Checker vision sensors examine so many labels in a very short time

TE Group, headquartered in the Netherlands, manufactures and exports special absorbent, cleaning and lubricating fluids for the lens care market. In addition to their own three product lines, they also launch more than 1,000 private labels to customers under their own brands. Since the finished product is shipped all over the world, they have to make sure all the bottles get to their destination in time and flawlessly.

In addition, OTE faces stringent requirements from the medical and pharmaceutical industries. In the past, quality control was determined by visual observation. However, faced with the challenge of improving quality, the company decided to use Cognex's Checker to make sure that the code was present, but also to check that the label was located on the bottle. Using Checker ensures improved quality control, which means better bottle tracking and faster and more reliable production. The OTE Group has always maintained high quality standards, in line with ISO filling and production standards, so they cannot take risks.

Checker- Reliable inspection of components even on high-speed production lines

Cognex vision sensors are the simplest and most affordable way to check the presence and packaging characteristics of a product. In essence, it is a versatile "multi-function sensor", only such a Checker can achieve the characteristics of multiple photoelectric sensors common detection, or may exceed the ability of photoelectric.

Cognex's partner, Digitron, based in the Netherlands, provides OTE with the vision sensor solutions they need for their applications. Three Checkers were installed on their packaging line. Here, the Checker performs the task of checking for the presence of the code printed on the bottom of each bottle, as well as checking for labels. First, Checker determines if there is a code by checking the stamp on the bottom of the bottle. If there's no coding, the production line stops.

2500 labels and many different customers

OTE has more than 2,500 labels for many different customers. They have to make sure that each bottle has the correct label. The second application is that the Checker is used to check whether the label exists. For round bottles, a Checker can detect the presence of a label. For other shaped bottles, two checkers are used. The tag is taught to detect its presence by an external trigger that uses the reflection of light.

100% quality checks are guaranteed for customers

Checker gives OTE a sense of security because it is able to check every bottle - both their code and their label - with 100 percent reliability. Previously, they had relied on random sampling, but that alone was not enough because their customers were from the medical and pharmaceutical industries, which had very strict requirements.