New tools for quality assurance

Jürgen Herrmann*

Marius Herrmann**

The market wants inspection technology that ensures the best product quality, provides users with the maximum information without overtaxing them, and can very quickly adjust to suit any new situation at any time. With the Innocheck quality assurance system KHS is giving the beverage, food, and non-food industries just that – and more. For around three years now the company has been marketing the Innocheck platform as a basis for all inspection applications.  All of the measuring modules receive their control commands centrally from the Innocheck CUB control unit. The modular system utilizes identical hardware and software made up of tried-and-tested industrial components which are available worldwide. The software needed for all inspection units is stored in the control unit, is easy to activate, and can be individually adjusted to suit the required standards. This allows extra inspection functions to be added at any time. The hardware can also be quickly upgraded. If a computer module in the control unit reaches its performance limits, you only need to insert another module into the CUB terminal. Innovative KHS inspection technology is being excellently received by the industry, with around 400 KHS inspection systems already in use. The most recent development in this field is the KHS Innocheck Vision Circle software which makes the system even more flexible.  Other new features in KHS' portfolio of inspection equipment, which can be easily implemented using the Innocheck platform, are empty can, empty crate, and deformed keg inspection technology. 

Innocheck platform proven worldwide

The Innocheck quality assurance system is in use on all continents of the world in a vast number of different machines. This platform system has proved itself in many types of setup, from PET and glass bottles lines through canning lines to keg lines. Thanks to its wide international distribution the number of languages the system communicates in has been considerably extended. Instead of the initial five there are now twenty language options available which can also be changed during ongoing production.

* Manager of Technology Development, KHS GmbH, Dortmund, Germany. 

  Phone: +49 231 569 10117.

** Manager of Software Technology, KHS GmbH, Dortmund, Germany. 

  Phone: +49 231 569 10132.

KHS Human Machine Look & Feel in use

In the future KHS Human Machine Look & Feel will be the operating system used for the Innocheck platform. The result is user-friendly machine operator prompting that employs buttons, colored graphics, easy-to-remember icons, and interactive handling instructions – all of which have been kept simple and are self-explanatory. Quality assurance tools and analyses have been included here, as have mathematically sophisticated inspection statistics and quality diagnoses. The system is subdivided into several levels, thus providing access to varying degrees of viewing detail and different operating levels as the specific application requires. 

Analysis function pools data and provides information in advance

Where the KHS Innocheck Vision Circle platform is applied to turnkey lines, the new analysis function is of great benefit. What's known as a Qualilyser integrated into the software collects data from the various networked inspection units, logically combines the results thereof, and then processes them in such a way as to allow conclusions to be drawn on each production segment, the product flow, and the quality of the individual batches. This procedure enables much more information on quality to be gleaned than was previously the case, for instance, both on the individual machines in the production segments and on production as a whole. In addition, by introducing a Qualilyser line segments can be made to react accordingly to stages in production arranged either before or after them on the line, if and when required.

For example, the empty crate inspector signals an unusually high number of foreign bottles in the returned empties crates. The Qualilyser derives that soon there will be too few 'good' bottles to process on the line, thus lowering the line efficiency, and informs the operator. In consequence new bottle material could be directly fed onto the line, for instance, or the criteria for the bottles to be processed could be somewhat relaxed at different points inline. All required action can be taken by the operator and then 'taught' to the system for any similar situations that may arise in the future. The result? Line efficiency is increased and there is less operator involvement.

Operators 'taken by the hand'

The extended KHS Innocheck Vision Circle platform always informs the operator on a line well in advance of any eventualities. Both frequently recurring and as yet unknown disruptions or error messages from inspection units are indicated by the system which also provides information as to exactly how any malfunctions will probably affect upstream and downstream production stages and which action can be taken to best ensure a steady flow through the line. The operator is literally taken by the hand and given step-by-step instructions as to exactly what is to be done in each case. The older system merely gave a detailed description of the fault, with the help of which the operator could draw conclusions and act accordingly. The main advantage of the extended setup is that faults can usually be rectified much faster than in the past. What's more, inexperienced operators are also able to quickly eliminate any faults thanks to the very detailed instructions they are given, and can quickly store automatic chains of command to be applied should the same fault occur in the future.

Detailed trend reports and extensive statistics easily retrievable

Another important factor pertinent to the analysis function is that extremely detailed trend reports and trend curves can now be generated. Let's look at a filler by way of example. Here, the state and behavior of each and every filling valve can be carefully scrutinized, for instance: at what time of the day is filling slower, and when is it faster? When were there breaks in production, and how many bottles filled by a certain valve were rejected? This is just some of the data that can be separately retrieved over a stipulated period of time. The system compares values for the current production batch with values from previous corresponding production batches and is therefore able to detect and report inconsistent processes. Process histories are also always recorded. As a result, even if a product hasn't been run for several weeks, the process values from the last batch are still available for comparison. 

If required, the system can also provide statistical evaluations based on inspection data as graphics, depicting, for example, the number of foreign and own-brand bottles contained in returned crates of empties per month, the number of disruptions on a specific day, the number of pallets produced within a given hour, or a quality report for a certain machine. What counts, of course, is that certain inferences can be drawn from these statistics. For instance, statistics on foreign and own-brand bottles could also be taken as a basis for deposit systems and deposit calculations. 

Individual transmission of information 

Besides the plus points mentioned above, the KHS Innocheck Vision Circle software provides greater freedom regarding data storage and data transmission than was previously the case. Depending on the application on hand, users can determine at which time of the day or on the occurrence of which event certain data is sent to which people. This data can be transmitted in a number of different ways – by email, text message, or fax – or the required factors simply saved on a USB stick. For example, an operator logs onto a machine for which they are not responsible. If the system has been told that if this happens a message should be sent to the shift supervisor, the latter is then informed using the preferred form of communication, permitting immediate action if necessary. To date the system merely protocolled the event; the new software enables direct communication, allowing fast reactions when and where needed.

Clear and flexible overview 

Another big benefit of the new platform is the flexible overview page, on which relevant data and operating functions can be configured and visualized according to the user. This option takes several fields of interest into account; for example, data and facts on line efficiency and output rates are undoubtedly of interest to the production manager, with operators probably only in need of process and quality data from actual production, and filler operators solely focused on how the individual filling valves are functioning. 

Full maintenance management docked onto the software platform

Another new feature is that a maintenance system can now be docked onto the Innocheck CUB software platform. This program both signals standard maintenance intervals and adapts itself to suit the individual situation. For instance, it tells operators that components have to be replaced after a certain period of operation, and also informs them as to when it would be a good idea to replace components or overhaul the machine should faults keep reoccurring in one particular place. The system also communicates with the operator during planned maintenance processes, with the individual stages displayed in graphic form. If components are to be replaced, the specific procedure is precisely documented during replacement, including prompting entry of the spare part number for the part to be exchanged.

Multiscreen compatibility for an even better overview

Several monitors can now be hooked up to the Innocheck CUB control unit thanks to the design of KHS' Innocheck Vision Circle software.  Each inspection unit in a production segment can be given its own screen which displays all available information on the individual inspector. This multiscreen compatibility gives users an even better overview of processes. For instance, the operator on the labeling machine can also see what the current situation on the filler is like. This all makes the exchange of information for key data on quality and statistics much quicker.

New tracking and tracing function for a faster teach-in 

The new bottle tracking and tracing function contained in the system enables machines to 'learn' their products on a full teach-in basis.  This means that time is saved both during the commissioning phase and during the proposed processing of new products. Formerly, every inspection unit in a filling and capping system had to be separately taught to track and trace a new type of bottle, for instance;  now this entry only has to be made once, upon which the inspection units are automatically synchronized. This procedure not only means that new products are quickly taught in and commissioning is especially fast but that operators can be trained up within a much shorter time than used to be the case. Two days' training on the new-look Innocheck CUB control unit is usually sufficient.

Very detailed tracking and tracing: online storage diagnosis

All of the relevant inspection data is stored based on encoder distances or cycle times so that quality assurance processes can be analyzed in detail.  Nothing is lost. Everything can be easily diagnosed and/or analyzed either during production or at a later date offline.

Test run with offline diagnosis

During offline diagnosis all inspection parameters within a line can be configured as required, allowing users to study the effects thereof in their own time. Changes are only implemented online when the results are satisfactory. In order to verify these, test routines are run prior to validation. If it has been agreed that friction rings on bottle exteriors may not exceed a certain size, more tolerant settings are not accepted in this area when the system goes live. The system then issues an automatic message to this effect. 

Many extra benefits

The many extra benefits of the KHS Innocheck Vision Circle software are much appreciated by the beverage, food, and non-food industries as they help to boost line efficiency, cut down on operator involvement, and improve transparency within a machine or line. First practical experience has shown that the system keeps all its promises. 

Other innovations in the KHS range of inspection technology monitor empty cans, empty crates, and deformed kegs. All of these technical systems are controlled by the Innocheck CUB and can be integrated into the Innocheck platform. 

New in the KHS inspection technology portfolio: the Innocheck ECI empty can inspector ...

The Innocheck ECI empty can inspector scans every single can entering the inspection unit using an infrared sensor and gives it an individual ID number, ensuring that each and every can can be precision tracked through the system. The LED lighting in the can inspector is low maintenance. Images are taken by a camera that records all areas of the can due for inspection, such as the inner sidewall, base, and rim edge, registering changes to the can material as well as dirt and foreign elements. What's special here is that the camera optics are automatically scaled, so that any foreign elements, soiling, or dents in the can base, for example, are on the same scale as the upper can section. This gives the inspection process maximum reliability. 

... the Innocheck LGKI empty crate inspector ...

The distinguishing feature of the newly developed Innocheck LGKI empty crate inspector is that it consists of several modules which can be combined at will. One module can check whether returned crates of empties can be decrated, for example, while another may merely define the types of empty bottles contained in the crate. When investing in the entire range of modules the crateware is first scanned by infrared for foreign elements and each crate tested as to its decratability. The bottle heights are then sensed by ultrasound sensors and checked for any residual liquid by X-ray. The crates themselves are quality controlled by camera; this includes a logo check. Any difference in bottle material is noted during a UV inspection. A second camera provides information on thread widths, thread sizes, cap sizes, and cap colors, etc. Where the CUB system is used, all data collated is simply transmitted to all downstream empty container sorting systems. One of the defining points of KHS empty crate inspection technology is that no inspected bottle is described as being indefinable.  Based on the data recorded the follow-on sorting systems are told which type of bottle has been statistically logged. The system can therefore be sensitized to all kinds of bottle by entering the data on a specific bottle once. 

... and the Innocheck KIL deformed keg inspector  

Just recently KHS developed the Innocheck KIL deformed keg inspector specially for the field of kegging technology. Here, the kegs to be inspected are hit by a laser beam in multishot mode. The outer wall of the keg is scanned by laser many times and at different points while being transported through the inspection unit. The laser beams, which project line patterns onto each keg, are visualized by camera technology, with a total of four camera stations providing a 360° view of each keg. Any deformations can be pinpointed in detail by studying the geometry of the recorded laser lines.

Plenty of flexibility included

All told, the KHS Innocheck Vision Circle platform gives the beverage, food, and non-food industries a great many advantages which offer them plenty of flexibility. On this basis, KHS will continue to further develop its range of inspection units for the future.