Flexible Bag Inspection Layout for High-Speed Optical Defect Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inspecting flexible bags containing liquid or viscous products are prone to human error, have low productivity, and require a large footprint, making them inefficient and cumbersome in plant layouts.
Innovation Solution
A linear apparatus with a feeding system, advancement line, and multiple inspection stations that include gripping, lifting, and rotating mechanisms to inspect flexible bags, allowing for efficient defect detection and optimized spatial utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual inspection by operators is used, then human error and subjectivity are reduced, but productivity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated optical inspection system. Cameras and lighting systems capture images of bags, while computer vision algorithms automatically detect defects, eliminating human error and subjectivity while significantly increasing processing speed and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system performs self-inspection through automated image capture and analysis. The system independently identifies defects without human intervention, with the computer vision algorithm automatically processing images and flagging defective bags, thereby achieving both high reliability and productivity.
2Ease of operation
If a carousel inspection system is used, then bags can be inspected from various perspectives, but the footprint becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a horizontal carousel that occupies large floor space, the patent employs a vertical indexing mechanism. Bags are moved vertically through different inspection positions where cameras capture images from multiple angles. This vertical arrangement achieves comprehensive inspection capability while minimizing horizontal footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system is divided into multiple discrete inspection stations, each equipped with cameras for specific viewing angles. These segmented inspection points are arranged vertically, allowing comprehensive bag inspection through staged image capture from different perspectives without requiring a large horizontal carousel structure.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for inspecting flexible bags containing a liquid or viscous product including: a line for advancing the bags; a first device for gripping a first bag, the first bag forming part of the bags; a first device for lifting a part of the first gripping device; the first lifting device allowing inclination of the first gripping device to be changed with respect to a horizontal plane; a first rotatable device that rotates the first gripping device around a first rotation axis that is transverse to the line; a detection device for detecting defects of the bags and/or their contents; the detection device including a device for visual inspection of the first bag and/or its contents; a device for rejecting the bags according to information coming from the detecting device. The apparatus is a linear machine, not a carousel rotatable around its own rotation axis.