Project K

Installation and Commissioning of New Bottle Scanner System 

Project Overview 

A new industrial machine vision bottle inspection system has been successfully supplied, installed, and commissioned on the production line. The system has been implemented to enhance product quality, operational safety, and packaging integrity through automated high-speed inspection of bottles during the bottling process.

The system utilises advanced machine vision technology, incorporating high-resolution cameras, specialised lighting, and intelligent image-processing software to perform automated inspection of bottles directly on the production line. This enables continuous monitoring of products without interrupting production operations, ensuring consistent quality control.

The installed system is capable of inspecting bottles at speeds exceeding 300 bottles per minute, allowing high-volume production environments to maintain strict quality standards while preserving operational efficiency.

The Challenge

Maintaining consistent product quality and packaging integrity in high-speed bottling environments presents several operational challenges. With production lines processing hundreds of bottles per minute, traditional manual inspection methods are insufficient to reliably detect defects and inconsistencies.

Potential issues that can occur during the bottling process include:

• Contamination or microscopic impurities within bottles
• Incorrect or damaged labels
• Improper sealing or incorrect cap positioning
• Incorrect product fill levels
• Structural bottle defects or packaging irregularities

In addition, the production line must accommodate a variety of container types and materials, including glass, plastic, PET, and opaque containers, requiring a flexible inspection system capable of handling multiple product formats.

To address these challenges, a reliable and automated inspection solution was required to provide high-speed, accurate, and consistent quality verification during production.

Our Solution

To address these requirements, a machine vision-based bottle inspection system was supplied, installed, and integrated directly into the production line.

The system uses a combination of high-resolution cameras, controlled lighting, and advanced image processing software to capture and analyse images of each bottle as it passes through the inspection point.

The inspection system performs multiple verification checks, including:

• Bottle condition and structural integrity
• Detection of contamination or foreign particles
• Verification of label presence and correct placement
• Cap presence, position, and sealing integrity
• Fill level verification

The system operates using an FH Next Generation Medium Speed & Performance Vision Controller, capable of supporting up to eight inspection cameras.

System Controller Specifications

• Controller Model: FH Next Generation Vision Controller
• Processor: Intel® Celeron® (2-core)
• Camera Capacity: Up to 8 cameras
• Operating System: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC – 64 bit
• Memory: 8 GB RAM (Non-ECC)
• I/O Compatibility: NPN / PNP

This controller provides the necessary computational performance to process image data from multiple cameras simultaneously and perform real-time defect detection.

The system has been installed and commissioned in accordance with the following scope of work:

• Supply of the vision bottle inspection system
• Installation of inspection cameras and mounting hardware
• Integration with the existing production line
• Configuration and calibration of the FH vision controller
• System testing and optimisation
• Final commissioning and operational verification
   

The Results

The successful implementation of the bottle vision inspection system has significantly improved the production line’s automated quality control capability.

Key outcomes of the project include:

• Reliable high-speed inspection of bottles exceeding 300 bottles per minute
• Improved detection of packaging and filling defects
• Enhanced product quality and safety assurance
• Reduction in the risk of defective products reaching customers
• Increased production reliability and operational efficiency
• Reduced reliance on manual inspection processes

By integrating advanced machine vision technology into the production line, the facility now benefits from consistent, automated, and highly accurate bottle inspection, ensuring that only products meeting required quality standards proceed through the production process.