BeverageIndustry July2010 : Page56Packaging DECORATION INSPECTION Just as beverage companies have changed the shape and material used in containers to realize efficiencies and spur sales in a downturn economy, a resurgence in color has happened to make their products more marketable, says Amir Novini, president of Applied Vision Corp., Akron, Ohio. “Stuff used to be simplistic – it used to be one color, maybe two, maybe three,” he says. “The decorators of today, they’re printing eight colors. They’re using half tones, process colors. They’re doing stuff that’s producing exciting, vibrant colors on these cans.” Applied Vision produces a camera-based colorimetric system, KromaKing, to measure color, register patterns, interpret process colors, image cylindrical shiny surfaces and provide full coverage of cans, the company says. The KromaKing systems feature fully-enclosed cameras, continued from page 55 are turning to lightweighting and other initiatives to work smarter. “The beverage market is really taking the lead on lightweighting,” Kearbey says. In addition to lightweighting, clear bottleswith colorless liquids prove challenging for inspection equipment, particularly photoelectric devices that trigger another action, such as etching or painting, says Tim Kelley, vice president of business development and marketing at Tri-TronicsCo. Inc., Tampa, Fla. “When you ⇒ ll a plastic or a glass bottle full of water or vodka or gin or anything that’s clear, you just turn that into a lens,” Kelley says. Tri-Tronics developed its SmartEye RetroSmart retro⇑ ective sensor to detect translucent and transparent containers and shiny objects fromthe leading and trailing edges, the company says. T device points a narrowred light beam at a re⇑ ector, which bounces the light back to the sensor and creates a “thru-beam.” When the beam is broken by a passing object – even clear bottles that create a lens – the system can trigger an action. The optimal distance between the sensor and re⇑ ector is between 6 inches and 8 feet, the company says. The RetroSmart sensor can be autoset or remotely autoset and features light state tracking, which continually will adjust to the perfect setting on the contrast indicator when the setting is enabled, the company says. To accurately trigger actions in the inspection system, companies use the RetroSmart sensor to automatically detect the leading edge of a transparent or translucent container, Kelley says. “Anything less clear than perfectly clear, it’s going to see that,” he says. Speed of throughput is essential asmany inspection machines analyze thousands of containersa minute, Kelley says. RetroSmart operates at 100 microseconds CMC-Kuhnke’s MARS-SEAM system is fully automated and can tear down a can in about a minute, the company says. >> 56 | Beverage Industry | JULY 2010 | bevindustry.com and can be used in several operations, including ⇒lling, packaging and labeling, the company says. MORE THAN THEY SEAM Lightweighting also has affected the accuracy and repeatability of inspection equipment in the canning industry, says Alex Grossjohann, vice president of CMC-Kuhnke, Albany, N.Y. Grossjohann says that some beverage companies have made changes tomaterial thickness and alterations to the size and shape of containers, such as slim cans or aluminum bottles, to generate interest in their products during the recession. “As unique designs have peaked customer interest, they pose inspection issues for us because another way to drive customer demands and compete in that kaging DECORATION INSPECTION Just as beverage companies have changed the shape and material used in containers to realize efficiencies and spur sales in a downturn economy, a resurgence in color has happened to make their products more marketable, says Amir Novini, president of Applied Vision Corp., Akron, Ohio. “Stuff used to be simplistic – it used to be one color, maybe two, maybe three,” he says. “The decorators of today, they’re printing eight colors. They’re using half tones, process colors. They’re doing stuff that’s producing exciting, vibrant colors on these cans.” Applied Vision produces a camera-based colorimetric system, KromaKing, to measure color, register patterns, interpret process colors, image cylindrical shiny surfaces and provide full coverage of cans, the company says. The KromaKing systems feature fully-enclosed cameras, continued from page 55 are turning to lightweighting and other initiatives to work smarter. “The beverage market is really taking the lead on lightweighting,” Kearbey says. In addition to lightweighting, clear bottleswith colorless liquids prove challenging for inspection equipment, particularly photoelectric devices that trigger another action, such as etching or painting, says Tim Kelley, vice president of business development and marketing at Tri-TronicsCo. Inc., Tampa, Fla. “When you ⇒ ll a plastic or a glass bottle full of water or vodka or gin or anything that’s clear, you just turn that into a lens,” Kelley says. Tri-Tronics developed its SmartEye RetroSmart retro⇑ ective sensor to detect translucent and transparent containers and shiny objects fromthe leading and trailing edges, the company says. T device points a narrowred light beam at a re⇑ ector, which bounces the light back to the sensor and creates a “thru-beam.” When the beam is broken by a passing object – even clear bottles that create a lens – the system can trigger an action. The optimal distance between the sensor and re⇑ ector is between 6 inches and 8 feet, the company says. The RetroSmart sensor can be autoset or remotely autoset and features light state tracking, which continually will adjust to the perfect setting on the contrast indicator when the setting is enabled, the company says. To accurately trigger actions in the inspection system, companies use the RetroSmart sensor to automatically detect the leading edge of a transparent or translucent container, Kelley says. “Anything less clear than perfectly clear, it’s going to see that,” he says. Speed of throughput is essential asmany inspection machines analyze thousands of containersa minute, Kelley says. RetroSmart operates at 100 microseconds CMC-Kuhnke’s MARS-SEAM system is fully automated and can tear down a can in about a minute, the company says. >> 56 | Beverage Industry | JULY 2010 | bevindustry.com and can be used in several operations, including ⇒lling, packaging and labeling, the company says. MORE THAN THEY SEAM Lightweighting also has affected the accuracy and repeatability of inspection equipment in the canning industry, says Alex Grossjohann, vice president of CMC-Kuhnke, Albany, N.Y. Grossjohann says that some beverage companies have made changes tomaterial thickness and alterations to the size and shape of containers, such as slim cans or aluminum bottles, to generate interest in their products during the recession. “As unique designs have peaked customer interest, they pose inspection issues for us because another way to drive customer demands and compete in that The The KromaKing, by Applied Vision, Akron, Ohio, inspects bottle decorations. >> a stabilized light source and a white reference to image both completed cans and the blankets that transfer paint to the cans, Novini says. “Color is what’s going on, and it’s the consumer that is driving it,” Novini says. “They want more vibrancy. They want more color. They want pretty pictures on the can. They’re no longer interested in the two-color can that you get.” BI Publication List |
