Improving Machine Vision Quality Control of Round Packaging
White Paper

Improving Quality Control of Round Consumer Packaging

White Paper

360 ͦ vision technology options for inspecting round, un-oriented product labels

Improving Quality Control of Round Packaging
Improving Quality Control of Round Packaging

This White Paper explains the two inspection techniques used by vision systems for the inspection of round packaging containers. It describes the inspection two techniques used and provides a detailed understanding of how both inspection methods work. It goes on to explain the advantages and disadvantages the methods offer in terms of improving the quality and presentation of round products.

Manufacturers seeking to inspect round containers have traditionally found it challenging when using vision inspection systems. This white paper gives guidance on the choice of inspection technique: 'stitching' and 'panelling', to enable manufacturers to decide which system best suits their inspection needs for label position and quality.

The white paper focuses on the following areas in detail:

  • What challenges do round containers pose for vision inspection systems?
  • What is 'stitching' and 'paneling and what are the advantages/disadvantages?
  • Which method is best for products that require precise label placements?
  • Which method is best for manufacturers with a greater focus on label quality and mislabeling prevention?

Diagrams of the multi-camera systems required for 'stitching' and 'paneling' are included for reference.

Download this informative white paper to learn more.

When inspecting a round packaging containers, vision inspection systems have a few additional challenges to overcome which are not present in flat product inspection. Round products moving down the production line are free to shift and rotate as they approach the vision system. As a result, there is no way of knowing which camera will be facing the important inspection element (such as the label graphic or the barcode) when it passes through the inspection system.

To overcome this problem, a 360° vision system must have a method for arranging multiple images into a single area of inspection. Accomplishing this involves placing cameras at specific angles and distances from the production line to capture the entire surface of the product container. Depending on the number of cameras, the system may image sections of the container surface multiple times. These resulting images are then flattened out by the image processing software and treated as one large image by the inspection software.