are changing noticeably. Higher output rates, limited production space, stricter quality requirements, and a growing variety of closure designs are increasingly shaping day-to-day production. These challenges arise from market demands, regulatory frameworks, and the expectations of fillers and brand owners. CAPS & CLOSURES Inspection systems must therefore respond to these evolving conditions. INTRAVIS, the German Aachen-based developer and producer of high technology vision inspection solutions for the plastic packaging industry, has been supporting closure manufacturers in this process for many years, positioning itself as a development partner that translates changing requirements into technical solutions. Little space for inspection systems One of the most pressing issues in many production environments is space. In response to this recurring situation, INTRAVIS introduced the CapWatcher Compact as a new development last year. The system is specifically designed for manufacturers who require full inspection performance but have very limited available space: sorting, feeding, and inspection were combined into a single, compact unit. The CapWatcher Compact has already been installed at an internationally operating company, where it is being used successfully in production environments that previously offered no room for traditional inspection setups. Building on earlier compact solutions like the tower hopper, the CapWatcher Compact further adapts INTRAVIS inspection technology for space-constrained production layouts. Proving process stability Alongside physical constraints, closure manufacturers operate under certain restrictions and must ensure reliable processes. Customers increasingly expect documented proof that quality inspection systems are functioning correctly and consistently over time. INTRAVIS systems have long provided comprehensive reports and statistics to support such documentation. The validation mode provides a structured, repeatable process to verify inspection performance using defined defect samples. It guides operators through each step, evaluates results automatically, and documents completion once all validation tests are successfully passed. Validation is now part of routine operation, ensuring process reliability and supporting audit requirements. The validation mode reduces human error, strengthens confidence in automated inspection, and provides tangible value for manufacturers focused on consistent quality. Using the same data for improvement The growing demand for transparency towards customers goes hand in hand with the need for better internal process control. Systems such as the CapWatcher Q-Line have been delivering large volumes of quality data for years, generating up to 192,000 product-related data points per minute. These datasets provide detailed insight into reject causes, cavity performance, and quality trends. INTRAVIS offers the IntraVisualizer to aggregate and visualise quality data. Since 2025, all new systems are cloud-ready, allowing manufacturers to use data-driven analysis and optimisation without additional hardware. The company says that standardised system readiness enables continuous improvement. The IntraVisualizer turns quality data into a tool for analysing trends and patterns, helping manufacturers stabilise processes and improve efficiency. Managing a growing share of special closures While standard closures continue to play an important role in many applications, manufacturers are increasingly confronted with products that deviate from established designs. Special geometries, functional elements, branding features and new material concepts are becoming more common, steadily increasing the variety of closures in production. For inspection technology, this development demands a high degree of flexibility. Typical examples range from very small, conical tube closures, fliptop and push-pull closures to large, branded caps with complex shapes and additional functional features. In many cases, these requirements can already be covered within the existing portfolio of closure inspection systems which can be adapted to different designs and inspection tasks. When closure concepts go even further and standard configurations are no longer sufficient, INTRAVIS classifies these projects as CapWatcher SC applications. The decisive factor, however, is not the system name but the underlying capability. Thanks to its in-house development department, INTRAVIS can adapt inspection concepts or develop tailored solutions for a wide range of closure designs and materials, considering the technical and economic framework of the project. Ongoing change in closure designs The increasing variety of closures is closely linked to broader developments in the market. In 2019, for example, INTRAVIS already had prepared its systems for tethered caps
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