Bottle finish and closure inspection
Before capping, the bottle finish is imaged from above under a ring light; a chip on the sealing surface shows up as a break in the bright ring. After capping, cap presence and tilt are measured from the side against a backlight. Both cameras are triggered by photo-sensors; a non-conforming bottle is removed by the pusher.
Ring continuity and cap angle of every bottle are sent to the line PLC; a bottle with a chipped finish is removed before capping, one with a tilted cap after capping, both by the pusher. The counters are shown on the operator display.
- 01 Finish check
- 02 Capping
- 03 Cap check
- 04 Decide
The photo-sensor sees the bottle; the ring light strobes and the ring image of the sealing surface is checked for breaks.
- Unbroken arc
- —
- Cap tilt
- —
Scenes are illustrative simulations; they are not customer references or performance guarantees.
Need
The sealing surface on the finish is a narrow, glossy glass ring; a sub-millimetre chip is invisible from the side and appears or vanishes with the light direction. Cap tilt has to be measured at line speed on a bottle that is still vibrating.
Solution approach
Triggered by a photo-sensor, the finish is imaged straight from above under a ring light: an intact sealing surface returns an unbroken bright ring, a chip shows as a gap in it. After capping a second photo-sensor triggers the backlit side camera; the top edge of the cap is found in the silhouette and its angle to the horizontal is measured.
Process steps
- 01
Finish check
The photo-sensor sees the bottle; the ring light strobes and the ring image of the sealing surface is checked for breaks.
- 02
Capping
The capping head travels with the bottle, descends and crimps the cap.
- 03
Cap check
The second photo-sensor triggers the side camera; against the backlight the top edge of the cap is located and its tilt is measured.
- 04
Decide
Ring continuity and cap tilt are compared with their limits; a non-conforming bottle is removed by the pusher.
Related applications
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