The perfect bun
development of an automated product-inspection prototype, working
with staff of Flowers Bakery in Villa Rica, Georgia.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are undertaking development of an automated product-inspection prototype, working with staff of Flowers Bakery in Villa Rica, Georgia.
The goal of such a project is to produce accurately and consistently the flawless 'perfect bun'. Researchers are introducing continuous imaging technology to the large-scale production of sandwich buns. The first phase of introduction is to apply the technology to the fast-food market, which hold exact product specifications.
The freshly baked buns are scanned by digital cameras as they move along the production line. Items not weighing up in terms of shape, distribution, size or other pre-defined criteria identified using the computerised eye's imaging software are eventually removed automatically from the conveyor.
The system concept is under development by engineers from the Georgia Technology Research Institute's (GTRI) Food Processing Technology Division in association with other key researchers.
The computerised imaging system in development will automate the inspection process at Flowers. Ultimately the purpose of such automation is to adopt a new approach that saves time and money by increasing yield and reducing waste, says Doug Britton, a GTRI research engineer and co-principal investigator for the project.
"It should reduce the time between noticing a problem and fixing it," Britton explains. The system will automatically record data, such as product count and the number of out-of-spec buns, to generate production reports. "Flowers will have all this data immediately for doing statistical process control so they can implement changes that reduce the number of poor-quality buns," he added. "They'll get a better handle on what they are producing."
The second phase of the project further builds on the idea of automation, by providing mechanisms which correct the vagaries leading to poor-quality products. Eliminating these imperfections using an automated system reduces time spent correcting problems, as the system will automatically compensate for disturbances in heat and humidity, for example.
Britton believes that, although this production system hold potential for the baking industry, the generic aspects of the quality control technology may be adapted to other food processing industries as well.
