Thermal imaging & vision systems
This thermal image shows bottles being filled automatically, so bottles that are over-or
An IR temperature measurement and thermographic image are used to locate undercooked chicken tenders and stop the line so undercooked ones can be removed.
Because the glue is heated, a thermal imaging camera can “see” through the cardboard to check the pattern and size of the applied glue spots. The camera can be set up to look at predefined areas of the flaps where glue should be applied, and verify spot sizes and their temperatures. The digital data collected is used for a pass/fail decision on each box, so bad boxes can be immediately removed from the production line. The data is automatically logged into the QA system for trend analysis, so a warning can be generated if an excessive number of boxes begin to fail. Yet another application for thermal imaging cameras is monitoring container filling operations. Although this is seldom a product safety issue, it does affect yield and compliance with regulations. Different areas
on the bottle can be defined and used to trigger an alarm and remove bottles that are over-or under-filled. Thermal imaging cameras are a better alternative to visible light cameras when a bottle or jar is made of dark coloured glass or plastic.
AUTOMATING MEASUREMENTS Application software currently available for thermal imaging cameras includes a wide variety of functions that support automated food processing applications. This software complements and works in conjunction with firmware built into thermal imaging cameras. The imaging tools and libraries in these packages are hardware- and language- independent, making it easy for food processing engineers to quickly implement thermal monitoring and control systems.
under-filled can be removed. If a bottle or jar is made of dark coloured glass or plastic thermal imaging cameras are much more effective than visible light cameras.
Thermal image for checking hamburger “doneness” by measuring temperature.
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Instrumentation Monthly April 2023
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