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3D vision inspection assures cup quality

A sophisticated vision inspection system that provides nearly 130 profiles per cup at 600 cups/min is used for quality assurance in the commercial thermoforming of yogurt cups.

Inspection system. The 3D Gocator inspection system (above) is at the heart of the overall inspection system in the schematic shown here.
Inspection system. The 3D Gocator inspection system (above) is at the heart of the overall inspection system in the schematic shown here.

Designed and built by Industrial Control Services, the ThermoChecker inspects the rims of thermoformed yogurt cups for defects at a rate of up to 600 cups/min, making almost 130 measurements per cup.

The ThermoChecker is designed for commercial makers of yogurt cups. It gets installed on the dry offset printer such manufacturers use to decorate the cups. Why on the printer? “Because,” says ICS Sales Engineer Nate Hinkle, “that’s where the cups are singulated, which allows our system to inspect the cups one at a time and, if need be, reject them one at a time.”

A high-speed 3D vision system from LMI plays the central role in making it possible for the ThermoChecker to inspect so many cups so thoroughly. Called the 3D Smart Sensor Model Gocator 2330, this vision system has a resolution in the range of 6 to 12 microns, which means it’s able to detect the smallest defects. If cups having such defects go undetected and reach a customer’s plant, they can result in an imperfect seal between cup and lidding material, resulting in spoiled product.

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