Empty Cans Inspection – HEUFT canLine II
Finish and flanged edge inspection
Detecting deformations and safeguarding sealabilty: full line efficiency and packaging integrity when filling cans.
Misshapen, distorted and dented: empty cans with shape deviations in the neck area or indentations in the flanged edge jeopardise the efficiency and productivity of the filling process as well as the tightness and integrity of the full container. For example the lid will not fit on the can if the upper opening of the empty can is oval instead of round. The result: blockages in the closer which can lead to downtimes which slow down the productivity of complete can lines. And defects such as interrupted, dented flanged edges can endanger the tightness of the finished primary packaging material and thus the microbial purity of the beverage inside even if the sealing process was possible.
Therefore the non-contact top-down inspection of beverage cans even before filling with just one in-house developed sensor colour camera not only carries out a highly precise ovality detection in the smallest of spaces but also identifies other deformations and defects all around the container opening. Thus the empty cans in question are removed before they can cause closer problems or result in leaking full containers.
Inner wall and base inspection
Identiyfying dents, contamination and foreign objects: empty can inspection for full product safety.
Top performance due to depth of field: the innovative colour sensor camera which is automatically adjustable in height for the top-down inspection of empty cans not only has an integrated image converter and adaptive lighting with individually controllable LEDs for optimum visibility but also such a depth of field that even dented or highly contaminated inner walls as well as soiling and foreign objects on the base of the can become clearly visible – in combination with the HEUFT reflexx A.I real-time image processing system with learning ability.
The optimised optical inspection thus covers all the safety-relevant areas of each individual empty can from top to bottom with only one single image at a time. Connected to the powerful, highly automated HEUFT SPECTRUM II control unit with audiovisual HEUFT NaVi user guidance it also carries out a comprehensive empty can inspection along high-speed lines in the tightest of spaces for safe end products which are safe to consume.
Fault rejection
Preventing recalls: the reliable rejection of faulty containers.
Fast, careful and accurate: highest precision when detecting faults is only effective if the products in question are also removed afterwards. The single-segment and multi-segment rejection systems of the HEUFT rejector series deal with this both precisely and carefully.
Product monitoring and self-tests
Playing it safe: exact product tracking and regular self-tests.
Always knowing the current location of a particular product: each one is tracked precisely for this. This ensures that none remain uninspected.
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The integrated reject verification checks that each product identified as faulty is really removed. Standard test programs guarantee a regular examination of the detection performance. Network-based continuous documenting and long-term archiving of the results.
Easy brand changes
Adapting automatically: self-acting and assisted format changes.
Brand and format changes are the order of the day along canning lines. The higher-level HEUFT SPECTRUM II platform on which the HEUFT canLine II is based already has an unprecedented level of automation and support for the user in order to carry them out quickly, easily and without errors: the height of the intelligent colour sensor camera is adapted to the new container format just as automatically as the passage width of the guide rails in the inspection area. The HEUFT NaVi provides the user with audiovisual step-by-step assistance in the course of this which makes brand changes simply easy. The innovative adaptive LED lighting which is directly integrated in the sensor camera also adjusts completely automatically to the changed brand regardless whether standard beverage cans, sleek or slim cans in a wide variety of colours: the individually controllable LEDs automatically provide exactly the right illumination without shadows or reflections for all the areas to be examined for every type of empty can. All the brand adjustments are permanently stored in the system and can be reproduced at any time.
Optional additional functions
Detecting even more: extensions to the range of functions.
The HEUFT SPECTRUM II systems with their modular design are easy to expand. Thus the range of functions of the HEUFT canLine II can be optionally expanded with a compact, safely encased detection unit for, among other things, an optical inspection of the outer walls. In this way scratched, misprinted, incorrectly marked and non-brand cans can be tracked down and sorted out even before they are filled. The high-performance image processing system with teaching in capability remembers individual quality requirements in the course of this. This ensures that only those cans reach the market which have a perfect appearance and have been filled with the correct brand.
HEUFT SPECTRUM II
Simply automating: universal device platform for maximum performance.
Highly automated, universal and powerful: the HEUFT SPECTRUM II ensures optimum detection and operational reliability during an in-line quality assurance for the sustainable safeguarding of product quality and line efficiency.
The cross-system control unit with multiprocessing capability for different modules, systems and applications convinces due to its exceptional degree of automation. Brand and format changes can be carried out without manual intervention. The unique human machine interface of the universal device platform is self-explanatory. Human resources are effectively saved in this way. In-house developed hardware and software of the latest generation and a future-proof network connection achieve highest computing power and data transmission in real time. The result: maximum precision during purposeful product tracking, inspection and rejection.
HEUFT NaVi
Simply knowing what to do: self-explanatory audiovisual user guidance.
Intuitive, individual and audiovisual: previous knowledge is not required in order to operate the HEUFT SPECTRUM II systems reliably. The HEUFT NaVi user guidance is self-explanatory and supports the respective user step by step.
An RFID login with user-related access rights provides an overview and makes the respective user’s work simply easy: he only sees what he really needs to on the clearly arranged touchscreen user interface with a flat menu structure, integrated tutorials and precise auxiliary tools in order to fulfil his specific tasks optimally. He is supported by a virtual assistant in the course of this. She speaks to him and clearly explains what has to be done when and where. Purposeful and focussed on the essentials – the audiovisual HEUFT NaVi user guidance makes the reliable operation of HEUFT systems simply easy!
HEUFT checkPoints
Simply seeing where what has to be done: trouble-free localisation.
Clear, direct and purposeful: the user can cope immediately on the rare occasions when manual intervention is needed. Because eye-catching HEUFT checkPoints make it clear at a glance exactly when it is necessary to take matters in hand in addition to the audiovisual information which the HEUFT NaVi provides.
The orange tags not only flash on the touchscreen but also at the respective component if the worst comes to the worst. The problem is located without a long search. This saves time and human resources, shortens standstills and therefore increases productivity.
Network technologies
Networking everything: online connection for increased efficiency and quality.
Information transmission in real time, production data acquisition, line analysis and remote maintenance: networking is the answer!
HEUFT systems have future-proof network interfaces (Gigabit Ethernet and TCP / IP) for an online connection via the Internet and the database interface (SQL / DDE) for top line efficiency and an optimum quality management with considerably faster and easier workflows. Therefore production data, shift records, productivity faults and HACCP limit value analyses are available network-wide. The result: early identification of quality and efficiency problems. The firewall protected direct connection to the HEUFT TeleService makes competent remote maintenance possible all around the clock.
HEUFT rejector
Removing faulty products: the right rejector for all cases.
The HEUFT pusher rejection system is ideally suited for the reliable rejection of faulty empty cans even in the high-speed section.
- effective protection against losses in productivity due to blockages in the filler / closer system
- sustainable safeguarding of the integrity and quality of the end product
- modern HEUFT SPECTRUM II control unit for full automation and simply more precision when tracking, inspecting and rejecting containers
- HEUFT reflexx A.I high-performance image processing system for maximum detection reliability
- fully automatic brand changes with audiovisual step-by-step assistance
- reliable rejection of faulty containers including reject verification
- simple upgrading and retrofitting due to modular system design
- particularly compact dimensions
- performance range – up to 144,000 empty cans per hour
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