OKUnderfill
The bottle contains less product than declared.
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Fill level inspection with machine vision
An underfilled bottle is a customer complaint; an overfilled one is product given away and, sometimes, a cap that does not close properly. With machine vision we measure the level of every bottle at the filler outlet, and any bottle outside tolerance is rejected with its photo.
How it is measured
A camera from the side and a backlight
The camera looks at the bottle from the side, with lighting behind it that makes the liquid line visible. The measuring tool locates that line and compares it with the tolerance in the format recipe: below it is underfill, above it is overfill.
- Measurement on every bottle, not on a sample weighed every hour
- Tolerances per format: changing over means loading another recipe
- Photo and measured value of every reject
- On the same camera: cap, label and neck coding
- An alert if several bottles in a row come out low: the filler is failing
What it detects
Filling faults
With the measured value of every bottle, besides rejecting, you see the trend: a valve that is starting to fail shows up before rejects shoot up.
Overfill
Product given away and a risk of leaks when capping.
Unfilled container
A bottle that has passed through the filler empty.
Failing valve
Several bottles in a row outside tolerance: an instant alert.
Which containers
When the camera works and when it doesn't
Machine vision measures the level in clear or translucent bottles (glass, clear or coloured PET). In opaque containers, such as cans or cartons, the camera cannot see the liquid: there another technology is used, such as checkweighing or X-ray, and we tell you so clearly in the study. What cannot be guaranteed, we tell you up front.
More checks for your line: machine vision for beverages, caps and closures and labels and codes.
FAQ
Answers to the most common questions
How is fill level checked with machine vision?
A camera looks at the bottle from the side with a backlight that marks the liquid line. The system measures that line on every bottle and rejects any bottle below or above the format's tolerance.
Does it work for cans and cartons?
No: in opaque containers the camera cannot see the liquid. For those, another technology is used, such as checkweighing or X-ray, and we tell you so in the study.
At what speed?
Today we work on lines of up to 24,000 packs per hour. The rate for each case depends on the tools in the inspection and is confirmed in the feasibility test.
Is it affected by foam or liquid movement?
It can be, which is why camera position and lighting matter. In the feasibility test we check it with videos or samples from your line before proposing anything.
What if my case doesn't fit?
We run a remote feasibility test at no cost: you send us photos, videos or samples of your good and bad packs (travel to your plant is not included).
Free remote feasibility test
Does every bottle leave with the right level?
Send us a video of your filler outlet or samples of good and bad bottles. We'll tell you what can be measured and with what expected reliability.