At Anuga FoodTec 2024, Engilico presents an evolution of the HyperScope® in-line inspection system, which uses hyperspectral imaging to detect seal contamination on packaging such as thermoformed, plastic or cardboard trays. Last year Engilico introduced artificial intelligence (AI) to determine the sealing zone more accurately, regardless of package orientation and slight package deformation. Today, Engilico introduces a new functionality that enables smaller defects to be detected with higher contrast, on packages with more deformations, and in addition, to retrieve defects such as plies or folds.
In-line inspection of seals using hyperspectral imaging is a challenge in several areas: 1) Very thin or light contamination doesn’t always show enough difference in the spectral profile to be recognized; 2) When lighter materials are used – a current trend aimed at reducing plastic waste – packages can also be deformed, making seal area recognition and contamination detection more difficult; 3) When the seal shows problems that aren’t due to product differences in the seal such as plies , hyperspectral inspection doesn’t offer a solution for recognizing problems if we look only at compositional differences.
Using an optimized component configuration and new analysis algorithms, Engilico provides a solution to these challenges. By combining these improvements, HyperScope® enables new applications that were previously difficult to inspect reliably.
In the food industry, automation and 100% inspection are of great interest when it comes to controlling total costs. Sealing is one of the process steps that requires attention. With the introduction of new and modern packaging, where plastic reduction is important thanks to the use of lighter or cardboard materials, printed films or colored trays, many producers are looking for new inspection techniques, as traditional vision techniques are not suitable.
In general, HyperScope® offers inspection possibilities where traditional vision solutions fall short: for example, when using printed film (often used today), in packages with opaque trays (e.g. cardboard or colored trays), or in applications where seal contamination is difficult to see due to limited contrast (e.g. in packages that have the same color as the packaged product, products such as cheese that can be crushed and smeared in the seal). With the new functionality, HyperScope® increases the scope for inspecting packages with smaller contamination, more flexible thermoforms and defects not related to the product in the seal.
Beside seal inspection of rigid packages, Engilico also showcases SealScope® for inline 100% seal inspection of flexible packages. SealScope® is an easy-to-integrate and non-destructive in-line seal inspection and process monitoring technology for popular packages such as pouches, VFFS bags, flow wrappers, etc. The innovative SealScope® system uses sensors mounted on the sealing bars to detect undesired product in the seal or folds, which can lead to open packages. Every produced package is instantly compared to a reference seal and when sealing errors are detected, the defective packages are automatically ejected from the conveyor belt. In addition to inspecting every individual product, SealScope® also monitors the quality of the complete packaging process. By issuing early warning signals when the sealing process is drifting, operators can execute proactive maintenance to avoid unplanned production stops.
Engilico presents its latest solutions for in-line seal inspection at Anuga FoodTec (Köln, Germany), Hall 8 B20.
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