OKUncoded pack
The print head has stopped or the pack went through without being printed.
Home / Machine vision / Date and batch
Coding inspection · OCR and OCV
Date, batch and expiry code inspection on every pack
An illegible date or a wrong batch code won't show up in the hourly sample, and it ends in a recall or a customer complaint. With machine vision the coding on every pack is read at line speed, and any pack that fails is rejected along with its photo.
What it does
Reads, compares and decides in milliseconds
A HIKROBOT camera reads the best-before date, the batch and the packing time (OCR) and checks that they match what should be printed for that production order (OCV). If a field is missing, blurred or doesn't match, the pack is rejected and the image is stored with the exact reason.
- Every pack, not a sample
- Alert when the print head starts to degrade, before it fails completely
- Photo of every reject, kept for the product's entire shelf life
- Instant alerts by email, Telegram or WhatsApp to whoever you choose
- One recipe per format: a format changeover means loading another recipe
What we detect
The coding faults that reach the customer
Whether the coding is inkjet, laser or thermal transfer, and whether the pack is a carton, a bottle, a can, a bag or a folding box, we work out the lighting and the angle so that every character reads cleanly.
Blurred or cut-off characters
Missing dots, smudged ink or coding out of position.
Wrong date or batch
The text reads fine, but it isn't the one for the current order.
Print quality getting worse
The score drops little by little: you're alerted before the first reject.
Why it matters
The evidence audits and customers ask for
EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires a legible date and batch on every unit, and the IFS and BRCGS standards treat them as control points. With every reject stored with its image, time, recipe and reason, a complaint can be settled months later with data, not guesswork. We help you comply.
Dairy · cartonLegible date, batch and time on every carton
OCR of best-before date, batch and packing time on aseptic cartons, with rejection when the print degrades and an alert before the print head fails completely.
- Result
- No carton without a legible date
- Evidence
- Photo of every reject
FAQ
What we're often asked
Do I need to change my printer or coder?
No. The camera is mounted after the coder and works with the equipment you already have. What we do adjust is the lighting and the trigger point so that every pack is read properly.
Will it keep up with my line speed?
The camera processes each pack in milliseconds. In the feasibility test we check your line rate and your format before proposing anything.
What happens when I change format or date?
Each format has its own recipe, and the expected date and batch are taken from the current order. Changing over means loading another recipe, in seconds.
Can the operator change the thresholds?
The operator can see why each pack is rejected, but only the quality manager and maintenance can adjust the thresholds, with their own login, and every change is logged.
How long are the photos kept?
By default, for the product's entire shelf life; you decide how long. You also have access to the full history and can download it as CSV.
Free feasibility test
Is your coding readable?
Send us photos of good and bad packs, or real samples. We'll tell you whether it can be detected in-line, with which technique and with what expected reliability.