CASE STUDY
Wine Bottle Vision Inspection System for Quality Control
Wine Production
Client Challenge:
A winery sought to enhance their quality control process by automating the inspection of wine bottles for defects such as cracks, chips, and missing parts. The existing manual inspection process was labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error. The winery needed a solution that could accurately and efficiently inspect bottles at high speeds, ensuring only flawless products reached consumers.
Our Solution:
Saber Engineering designed and implemented a vision inspection system tailored to the winery's specific needs. The system utilized a Keyence 2-megapixel camera positioned overhead to inspect the top of wine bottles for gross cracks and breaks. An optional pericentric lens allowed for inspection of the bottle threads for smaller chips and cracks. The system included a custom-designed reject mechanism for upright rejection of defective bottles, minimizing spillage and allowing for evaluation of rejects.
Vision Inspection System Features:
01.
Camera
Keyence 2-megapixel camera for high-resolution image capture.
02.
Lighting
Integrated lighting for optimal image quality.
03.
Pericentric Lens
For inspecting bottle threads for smaller defects.
04.
Custom Reject Mechanism
Upright rejection to prevent spills and facilitate reject evaluation.
05.
PLC Control
Programmable logic controller for system automation and integration with existing conveyor.
The Results:
The vision inspection system significantly improved the winery's quality control process. The automated inspection was faster, more accurate, and more consistent than manual inspection, reducing the risk of defective bottles reaching consumers. The system's ability to inspect both the top and threads of the bottle (with the optional pericentric lens) ensured comprehensive defect detection. The custom reject mechanism minimized product loss due to spillage and allowed for analysis of rejected bottles.