INLINE QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS
rapid processing. Thanks to bus systems, robots continuously receive coordinates at two-millisecond intervals. This allows data from up to 10,000 products to be transferred per minute – an absolute must for reliably processing large quantities in the shortest possible time.
Flexible data transfer Bus systems based on common industry standards are predominantly used to ensure smooth communication, often supplemented by manufacturer-specific components. Gerhard Schubert GmbH, which has played a leading-edge role in the development of scanner technology over the last forty years, uses its own software to transfer data to the robotics as smoothly as possible via the bus system. “We want to ensure that our image processing systems don’t have to convert
GERHARD SCHUBERT GMBH USES ITS OWN SOFTWARE
TO TRANSFER DATA TO THE ROBOTICS AS SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE VIA THE BUS SYSTEM
the data into robot coordinates before it reaches the robots – and that they remain flexible when modifications are made to the line,” explains Daniel Greb, Head of Image Processing at Gerhard Schubert. For example, a manufacturer may want to integrate a robot with an additional axis into its line so that it can not only pick up products but also swivel them. In this case, the in-house software enables smooth, seamless communication between the scanner and the robot because it can be quickly reprogrammed. Put simply, what scanners communicate to
robots can be compared to product profiles that manufacturers feed into the system before production begins. Shape, colour, height and rotational position are among the most common product coordinates. They specify what the scanners should look for in each instance. When the packaging line starts up, the image processing systems load this information and search specifically for articles that meet these criteria. Products that fall through the grid are not even registered by the devices which are equipped with special cameras. “These data packets can be dynamically re-parameterised at any time via the machine’s user interface,” explains Daniel. This enables manufacturers to flexibly change the scanners’ inspection radius without having to interrupt production for long periods of time.
Intelligent tools
The scope of the data packets can differ significantly even before any dynamic adjustments are made. Different scanners need different types of information. Unlike 2D scanners, 3D variants capture the height of products,
for example, which greatly
facilitates quality control of multi-layered objects such as sandwich biscuits. A 2D scanner would always evaluate these in the
18 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • NOVEMBER 2025
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