ACE PACKAGING LINE QUALITY CONTROL PROJECT

System Description

The camera control system at the exit of the ACE packaging line label machine was designed for inspecting bottle, label and cap details of the bottles with machine vision technology and for preventing the passage of the faulty products.

In the system set up starting next to the head where the bottles received a label, using three digital cameras working in the visible spectrum and providing the appropriate lighting conditions with an industrial lighting system, an image of 100% of the bottle was taken while the bottle was still under the head, image was loaded to the cameras, analysed for faults out of the acceptable range at the bottle shape, label and cap, with the system software designed according to the ACE packaging line quality control system (TAMU).

System-specific user interface exists at the PC next to the label machine and even inside the set up cabin for the ease of use, data acquisition, system watch of the operators. Operators can open and close the system, reach the error list, follow the performance of the machine by way of the performance indicators and the statistical graphics, read the observed product parameters simultaneously, follow the state of each camera by way of the camera state indicators, when desired show the images acquired from the cameras simultaneously at the user interface making a camera selection, if necessary show and change the parameters used at the analysis step, at the user interface.

The process of pushing the faulty product out of the line according to the decision of the system software at the end of the analysis is performed by the signals sent by the system software to PLC. Pushing the product out of the line is performed by the pneumatic arm at the point where the bottles exit the label machine.

Among the system components, cameras and lighting apparatus were put inside special protection apparatus for protection from the affects of bleach.

Analysis Details

The system observes the predefined details during the analysis. These points and tolerances were definded according to the requests and conditions stated by the P&G staff.

Points checked during the analysis:

•  Bottle

• i. Smashed Exists / Doesn't Exist

• ii. Formation Disorder Exists / Doesn't Exist

•  Label

• i. Label position

• ii. Slipped sticking Exists / Doesn't Exist

• iii. Torn Exists / Doesn't Exist

• iv. Sticking Problem Exists / Doesn't Exist

• v. Label flag Exists / Doesn't Exist

•  Cap

• i. Cap Exists / Doesn't Exist

• ii. Cap position

For the different types of bottles and the different product portfolios owned by P&G, there exists specifically designed softwares in order to observe the products. In the event of product change or size change, the bottle size and product type must be changed by the operator with a single button in the user interface. With this choice, the system will automatically load the software and the parameters for the product from the memory. Otherwise, the analysis results will be wrong since the wrong program will operate.

Analysis process is made by the software of each camera separately on the images acquired by the three cameras from three different angles. However, the observation process and the results are presented together in the interface. Each detail of each camera can be shown by the interface while the system is on.

1.4 Mechanical Construction

At each step of the system, quality is the first priority. The camera control system was designed and set considering the appearance and the ergonomics of the label machine. The mechanical construction of the system includes the materials needed to mount the cameras and the lights in the label machine and even the PC cabin that was set up. Camera and mount apparatus were designed by E3TAM and P&G had the apparatus made by an approved builder firm. The construction, cameras and lights should not move. If the cameras or lights are dislocated, the system will be badly affected. The stabilization of the cameras and the lights plays an important role int the overall performance of the system.