INLINE QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS


the scanner checks, the robot selects. Together, both technologies provide the basis for efficient, quality-oriented packaging processes,” highlights Daniel.


Mastering complex tasks Scanners also provide valuable support when handling unsorted objects: thanks to the additional height information provided by 3D scanners, robots can grasp objects at a specific height or angle – ideal when products within a pile may be lying flat, standing upright or touching each other. “Provided that the robot’s kinematics support this, the information from the 3D scanners can be used to perform extremely complex movements,” says Daniel. If a product does not meet the


same way, as it views objects telecentrically – i.e. from a bird’s eye view – but height cannot be determined from above. The 3D scanner calculates this


automatically: by capturing the products from different observation points, the fields of view of several cameras overlap. The multiple images provide the basis for a stereoscopic overall picture. 3D scanners calculate the individual segments of the subsequent height image from two images with different perspectives. 2D scanners, on the other hand,


achieve higher image resolution and greater colour accuracy. This makes them both irreplaceable components for the precise quality assessment of complex products. Scanners are intelligent tools that examine


specific objects for predefined characteristics. The same applies to robots. The information provided by image processing enables them to select only those products on the conveyor belts that are allowed to continue their journey along the packaging line – and ultimately to the consumer. “Whereas


requirements, manufacturers can select between two scenarios, depending on the specifications. If a scanner evaluates products as defective because their colour, surface or size does not correspond to the predefined values, this information is not sent to the robots. Instead, the defective products leave the process via reject conveyors. Alternatively, they remain on the conveyors and are only ejected at the end of the line if they cannot be sorted out immediately due to their design or if they have to remain in the process for other reasons. The robots then receive the relevant information. For Daniel, the advantages of this approach are evident: “Defective products provide important insight for statistical evaluations. Recording these deviations and transmitting them to higher- level systems, such as cloud solutions for statistical recording of product properties, can be the first step toward process optimisation for manufacturers – and ultimately, towards more efficient production in the long term.”


PROVIDED THAT THE ROBOT’S KINEMATICS SUPPORT THIS, THE INFORMATION FROM THE 3D SCANNERS CAN BE USED TO PERFORM EXTREMELY COMPLEX MOVEMENTS


20 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • NOVEMBER 2025


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