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40 MACHINERY UPDATE JULY/AUGUST 2018 www.machineryupdate.co.uk
Feature: Automation, robotics and vision
Vision has key
role in ensuring
sustainability
Machinery Update talks to Paul Wilson, chairman of the UKIVA
about how a multitude of industrial imaging techniques can help
the packaging industry’s move towards a greener environment
T
he move to reduce the use of
plastics in consumer goods
packaging could lead to an
increased use of alternative
materials such as cardboard,
glass and aluminium foil which will
change some of the processing parameters
used throughout industry. Here, UKIVA
chairman Paul Wilson outlines how a
multitude of industrial imaging techniques
can help the packaging industry towards
a greener environment.
THE RETURN OF THE MILK BOTTLE
Traditional milk delivery in glass milk
bottles is making a comeback in Central
London and a major UK dairy in the
capital is investing in new equipment to
keep up with the trend. Glass bottles are
returned to the milkman and taken back
to the dairy where they are thoroughly
washed and then inspected with a high
quality vision system before moving to the
filling lines. Bottles are expected to make
on average seven trips before becoming
too damaged or worn for further re-use.
However, since glass can be endlessly
reprocessed with no loss of quality,
unusable bottles can then be sent away
for recycling. The inspection system
features four cameras to check the
quality of the bottle itself and for possible
contaminants. The latter includes dirt or
debris not completely removed during the
washing process, foreign bodies entering
the bottles after the washer and glass
fragments. The neck finish, side walls and
base of the bottles are also inspected as
well as the two concentric wear rings that
arise from the bottles pushing against
each other in production.
A special handling system carries the
bottle over the base inspection camera.
A rejection system removes any failed
bottles before filling. The control system
provides a full set of production data
including history for number of bottles
processed, the number of rejects, and
the reasons for rejection. The dairy has
four filling lines each operating at 24,000
bottles per hour and the first inspection
system has already been installed.
RECYCLING
Effective recycling of plastics could
significantly reduce the amount of plastics
sent to landfill and increase the amount
that is recycled. Imaging techniques
such as multispectral and hyperspectral
imaging could be used at recycling
centres to sort different types of plastics
according to their chemical composition.
Relatively few recycling facilities utilise
this technology at present, but with
systems reducing in price and offering
real-time sorting capabilities, there is the
potential for improved sorting.
BOTTLED BEERS
Beer is also frequently supplied in glass
bottles. High speed imaging can be used
to check fill levels, bottle cap sealing
and the correct position of the label.
For example, 3D inspection can be used
to check that metal caps are tightly sealed
on beer bottles packed in crates.
The system uses the laser triangulation
principle to check the presence and
alignment of each cap since the crown
caps on these bottles do not have a
Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging
systems are reducing in price and can offer
real-time sorting capabilities for recycling