Automatic Inspection of Semi Transparent Packaging

Henrik Birk 

JLI vision a/s

Poppelgaardvej 7-9, DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark

Tel: +45 39660809    Fax: 39560812
Email: birk@jli.dk

Biography 
 

Holds a M.Sc. in electronic engineering from Aalborg University, and is currently studying Engineering Business Administration at Copenhagen University College of Engineering.

After working as a software engineer for a company based in Aalborg, he joined JLI vision in 1997 and is currently a project and quality manager.

Company Profile

With more than 20 years in the vision industry JLI vision has proven to be a leading supplier of turnkey visionsystems to almost any industry. The main activities have been in pharmaceutical, glass, plastic, packaging, steel, and JLI visionsystems are represented on three continents around the world. Over a 20 year period JLI has solved more than 500 different inspection problems.

JLI’s mission is to be a leading supplier of advanced turnkey visionsystems, and currently has 11 employees and a turnover of more than 3 million euros.

Abstract

Syringes are often made of plastics with printed scales and inscriptions. The printing process drifts and can create many different errors. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the finished parts.

The paper presents several vision system solutions for off line inspection or as integrated in the printing machine.

Offline inspection is done by feeding the parts in a well orientated way past a vision system camera. The vision system inspects and rejects defective parts while gathering production statistics.

Mounted in the printing machine, the vision system can display trend graphs describing the print position and quality and thereby aid the operators in tuning the printing process.

In some printing machines the vision system can give an electrical feedback to the ink dosage mechanism making the printing process self adjusting.

The different printing methods: Tampo, Silk Screen, Laser Engraving and Offset, creates different imperfections. Therefore, the vision system must be optimized for the printing technology used.

Obtaining images of round objects presents many problems with illumination, focusing, geometry and perspective.

Several solutions will be explained.