w FEATURE Machine Vision Systems
Tackling food waste with vision technology
Inspection technologies such as checkweighing, x-ray, metal detectors and label vision systems can be used for more than just food safety purposes, writes Charlie Graham, European Sales Manager at Sparc Systems
A
n estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted globally each year – one third of all food produced for human
consumption – causing immense fi nancial, ethical and environmental costs, and the manufacturing sector plays a big part. A number of businesses are already tackling the issue and are increasingly recognising the infl uence food waste has on profi t. A multitude of actions have been executed to prevent the problem, from training employees and optimising production systems to improving storage and shelf life. As a result, a recent study by Waste and
Resources Action Programme (WRAP) discovered that food waste in the UK fell by 480,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2018, a greater rate of progress than over the preceding fi ve years. But despite a reduction of 4% within the supply chain, WRAP’s report highlights that there’s still a way to go if the global goal of cutting wastage in half by 2030 is to be reached.
Vision technology for recalls Recalls of unsafe products are a rising problem and can damage a company’s reputation while generating costly waste. Since label-related defects are the most common culprit, investing in vision technology is advisable as part of a food safety program. Sparc can assist food manufacturers by integrating an advanced label-inspection
28 April 2021 | Automation
system into their inspection systems. As well as actively inspecting for allergen ID codes, these label systems also check product descriptions, bar codes, lot numbers and date codes. Mislabelled products are automatically pushed into rejection bins. Information on all rejected products is automatically tracked by Sparc’s advanced data collection software.
Inspection innovation
In the case of inspection systems, one of the most common sources of waste is false rejects, which occur when a perfectly good product is identifi ed as containing a contaminant or incorrect weight. When specifying inspection systems,
reliability and accuracy are paramount. Line vibrations can cause false readings, resulting in the rejection of otherwise functional products. For this reason, Sparc designed its x-ray, metal detection, checkweighing and combination systems to avoid factory fl oor interruptions. Equipment such as the Apollo (x-ray), Cerberus (metal detection and checkweigher) and Theia (x-ray and checkweigher) have been built with a 6mm-thick steel sheeting framework. Sparc engineers maintain that this heavier framework reduces environmental vibrations, signifi cantly reducing the risk of false contaminant and weight rejects.
Automatic testing False rejects, machinery stoppages and
product recalls can have an adverse eff ect on profi tability and brand reputation. Therefore, inspection system performance and failsafe capability should be tested regularly, with results kept on record to support traceability. Forming an important part of manufacturing due diligence, automatic testing off ers a repeatable methodology to ensure an x-ray system, checkweigher or metal detector is working as it should be. All Sparc systems feature an innovative, failsafe, paperless, fully-auditable COP test routine. Rather than relying on operatives to schedule, perform, document and submit inspection performance checks, the machines pre-confi gure every test by retailer and product being inspected, alerting QA managers each time an evaluation is overdue.
This is only one of the more recent developments in inspection equipment with a direct bearing on productivity. It serves to demonstrate that both food safety and cost and wastage do not pull the food industry in opposite directions. In the same way that integrated combination systems work in unity, technological improvements to automated inspection machinery can help to improve effi ciency, drive down production costs and tackle the ongoing issue of food waste.
CONTACT:
Sparc Systems
www.sparc-systems.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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