IN Brief:
- A new 600mm-wide module allows software selection between two-dimensional and three-dimensional inspection.
- Surface checks and product localisation use 2D imaging; height and volume checks use 3D.
- A guided calibration procedure and side-by-side module arrangement are intended to simplify installation and replacement.
Gerhard Schubert has introduced a standardised optical inspection module for packaging machinery that combines two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging in a single 600mm-wide unit. The new scanner is designed to perform different product checks through selectable functions while reducing the number of distinct optical assemblies needed on a line.
The German packaging equipment manufacturer says the modular construction will simplify installation, maintenance and replacement. Operators can switch inspection modes through software, and multiple units can be arranged side by side to cover wider conveyor systems. Schubert has not disclosed a universal maximum throughput, defect detection rate or measured improvement in line availability for the new equipment.
Machine vision is used to compare products moving through a packaging line with defined dimensional or visual criteria. It can detect problems before products reach downstream handling and packing equipment, provided the relevant characteristics can be seen and measured under the installed conditions. Different inspection tasks require different information: some concern colour or surface appearance, while others depend on the height and shape of the product.
The scanner’s two-dimensional mode measures visible characteristics such as size, shape and colour, and can establish where a product sits within the inspection area. These readings can support checks against permitted dimensions or the localisation of an item before it moves to the next operation. Their reliability depends on appropriate camera geometry, illumination, product presentation and the acceptance limits entered into the inspection system.
Three-dimensional imaging adds information that cannot reliably be inferred from a conventional image viewed from above. Schubert says the function can assess height and volume and identify conditions including uneven filling, deformation or insufficient product quantity. Height differences are represented in the generated image through varying colour values, giving the system a way to distinguish changes in surface profile from changes in visible surface colour.
Those capabilities may be applied to baked goods, confectionery and other products handled by automated packaging lines. A biscuit with an incorrect outline presents a different inspection problem from a filled product with a low surface level. For the first, a two-dimensional image may be sufficient; for the second, surface height data can provide a more relevant measurement. Selecting the appropriate mode is consequently part of defining the inspection task.
Switching modes through software avoids the need to equip every inspection position with an entirely separate system for each type of measurement. It does not mean that the module performs every possible test simultaneously or that the equipment can detect defects not visible to its sensors. Product orientation, occlusion and the inspection criteria remain important limitations when specifying a machine vision application.
Schubert has changed the optical design of the new scanner, drawing on the performance of more capable, lower-cost cameras. The company says this has allowed it to avoid more expensive telecentric optical arrangements, including Fresnel lens components used in previous designs. Removing components reduces the scanner’s weight and simplifies its mechanical construction; the company has not provided a quantified weight saving or a price comparison.
The standard width is intended to make mechanical integration more predictable, without limiting the scanner to narrow conveyors. Where a wider inspection area is required, adjacent modules can be combined. Each module still needs to be installed so that its field of view and measurement area suit the product and conveyor arrangement. A wider line may therefore require several aligned units rather than one larger bespoke scanner.
Calibration is central to accurate machine vision measurement. The relationship between the image captured by a camera and the position or dimensions of a physical object must be established so that the system can compare the results against product specifications. If optical components are moved or replaced, that relationship can change and measurements may no longer be reliable.
The new design uses a calibration template and a guided process to align optics and sensors largely automatically. Schubert says the procedure reduces the need for technicians to readjust each module manually after installation or replacement. This should make the work more repeatable, but the company has not published independently verified maintenance time savings or data showing the impact across different production sites.
Integration with the wider machine remains a separate engineering task. The scanner provides measurements that can inform a control decision, while downstream equipment must carry out any diversion, rejection or handling response. The company has not described the module as a complete standalone reject station, and it would be inaccurate to equate its ability to identify an out-of-tolerance product with proof that a particular line can remove the item automatically.
Food packaging operations also need inspection settings suited to the product range. Surface variation is normal in many baked goods, while changes in fill height or package dimensions may indicate a problem only beyond an agreed tolerance. Inspection thresholds must discriminate between acceptable manufacturing variation and defects without generating excessive false rejections, and those thresholds need to be validated during production trials.
The module is being introduced as a configurable component of Schubert’s packaging machinery portfolio. Its selectable 2D and 3D functions, standard dimensions and guided calibration provide defined design features; the achievable speed, accuracy and maintenance benefit will have to be established for each installation and product specification.
