Food manufacturers focus on achieving production excellence and quality control to ensure 100% customer satisfaction. For chocolate bar manufacturers, its quality is primarily determined by the shape and dimension of the finished chocolate product. Traditionally, these checks are manually conducted by the operator, which is both time-consuming and ineffective.
Sensors technology has tremendously advanced in the last decade and they are integral to support industrial transformation towards achieving full automation. The non-contact optical laser profile scanner is ideal for quality control applications and can be easily integrated with the production and manufacturing environment, such as in the production of chocolate bar. The ScanCONTROL laser profile scanners are suitable for this application as they can measure at high speed and can be easily integrated in the PLC for full automation.
Benefits of Integrating Laser Profile Scanners
The laser profile scanners operate based on the principle of “Laser Line Triangulation.” Their compact design allows them to be easily installed with restricted or hard-to-access space. They also offer highly stable and precise measurement on high-speed applications up to 10kHz due to their dynamic sensor matrix in the sensing elements. The operators can perform the necessary set-up and write customized program through the easy-to-use web interface
The scanner measurements are not affected by the color or contrast of the chocolate, as the red laser generates stable measurements on almost all surfaces and fast-changing objects. Therefore, users can be confident that the data’s quality is reliable and repeatable.
This sensor can be used to develop an integrated scanning system to allow for 100% inspection of finished products. The profile scanner can be connected to the draw wire encoder to improve accuracy and repeatability. This ensures that the sensor measures at an even distance, regardless of the conveyor’s speed.
Easy integration and installation
These high-speed lasers are attached to the pillars of conveyor belts to enable non-contact profile detection of the finished chocolate bars. The ScanCONTROL software was used to set up the sensor throughput rate to more than 60 m/min. The results are transmitted to the ScanCONTROL configuration software to allow automated inspection based on predefined parameters.
The sensor transmits the generated OK or NOK signal to the control system. It allows for automated product inspection which gives the operators time-flexibility to focus on other workloads.
As the inspection process is inline and fully automated, the system can operate with higher reliability and precision. This capability nullifies the chances of human errors and unnecessary interventions. It also ensures 100% checking of product quality as the random sample checks are replaced with a real-time inspection to increase production and achieve better results. It also significantly reduces product wastage as the operators can immediately make necessary adjustments should an error be detected.
The ScanCONTROL scanners have a maximum measuring range of 200mm, which would be sufficient for most applications in the food industry. However, the ScanCONTROL scanner has limitations in detecting micron-sized cracks, which can be resolved using other sensor technology. It should be noted that customers may need to use special protective housing for applications in the food and production environment.
