Method for detecting abnormalities in an opening device

Abstract

A method (100) for detecting an abnormality in an opening device (304) on a web (302) of packaging material is disclosed. The opening device (304) is injection molded onto the web in an injection molding station (312). The method (100) comprises the following steps: The light source (308) is used to illuminate the first surface (310a) of the web (302) of the packaging material located at the opening device (304) (S102); Image data acquisition device (306) acquires image data depicting the aperture device (304) from the second surface (310b) of the web (302) (S104). The second surface (310b) is opposite to the first surface (310a); Identifying data that indicates anomalies in the image data (S106); and Upon identification of an anomaly, a notification signal containing information indicating the anomaly is transmitted to the quality control station (316) (S114).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to packaging technology. More specifically, it relates to a method and apparatus for detecting abnormalities in an opening device injection-molded onto a web of packaging material.

Background Art

[0002] Today, it is common for carton packages and other similar packages manufactured by roll-fed packaging machines to be provided with opening devices. These opening devices come in various forms and are manufactured in various ways. As an example, an opening device may include a screw cap, i.e., a threaded neck and a cap configured to be screwed onto the neck, or a pull tab, such as a frame attached to the package and a lid arranged to provide an opening in the package by pulling it away from the frame. The opening device may be pre-attached to the web of packaging material. That is, it may be attached to the web using a cap-attaching device arranged upstream of the tube-forming device. That is, the opening device is attached before the food is filled into the packaging container. As an alternative, the opening device may be attached later. That is, the opening device is attached after the packaging container is formed. In other words, in this context, the cap-attaching device is arranged downstream of the tube-forming device. A pre-laminated hole (PLH) may be used for the later-attached opening device used in carton packages. A PLH is a portion of the packaging material where the carton layer has been removed. By arranging the opening device over the PLH, the opening device functions as a light-blocking element in place of the carton layer, and since the carton layer has been removed, it becomes easier for the cutting element of the opening device to penetrate the packaging material when the package is opened.

[0003] Instead of pre-applying or retrofitting an opening device, it can be injection-molded onto the web using a molding apparatus equipped with a first mold and a second mold. In other words, instead of separately manufacturing the opening device and attaching it to the package in the packaging machine, the opening device can be manufactured and attached simultaneously in the packaging machine. In this method, the web is fixed between the first and second molds, and the opening can be formed by injecting molten plastic into the cavity formed by the molding apparatus. This apparatus and plastic injection can be configured to penetrate the web, that is, to push the molten plastic through the web during molding. The advantage of penetrating the web during molding is that the packaging material is weakened. This not only has the desirable effect of reducing the force required to open the package, but also allows for more precise control over the rupture of the packaging material during opening.

[0004] Several technologies have been developed for the injection molding of opening devices in packaging machines (also called filling machines). For example, a technology has been developed for high-speed injection molding of opening devices. Furthermore, a technology has been developed to create slack in the packaging material before and after the injection molding station, which enables indexing of the injection molding station even when other stations in the packaging machine are arranged to process the web continuously. In addition, technologies have been developed that can reduce the amount of plastic required and lower the environmental impact.

[0005] Despite the development of various techniques for injection molding opening devices onto packaging material webs, reliable quality evaluation is necessary to ensure that these opening devices meet quality requirements. For example, quality evaluation of opening devices can ensure that the injection molding of the opening device does not compromise the integrity of the package. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome at least some of the limitations of the prior art specified above. In particular, it aims to provide reliable quality evaluation of injection-molded opening devices on the web of packaging material.

[0007] Generally, by placing a light source on the first side of the web and a camera or other imaging device on the second side of the web, the light passing through the web and aperture can be captured by the camera. Because the transparency varies depending on the part of the aperture, it has been demonstrated that evaluating the quality of the aperture using this method increases reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first embodiment, a method is provided for detecting an abnormality in an opening device on the web of a packaging material. The opening device can be injection molded onto the web at an injection molding station. The method comprises: illuminating a first surface of the web of the packaging material at the location of the opening device with a light source; acquiring image data depicting the opening device from a second surface (opposite to the first surface) of the web with an image data acquisition device; identifying data indicating an abnormality within the image data; and transmitting a notification signal containing information indicating the abnormality to a quality control station in response to the identification of an abnormality.

[0009] As described above, by utilizing the fact that the backlight system in this setting provides both light transmission information and spatial information, abnormalities such as deviations from reference values ​​can be identified efficiently and reliably.

[0010] The light source may be a first light source, and the irradiation step may further include irradiating the second surface of the web of the packaging material with a second light source at the position of the aperture device.

[0011] By equipping the system with two light sources, one positioned on the opposite side of the web from the image acquisition device and the other on the same side as the image acquisition device, anomalies causing changes in light transmittance, such as holes, cracks, impurities, and carbonized particles, can be detected by considering the light emitted from the first light source. On the other hand, anomalies causing spatial changes, such as overfilling or underfilling areas in the aperture device, can be captured using the light emitted from the second light source. Therefore, a configuration using both light sources is applicable to a wide range of anomaly detection.

[0012] Furthermore, this method may further include storing data indicating an anomaly and / or transmitting data indicating an anomaly to a remote server.

[0013] This offers the advantage of being able to collect and analyze data from multiple different packaging systems, and enables the detection of anomalies using neural networks and other machine learning techniques.

[0014] This method may further include determining the action to be taken based on data indicating an anomaly. Here, the notification signal may further indicate the action to be taken.

[0015] The detected anomaly may indicate that the packaging material should be removed in a later step, for example, to prevent consumers from receiving packaging material with holes in the opening device. However, additionally or alternatively, the detected anomaly may also be used to determine what action should be taken, such as lowering the temperature of the molding device. In other words, the detection of anomalies can be used as input to improve the control of the packaging system.

[0016] The progression of abnormalities over time can also be used to determine what measures should be taken. For example, even if a minor deviation itself is not considered serious enough to require mitigation measures, if the deviation worsens over time, and there is a progression that suggests the abnormality is gradually becoming more serious, then mitigation measures may still be taken.

[0017] The identified anomalies may be cracks or holes, and can be identified as regions in the image data that have a brightness exceeding a first threshold.

[0018] By using a backlit web (i.e., a system in which the light source is located on the second side of the web and the image capture device is located on the first side of the web), the holes in the aperture device appear as bright points because there is no plastic material to block the light.

[0019] Furthermore, the system includes determining the location of the detected anomaly relative to the membrane of the aperture device. Here, the notification signal may further indicate the determined location of the detected anomaly.

[0020] For example, black spots (carbonized particles) within the membrane may pose a higher risk to the integrity of the package compared to black spots located outside the membrane. Therefore, including not only the presence of anomalies but also their location information enables more robust quality control.

[0021] Furthermore, the method may include determining the estimated thickness of the membrane of the aperture device based on the grayscale of the image data. Here, the membrane may be a weakening line defining the periphery of the main central portion of the aperture device. Here, a notification signal may further indicate the estimated thickness of the membrane.

[0022] Since the amount of light passing through the film depends on its thickness, employing a backlit configuration offers the advantage of being able to quantify the thickness using a grayscale and detect deviations related to the thickness.

[0023] The main center can be defined by a film, which may be formed by a first mold in the mold configuration, and the inner center can be defined by a recess, which may be formed by a second mold in the mold configuration, and abnormalities can be identified as deviations between the arrangement of the film and the arrangement of the recess in a comparison of a reference arrangement of the recess with respect to a reference arrangement of the film.

[0024] The mold used to form the aperture device can provide different features of the aperture device. Therefore, the arrangement of these features in the aperture device can be used to evaluate whether the mold is correctly aligned. As an example, the arrangement of the film provided by one mold and the arrangement of the recess provided by another mold can be used to determine whether the mold is correctly aligned.

[0025] The image data acquisition device may include a polarizing filter, and / or the light source may be configured to emit polarized light.

[0026] The advantage of using polarized light is that it can reduce the influence of stray light. Furthermore, even in a controlled light environment, that is, when there is no or substantially no stray light, by using a polarizing filter and / or configuring the light source to emit polarized light, the light environment can be further controlled. Therefore, the stability of image capture can be improved by using polarized light. When the image data acquisition device includes a polarizing filter and a light source configured to emit polarized light, it may be possible to detect abnormalities related to the polarization of light being affected when passing through the plastic material of the aperture device.

[0027] The image data is associated with the package to be formed, and the transmission of the notification signal may include transmitting the package identifier of the package associated with the image data.

[0028] The advantage of providing a package identifier (also called a package ID, such as a QR code (registered trademark) or a data matrix code) is to associate the abnormality detected by the aperture device provided on the web with the package identifier before the package is converted, so that the package can be discarded after it is produced. By allowing the production of the package, the downtime of the packaging system can be reduced, resulting in a reduction in food waste and production costs.

[0029] The identified abnormality is carbonized particles, and the abnormality can be identified as an area having a luminance below a second threshold value within the image data.

[0030] Since the carbonized particles have light transmission characteristics different from those of the plastic material, they can be easily detected under the backlight setting proposed in this specification.

[0031] When the web of the packaging material is formed into a package, the first surface may be arranged to face the surrounding environment, and the second surface may be arranged to face the food product held within the package.

[0032] The opening device may include a film defining the periphery of the main central portion. The notification signal may include information indicating that the abnormality is due to the film and / or the main central portion.

[0033] The identified abnormality can be a displacement of the peripheral edge of the inner flange of the opening device.

[0034] If the injection amount of the plastic material is too much or too little during molding, the peripheral edge may be affected. Since this can be detected in the image data, it becomes possible to simultaneously detect a wide range of abnormalities related to molding.

[0035] According to a second aspect, a component kit for detecting an abnormality of an opening device on a web of a packaging material is provided. The opening device can be injection molded onto the web at an injection molding station. The component kit includes a light source configured to emit light passing through the opening device, an image acquisition device configured to supplement the light passing through the opening device and generate image data depicting the opening device based on the captured light, and a data processing device including a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, configured to identify data indicating an abnormality within the image data and transmit a notification signal including information indicating the abnormality to a quality control station in response to the identification of the abnormality.

[0036] The same features and advantages described above with respect to the first embodiment also apply to this second embodiment.

[0037] According to a third embodiment, a data processing device is provided which includes a control circuit and is configured to receive image data depicting an aperture device. The image data may be generated by capturing light passing through the aperture device, and is configured to identify data in the image data indicating an anomaly in the aperture device and, in response to the identification of an anomaly, transmit a notification signal containing information indicating the anomaly to a quality control station.

[0038] The features and advantages relating to the first embodiment described above also apply to this embodiment.

[0039] Further purposes, features, embodiments, and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description and drawings below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention will be described illustratively with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] [Figure 1] This flowchart shows a method for detecting abnormalities in the web opening device. [Figure 2] This figure shows a data processing device. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically shows a packaging system that includes an injection molding station for manufacturing opening devices, and an image acquisition device and light source for quality evaluation of the opening devices. [Figure 4A] This is a perspective view showing an example of an injection-molded opening device. [Figure 4B] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an opening device injection-molded onto a web. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of the opening device in a second embodiment, i.e., a view from inside the package, where a hole is detected in the membrane of the opening device. [Figure 6A] This figure shows an example of an aperture device in which so-called black spots, or carbonized particles, were detected. [Figure 6B] This figure shows an example of an aperture device in which so-called black spots, or carbonized particles, were detected. [Figure 7A] This figure shows an example of an opening device that detects an overfilled area. [Figure 7B] This figure shows an example of an opening device that detects an overfilled area. [Figure 8A] This figure shows an example of an opening device that detects areas of insufficient filling. [Figure 8B] This figure shows an example of an opening device that detects areas of insufficient filling. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0042] Referring to Figure 1, a flowchart of method 100 for detecting anomalies in an opening device is shown. The opening device may be injection molded into a web of packaging material. The method includes step S102 of illuminating a first surface of the web with a light source. Furthermore, the method includes step S104 of acquiring image data depicting the opening device from a second surface (opposite the first surface) of the web. The method further includes step S106 of identifying data indicating anomalies, and step S114 of transmitting a notification signal containing information indicating anomalies to a quality control station.

[0043] Optionally, this method may include step S108, which determines the action to be performed based on data indicating an anomaly.

[0044] Furthermore, optionally, the method may include step S110, which determines the location of the detected anomaly on the membrane of the aperture device. The notification signal may further indicate the determined location of the detected anomaly.

[0045] Furthermore, optionally, the method may include step S112, which determines the estimated thickness of the aperture device membrane based on the grayscale of the image data. Here, the membrane may be a weakening line that defines the main center of the aperture device.

[0046] Furthermore, optionally, this method may include a step S116 for saving data indicating an anomaly, and / or a step S118 for sending data indicating an anomaly to a remote server.

[0047] Figure 2 shows a data processing device 200 equipped with a control circuit 202. The control circuit 202 includes a processor 204. The control circuit 202 is provided with a transceiver 206 and a memory 208 that are connected for communication. The memory 208 stores computer program instructions for executing the method 100 shown in Figure 1. In other words, the data processing device 200 may be configured to process image data acquired by an image acquisition device and to identify anomalies.

[0048] Figure 3 schematically shows a part of the packaging system 300 (also called a packaging machine or filling machine). Although not shown, the web 302 of the packaging material may be supplied to the packaging system 300 wound on a reel. After being unwound from the reel, the web 302 may be supplied to an injection molding station 312 equipped with a molding apparatus. This molding apparatus includes a first mold and a second mold positioned on different sides of the web 302. As shown, plastic granules may be supplied to the injection molding station 312 via a plastic granule hopper 314. The aperture device 304 produced by the injection molding station 312 may be supplied along the supply direction FD to an image data acquisition device 306 and a light source 308. As shown, the light source 308 and the image data acquisition device 306 (e.g., a camera) may be positioned on different sides of the web 302 and configured so that light emitted from the light source 308 passes through the web 302 and / or the aperture device 304 to reach the image data acquisition device. As shown in the figure, the light source 308 may be positioned so that light is shone onto the first surface 310a of the web 302, and the image data acquisition device 306 may be positioned so as to face the second surface 310b of the web 302. The first surface 310a may be positioned to form the outside of the package in a later step, and the second surface 310b may be positioned to form the inside of the package. That is, the first surface 310a may be positioned to face the surrounding environment, and the second surface 310b may be positioned to face the food product held inside the package.

[0049] A quality control station 316 may be provided downstream of the image data acquisition device 306 and the light source 308. As shown in the figure, the quality control station 316 may be positioned to further evaluate the web 302 and the opening device 304 in more detail, or it may be positioned further downstream. For example, the quality control station 316 may be positioned after the package has been formed. In this case, the quality control station 316 may be configured to remove packages that do not meet the quality criteria. Reasons for not meeting the quality criteria (i.e., quality requirements) may include the detection of holes in the opening device, the thickness of the opening device being outside the set range, or the shape of the opening device deviating from the standard shape. The quality control station 316 may be configured to perform a more detailed analysis. For example, the quality control station 316 may be equipped with an image data acquisition device with a higher resolution than the image data acquisition device 306. The advantage of this configuration is that the image data acquisition device 306, positioned upstream of the quality control station 316, can activate the image data acquisition device of the quality control station 316. As a result, the image data acquisition device at the quality control station 316 can be used only for evaluating the aperture device 304, for which detailed information is required to perform a reliable evaluation.

[0050] Although not shown, the quality control station 316 may be located downstream of the packaging system 300. That is, the quality control station 316 may evaluate the packages and the package opening device 304 after they have been produced and transferred from the packaging system 300. To enable tracking of the opening device 304 after it has been formed from the web 302 into a package (i.e., after sealing, filling, and forming into individual packages), the web 302 may be marked with a packaging identifier such as a data matrix code or a QR code (registered trademark). By printing on the web 302 and assigning a package identifier to the formed package in this way, the quality control station 316 can evaluate the package even after it has been discharged from the packaging system 300 and even after it has been shipped to a retailer or the like.

[0051] The quality control station 316 may be an automated station that evaluates packages and performs various steps to discard packages that are determined not to meet quality requirements. Alternatively, the quality control station 316 may be a manual or semi-automated quality control station in which an operator is involved in a more detailed evaluation and / or disposal of the packages.

[0052] In response to an abnormality detected in the opening device 304, a notification signal may be triggered and transmitted from the image data acquisition device 306 to the quality control station 316. The notification signal may include information about the action to be taken. For example, the notification signal may include instructions for the quality control station to select a specific package for further analysis. Another action may be to discard the package. Yet another action may be to change the settings of the packaging system 300, for example, by increasing the amount of plastic supplied to the cavity of the molding machine.

[0053] The advantage of positioning the light source 308 and the image acquisition device 306 on opposite sides of the web 302 is that quality issues with the aperture device 304 may be related to deviations in the molding process of the aperture device. These deviations may cause the shape and / or thickness of the aperture device 304 to deviate from set values. By positioning the light source 308 so that light passes through the web and / or aperture device and enters the image data acquisition device 306, and by positioning the plastic of the aperture device 304 so that some of the light passes through, the image data generated by the image data acquisition device 306 can serve as a reliable source of information for evaluating the quality of the aperture device 304.

[0054] As described above, image data can be generated and processed by the image data acquisition device 306. In other words, the image data acquisition device 306 may include the data processing device 200 shown in Figure 2. The data processing device 200 may be an independent unit. Furthermore, the processing of image data may be carried out in a remote server 318 that is directly or indirectly connected to the image data acquisition device 306 for communication. The remote server 318 may send a notification signal back to the image data acquisition device 306, which can then be transmitted to the quality control station 316. As another option not shown, if the remote server 318 is connected to the quality control station 316 for communication, the notification signal is sent directly to the quality control station 316 without going through the image data acquisition device 306. The remote server 3168 may be connected to multiple image data acquisition devices 306 and multiple different packaging systems 300. An advantage of collecting data from a large base of image data acquisition devices 306 is that machine learning models, such as neural networks, can be used to generate associations between image datasets and anomalies, and between anomalies and corrective actions.

[0055] As shown in the figure, the light source 308, referred to as the first light source 308 in this context, may be complemented by a second light source 308'. Unlike the first light source 308, the second light source 308' may be positioned on the same web 302 side as the image data acquisition device 306. By positioning the first light source 308 to provide light passing through the web 302 and / or the aperture device 304, and positioning the second light source 308' to provide light reflected on the aperture device 304 before the image data acquisition device 306 detects it, more information about the geometric shape of the aperture device 304 can be obtained. The two light sources 308, 308' may be positioned to supply light intermittently; that is, the aperture device 304 is illuminated alternately by the first light source 308 and the second light source 308'. Alternatively, the light sources 308, 308' may be positioned to supply light simultaneously. The light sources 308, 308' may use the same frequency, or they may be positioned to use different frequencies.

[0056] As an example, Figure 4A shows a perspective view of an opening device 304. The illustrated example includes a spout 400 that can be positioned to face outward from the web 302. An opening 402 may be provided inside the spout 400. An outer flange 404 may be provided radially outward from the neck 406. The neck may have threads that can engage with a screw cap. A main center 408 may be provided radially inward from the neck 406 and substantially coplanar with the outer flange 404. This main center 408 may be configured to be removed when the package is opened. For example, although not shown, a pull tab may be provided to facilitate the user's removal of this part. Another option is to give the screw-on cap a cutting function so that this part is at least partially cut when opened (in this context, by twisting off the cap). The neck 408 may form a ring 410 when viewed from above.

[0057] Figure 4B shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the opening device 304. As shown, similar to the example shown in Figure 4A, a neck 406, an outer flange 404, and a main center 408 are provided. As shown, an inner flange 412 may be provided on the opposite side of the web 302 from the outer flange 404. Having these two flanges, and with the plastic material penetrating the web 302 during the molding step, the opening device 304 is fixed to the web 302 without compromising the integrity of the package. As shown, the web 302 may have pre-laminate holes (PLHs), i.e., areas of the web 302 that do not have any carton layer 413. According to the illustrated example, the plastic material may penetrate the web 302 in the PLHs during molding. Instead of providing PLHs, the web may have a number of micro-holes (perforations by a needle, etc.). These micro-holes are smaller than the PLHs and allow the plastic material to penetrate the web 302 through these micro-holes. By arranging the micropores along the break line, it is possible to easily open the opening device 304 along the break line.

[0058] As shown in the figure, the periphery of the main center 408 may be defined by a weakening line (also called a membrane 414). When the main center 408 is removed when opening the opening device 304, the main center 408 may be torn in whole or in part along the membrane 414. As shown in the figure, the membrane 414 may be placed on the second surface 310b that faces the food after the package has been filled and molded.

[0059] A recess 416 may be provided on the first surface 310a facing the second surface 310b. As shown in the figure, the radius of the recess 416 may be smaller than the radius of the film 414. An inner center 420 may be provided radially inward of the recess 416. A nozzle tip projection 418 may be provided within this portion. This projection may arise from the plastic material injected during molding. If excess plastic material is supplied during molding, it can be trapped in the recess 416. In this way, the recess 416 can serve to compensate for the use of excess plastic material. In addition, because the light source 308 and image acquisition device 306 are located on the opposite side of the web 302, if excess plastic material is trapped in the recess 416, it can be identified as an anomaly using the light source 308 and image data acquisition device 306 arranged as shown in Figure 3.

[0060] Figure 5 shows an example of image data depicting the aperture device 304, in which an anomaly 500 is identified. As further shown in the enlarged section, the anomaly 500 detected in this particular example comprises impurities 502, shown as dark gray objects, and holes 504, shown as white dots. Generally, when white light is emitted from the light source 308, holes 504 are depicted as white dots. On the other hand, when impurities 502 are mixed into the molding device, they absorb light more effectively than the aperture device 304, and therefore appear darker gray compared to the color tone of the aperture device.

[0061] As shown in Figure 5, although the film 414 and the recess 416 originate from different molds, both are visible in the image data. As shown in Figure 4B, the recess 416 may be formed by one of two molds interacting with the first surface 310a (two molds may be required to form the threads on the spout). The film may also be formed by a mold interacting with the second surface 310b of the web 302. If the relative position of the recess 416 and the film 414 is found to deviate over time or from a reference position, this can be detected as an anomaly indicating a misalignment of the mold in the mold configuration.

[0062] Figures 6A and 6B are examples of image data showing the opening device 304, where the anomaly is carbonized particles 600 (also called black spots). In injection molding applications, black spots can occur for various reasons. For example, black spots can occur if the plastic material is overheated during molding.

[0063] Figures 7A and 7B show examples of image data where the anomaly is in the overfilled region 700. As shown, the peripheral edge of the inner flange 412 is displaced, and more specifically, the plastic material is pushed outwards from the inner flange 412. When such an anomaly is identified, a possible mitigation measure is to reduce the amount of plastic material used to mold the opening device 304.

[0064] Figures 8A and 8B show examples of image data where the anomaly is in the underfilled region 800. Contrary to the situation shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the peripheral edge is displaced where a portion of the inner flange 412 is missing. In this case, a possible mitigation measure would be to increase the amount of plastic material used to mold the opening device 304.

[0065] As is clear from the above description, various embodiments of the present invention have been described and demonstrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be embodied in other ways within the scope of the subject matter defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method (100) for detecting an abnormality in an opening device (304) on a web (302) of packaging material, wherein the opening device (304) is injection molded on the web at an injection molding station (312), and the method (100) is Step (S102) of irradiating the first aspect (310a) of the web (302) of the packaging material at the position of the opening device (304) with a light source (308), The image data acquisition device (306) captures the first surface (310a) of the web (302) Step (S104) is to acquire image data depicting the aperture device (304) from the second surface (310b) located on the opposite side, The image data includes the step of identifying data that indicates an abnormality (S106), Step (S114) of transmitting a notification signal containing information indicating the abnormality to the quality control station (316) in response to the identification of an abnormality, A method (100) comprising:

2. The light source (308) comprises a first light source (308), The irradiation step (S102) further comprises the step of irradiating the second surface (310b) of the web (302) of the packaging material with a second light source (308') at the position of the opening device (304). The method according to claim 1 (100).

3. Step (S116) of saving data indicating the aforementioned abnormality; and / or, The system further includes the step (S118) of transmitting data indicating the aforementioned abnormality to a remote server (318). The method according to claim 1 or 2 (100).

4. The system further includes a step (S108) of determining the action to be performed based on the data indicating the aforementioned abnormality, The aforementioned notification signal indicates the action to be performed. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 (100).

5. The identified anomaly is a crack or hole (504), and the anomaly is identified as a region in the image data having a brightness exceeding a first threshold. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 (100).

6. The process further includes a step (S110) of determining the location of the detected abnormality with respect to the membrane of the opening device (304), The notification signal indicates the determined location of the detected anomaly. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 (100).

7. The method further includes a step (S112) of determining the estimated thickness of the film (414) of the aperture device (304) based on the grayscale of the image data, The aforementioned film (414) is a weakening line that defines the periphery of the main central part (408) of the opening device. The notification signal indicates the estimated thickness of the film (414). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 (100).

8. The main central part (408) is defined by the film (414), which is formed by the first mold of the mold configuration; the inner central part (420) is defined by the recess (416), which is formed by the second mold of the mold configuration; The aforementioned abnormality is identified as a deviation between the arrangement of the film (414) and the arrangement of the recess (416) in a comparison between the reference arrangement of the film (414) and the reference arrangement of the recess (416). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 (100).

9. The image data is associated with the package to be formed. The step of transmitting the notification signal (S114) further comprises transmitting the package identifier of the package associated with the image data. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 (100).

10. The identified anomaly is a carbonized particle, and the anomaly is identified as a region in the image data having an intensity below a second threshold value. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 (100).

11. When the web (302) of the packaging material is formed into the package, the first surface (310a) is positioned to face the surrounding environment, and the second surface (310b) is positioned to face the food to be held in the package. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 (100).

12. The opening device (304) comprises a membrane (414) defining the periphery of the main center (408), and the notification signal comprises information indicating whether the abnormality originates from either the membrane (414) or / or the main center (408), or both. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 (100).

13. The identified abnormality is the displacement of the peripheral edge of the inner flange (412) of the opening device (304). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 (100).

14. A parts kit for detecting abnormalities in an opening device (304) on a web (302) of packaging material, wherein the opening device (304) is injection molded on the web at an injection molding station (312), and the parts kit is A light source (308) configured to emit light passing through the aperture device (304), An image acquisition device (306) is configured to capture light passing through the aperture device (304) and generate image data that depicts the aperture device based on the captured light, A data processing device (200) comprising a processor (204), memory (208), and transceiver (206), configured to identify data indicating an anomaly within the image data and to transmit a notification signal containing information indicating the anomaly to a quality control station (316) as a response to the identification of an anomaly, Equipped with, Parts kit.

15. A data processing device (200) comprising a control circuit (202), Image data depicting the aperture device (304) is received, and the image data is generated by capturing light passing through the aperture device (304), In the image data, identify data indicating an abnormality in the aperture device (304), Upon detection of an anomaly, a notification signal containing information indicating the anomaly is transmitted to the quality control station (316). Data processing device (200).

Images