The company turned to EPIC Systems to design, integrate, and install a vision inspection system tailored to their specific needs. EPIC undertook a comprehensive analysis of the existing processes and developed a customized implementation plan to address the challenges.
The solution involved the creation of multiple custom components, including unscramblers for bottles and nozzles, fillers, star wheels, and nozzle conveyors. These components were designed to accommodate the unique bottle shapes and ensure precise orientation for proper use by consumers. As bottles moved down the line, liquid production filled them directly from the production line.
Central to the solution was the implementation of an automated, machine vision-based quality assurance (QA) system. This system was engineered to conduct thorough checks to minimize defective products without compromising the line’s speed. Key aspects of QA included verifying the accurate mating of spray nozzles to bottles, automatically checking bottle weights, ensuring correct filling levels, and confirming the accuracy of date codes.
To further improve efficiency and minimize employee exposure to harsh chemicals, the vision inspection system was integrated to handle tasks such as boxing, case erection, palletizing, and stretch wrapping. Automated checks for weight discrepancies at various stages ensured only correctly filled and packaged products proceeded down the line, while any deviations were promptly directed to reject stations.
