Smart camera system inspects food packaging barcodes in-line
Cathy McBeth, global commercial marketing manager for Microscan, explained to FoodProductionDaily that one advantage of the system is the software, which benefits users with a offers greater ease of use and flexibility than competitive systems.
“AutoVISION provides users with a comprehensive toolset in a very simple and intuitive interface,” she said. “Another key differentiator is AutoVISION’s uniquely scalable software architecture. One software architecture supports all Microscan machine vision hardware solutions, from smart cameras to PC-based systems.”
Savings and scalability
McBeth added that the scalable vision software saves time, effort and cost; it also can be upgraded easily should the user’s operations grow to include more complex applications beyond the original scope.
The AutoVISION suite includes Vision HAWK and Vision MINI smart cameras. Both versions come with industrial protocols and IP67 housings, suitable for rugged food processing environments.
The Vision HAWK is available with either a fully integrated, liquid lens configuration, or a C-Mount lens model. The integrated version is suited for applications calling for remote lens adjustment; the C-Mount is geared toward applications requiring external lens/lighting and comes in a high-resolution version (2MP) for high-performance, high speed applications.
The Vision MINI smart camera is a scaled-down version of its counterpart. The unit fits space-constrained environments and is available with a global shutter for high-speed applications.
Useful tools
McBeth pointed out that the AutoVISION software includes a number of tools that can be used to inspect and verify food packaging. For example, inline verification of barcodes can ensure products are processed and shipped with readable codes. OCR (optical character recognition) and OCV (optical character verification) can read and verify a range of printed text, such as batch/lot codes, date codes, serial codes and other required text.
