Ampoule / Vial Inspection Machine

The machine is based on an advanced optical inspection system with high resolution CCD

cameras and illuminators. These are mounted on a mobile support that swings back and forth

in order to track the movement of the bottles without stopping the main carrousel. Since

during image acquisition the relative movement between container and the camera illumination

system is zero, the sensitivity of the system is greatly increased. Furthermore, the cameras track the containers for two machine steps and this allows double inspection time compared to competing systems. The machine employs the new patented GF gripper which is pneumatically closed and which allows adjustment of the closing force in order to handle delicately even fragile containers. Furthermore the new grippers are driven by the latest generation of stepper electric motors which can be fully programmed with different spin parameters which are customized for every format and for each inspection station. This optimization allows the machine to be extremely flexible and achieve excellent inspection results. Particles within the bottles are detected by analyzing the images of the liquid as it continues spinning. The powerful microprocessors and programming combined allow the machine to reach a high rate of inspection without compromising image resolution and maintaining a high number of acquired images for each bottle. The machine is governed by the FAR industrial PC system, which is by far more powerful and flexible than conventional PLCs.

The container rejection criteria are selected by keyboard and adjustable according to the specific requirements of the Client. The containers are separated automatically in good and

faulty after inspection by the rejector. The machine, which is equipped with a user-friendly OP, does not require highly trained personnel. The display contains inspection data with results and allows the operator to monitor machine operation in real time.

Note: the detection capacity of the inspection software and consequently of the machine is influenced by the resolution  and sensitivity parameters, but it also depends on the characteristics of the bottle and product. For instance, the maximum sensitivity that can be achieved during actual production can be limited by the transparency level, by the opacity of the defects and particles, by the product quality, etc.