Automated, On-line Inspection of the Inside of Beverage Cans at Production Speeds is a Reality

The 595VS Vision Inspection System combines Pressco’s proven Interrogator Vision Inspection technology and Belvac’s revolutionary Modular Necking System.

Belvac’s Intelligent Modular System (IMS), the 595VS Vision System and 595LT Light Tester, all bolt together, along with necking, flanging, base reforming and base reprofiling modules, for one continuous operation. This modular design eliminates the need and associated cost of additional mass conveying, single filing, inter-connecting air track work, discharge elevators and plant space requirements. The controlled can transportation throughout the entire process preserves can quality and reduces can spoilage.

Video cameras in the 595VS Vision Inspection System exceed industry specifications to provide full computer integration, as well as high-speed asynchronous image acquisition.

The Interrogator Vision System is able to inspect the following zones and the associated defects in those zones:

• Unsprayed cans

• Partially sprayed cans

• Dents

• Deco (from mandrel)

• Coating drips

• Coating drapes

• Die or draw marks

• Oil or grease

• Dirt or other foreign material

• Stains

• Gross cracks in dome

• Metal whiskers on side-wall

With the enhanced neck inspection capability, the 595VS Vision Inspection System will be capable of detecting:

• Necker wax on neck

• Short sprays

• Wrinkles on neck

• Die/draw marks, oil/grease, dirt/foreign material and stains on the neck

Additionally, with the enhanced flange inspection capability, the IMS inspection module can detect:

• Oval or bent flanges that cause significant change in flange outside diameter

• Smaller chip-outs, large wrinkles and medium-sized cracks in the flange

• Metal slivers on the flange and protruding outward and inward from the flange

• Dirt, grease and deco marks on the flange surface

By combining the neck and flange inspection capabilities with the enhanced dome inspection module, more defects can be detected than with any other system, particularly for 50 cl cans.

This additional inspection tunnel, with top-viewing camera, inspects:

• Lower sidewall chime

• Moat

• Dome area

The 595VS Vision Inspection System is capable of detecting defects with adequate visual attributes and contrast down to a size of 0.040 inch (approximate diameter) or a minimum area of 0.0016 inch2. The sensitivity of the system, with respect to detectable defect size, varies from location to location inside the can. The minimum detectable defect size will be larger in the lower side-wall region of the can. Additionally, the minimum detectable defect size will be smaller (defects down to a size of approximately 0.020 inch) in the neck area of the can.