SeaVision
Track & Trace Systems SEA Vision provides complete solutions for serialization, including a conveyor machine with integrated vision system and printer. The automatic machine for the application of the serialized code on the carton s top/flaps is equipped with the dedicated OCV inspection system and Track & Trace printer. The whole equipment is compliant with the serialization requirements and developed to meet the traceability needs. OCV & BL300TT Marchesini Automatic machine for the applications of 2D code (Datamatrix) and Human Readable data on upper side and on 2 lateral carton flaps, with printing camera verification. -Balcony structure -Continuous motion -Positive carton transport -Pre-arranged for the Ink-Jet Printing installation and for OCV, OCR, Human readable data, and 2D code verification system OCV & Pharmatrace -Ergonomy and easy accessibility for machine clearance and process management -Visibility of the process -Code accuracy application -Print quality achieving A and B grading -Easy changeover Pharmatrace is a compact automatic machine for Datamatrix codification. Pharmatrace is available in the standard version for in line production and in a manual version for encoding, printing and check of open-flap and special crash-lock cartons. -400 pcs/min (depending on the format) -Motorized side conveyor belts for carton spacing -Print and check on three carton sides -Labelling head for bollino upper application on carton (optional) -Thermal transfer printing group for label printing (optional) -Reject device for non-compliant products through air blow T & T Complete Solutions OCV & Manual Machine Etipack Manual Machine is a manual system for printing, encoding and checking of standard and crash-lock cartons, whose automation and functioning are fully managed by the vision system. The carton is manually fed by the operator, then its compliance with the product is verified. After the printing and encoding steps, the carton code is checked by the vision system and, if not correct, it is marked as non-valid sample. The whole procedure is guided and guaranteed by the vision system s virtual PLC management. -Suitable for few production units -Printing complete accuracy in terms of code positioning and grading -Complete solution equipped with vision system and printer
Check of tablets and capsules on ALU-ALU Software licence: Harlequin This application detects the presence, colour and integrity of the product packaged on ALU-ALU material. It can also detect the presence of a double product and foreign bodies inside the same cavity. The integrity check is performed through a product geometrical measurement, counting the perimeter and the various geometrical moments" of symmetry. Wizard self-programming procedure is supported. Blister & Pharmaceutical kit Transparent gel capsule check Software licence: Harlequin, Programmable measures This application checks form and defectiveness of the transparent gel capsule in the blister, through the use of a lighting system developed by SEA Vision with a custom blue light close to the UV spectrum, which maximizes the contrast between capsule and blister. This system has been studied to remedy the lack of contrast between the transparent capsule and the blister background, thus avoiding the difficulty in obtaining satisfactory images when the light is reflecting. Check of white tablet on white PVC blister Software licence: Harlequin This application consists in checking the white tablets on white background under particular lighting conditions. SEA Vision has developed a special top lighting device, that allows the software to distinguish between white tablet and white cavity. The software also performs a chromatic measurement of the object color, black spots detections on the product surface and tablet mix up inside the same blister. Wizard self-programming procedure is supported. Check of tablets on transparent PVC Software licence: Harlequin This application performs several checks on the tablets packaged in transparent PVC (clear or coloured PVC), such as presence, colour accuracy, product integrity and mix up of different kind of products inside the same blister. Special parameters for critical defects detection are used to stop the Blister Machine in case of products mix up. Wizard self-programming procedure is supported. Check of capsules on PVC Software licence: Harlequin This application detects the capsule's presence, colour and integrity and the correct positioning of the capsule inside the PVC blister. The integrity check is performed through a geometrical measure of the capsules length. This allows the system to detect half and open capsules. The colour accuracy is then guaranteed through a double chromatic check of the two product colours. Wizard self-programming procedure is supported.
Check of components in tray Software license: Harlequin This application consists in the check of several components included in the pharmaceutical tray, usually vials, syringes and ampoules packaged in white, transparent PVC and in carton case. The developed camera - lighting set up includes a colour very high resolution camera and two light units. The software allows the user to select the desired check at every batch start for every format. Check of colour rings on ampoules Software licence: Harlequin This application consists in the inspection of the ampoule rings presence, number and colour. The detectable colours are: red, blue, green, yellow, cyan and magenta. Through a dedicated tool that is able to measure the pixel sizes of the colour rings and the distance between them, the software determines the number of the rings marked on the product, searching the circles presence above and below the last detected ring. 3D check of powder filling in cavity This application inspects the correct blister s cavity filling. The aim is to verify if the powder quantity in the cavity has reached the blister level adequately and to detect the possible powder presence outside the cavity. The software measures the cavity powder height through triangulation of a laser beam projection on powder, taking advantage of such a lighting device. Check of impurity on blisters (hair) This application verifies the presence of impurity such as hair on the blisters, taking advantage of the programmable measures software tool. Thanks to the use of a back light mounted under the blisters, these latter become extremely clear, showing up the impurity. The programmable measure hides the blister curvatures, which could be easily taken for the impurity, and then the dark points of the images are extracted. Blister & Pharmaceutical kit Check of case forming for components insertion This application verifies the correct case forming, containing vials, ampoules and syringes, as well as the partition s presence and exact positioning inside the case. The first kind of check is performed through geometrical measures counted in meaningful points of the case, that are taken as reference to verify the distances and detect possible noncompliant packages (for instance badly glued-on packages).
Check on vial s skirt and flip-off from laser printing Software licence: OCV The check consists in the application of the OCV method to a low contrast printout on aluminium skirt and plastic flip-off with different background colour. The different colour associated to the laser printouts area produces low printing contrasts. Through images pre-processing techniques, OCV is able to compensate for the lack of contrast and it is not affected by problems such as shadows or patchy surfaces. Multiple character check with mobile windows Software licences: OCV-OCR, programmable measures Codes & Variable Data This application consists in the OCV OCR check of in line printed variable data on multiple labels. The control system uses a very high resolution camera to check the variable data on several research windows (one for each label). The vision system uses the mobile windows technique, which consists in the detection of an image s fixed point and in the run-time positioning of the research windows starting from the detected point. Datamatrix check on vial s skirt Software licences: OCV-OCR, programmable measures This application consists in the 360 inspection of cylindrical symmetry objects circumference, such as vials and ampoules, for the 2D code check on the product s skirt. This 360 control system is necessary due to the random positioning of the 2D code on the skirt. Using a very high resolution camera, special lens based on 8 couples of mirrors and a custom lighting composed of 102 Leds directly mounted on the lens, this device ensures a reliable skirt check. Check of inkjet printed Datamatrix code on vial Software licence: codes This application checks the Datamatrix code that identifies the product and the batch printed on the vial by an inkjet printer. Images pre-elaboration algorithms guarantee the check in the presence of shadows and reflects caused by the vial surface and in the event of low print quality. Moreover the system performs the code check at several angles, managing the printout rotations. Codes + variable data Software licences: Codes, OCV OCR This application checks the product ID code and the pre-printed or in line printed variable data. The OCV OCR check consists in the characters recognition and measure, comparing every printed character with the stored reference model and ensuring the printout readability. When the variable data and the codes are in line printed, the system programmes the printing device through dedicated communication protocols, sending the data to be printed at batch start automatically.
Print check Level I - profile check Software licence: print presence with profile check This application checks the presence of a printed area similar to the learned print model, inside the image. The software is able to extract the string from the background and to count the printout s profile considering the quantity of the supplied ink, comparing it with the reference model. This check just detects exceeding or missing characters and printouts with missing zones and text lines. It s useful to report possible ink defects due to cartridge depletion. PQV check and characters reading Software licences: PQV, OCV OCR This application consists in the quality check of the in line printed data on the blister lidding material. This check compares the image to be checked with a previously learned image model (bitmap) and detects the exceeding and missing printout parts. Moreover the control system recognizes the missing aligned points that give rise to lacking print lines on the lidding material. The PQV check is combined with the variable data OCV OCR control. Check of printed variable data on blister Software licences: OCV OCR This application checks the variable data printed on aluminium blisters by inkjet printers after the blister sealing station. The image is learned from an inspection station characterized by a diffuse lighting, which is able to minimize the evident reflects caused by the reflecting material. The use of the OCV OCR technology ensures a considerable research stability of the string to be checked, also in the event of position variations on the image. Datamatrix UV code check on vial Software licence: codes This application consists in checking the Datamatrix UV code printed on the vial s cap using an UV lighting device. The control system manages whatever print angle and Datamatrix code rotation in the image. Image pre-elaboration techniques allow to check also codes with low print contrast. Codes & Variable Data Character on blister with virtual cameras Software licence: OCV OCR, Virtual cameras This application consists in checking the variable data printed on aluminium blister using a standard OCV/OCR. Due to the high performances of the production line, the system uses the virtual cameras technique up to speed up the computation using the multi-core processor. The character control is able to recognize the character even if it s deformed at horizontal and vertical level and to avoid the print defects using a special software algorithm.
Check of vial s stopper This application consists in the check of rubber stopper caps of glass vials. The check detects the position and the height of the stopper cap using a front view camera. The programmable measure calculates angles and lines between cardinal points on the stopper edge and guarantees flexible, accurate and high quality checks. The mechanical installation on critical systems, such as screw or star wheel on capping machines, does not affect the quality of the check. Check of sealing ring of vial s cap Cosmetic Solutions This application consists in checking the presence and position of sealing ring of vial s caps using a front view camera with integrated light unit. The programmable measure calculates height, angles and lines between cardinal points on the ring edge to detect damaged and unattached rings. The check is performed on conveyor belts and on rotary packaging machines. Check of vial s neck integrity This application consists in checking the integrity of the glass vial s neck. Thanks to the dedicated lighting conditions, the measure is able to detect small breakage and cracks on the vial s neck and reject damaged vials. The check is performed on conveyor belts and on rotary packaging machine. 360 Vial Cosmetic Control The vial cosmetic inspection checks the correct crimping, the presence of scratches, stains and cracks on the crimp, the presence and colour of flip-off cap. The application consists of three cameras and mirrors to ensure a 360 complete view of the vial crimp. Crimp defects are made evident from directional LEDs light. The programmable measure is able to check the correct crimping by measuring the crimp area and dimension. Check of vial s neck shape This application consists in checking the vial s neck to detect non-circular shape using a top view camera. By extracting several internal and external points, the programmable measure calculates the internal diameter, the external diameter and the thickness of the neck area to detect non-regular shapes.
Check of foreign bodies in white PVC pipe This application consists in the check of foreign bodies and impurities inside white PVC pipes. This check is possible due to the use of a backlight, which brings out the impurities borders. The measure executes pre-centering operations to identify the areas of interest for the check. A threshold operation in the image processing extracts the foreign body points. The total number of extracted points is compared with the acceptance threshold to reject pipes with impurities. Check of UV label on the syringe s body This application consists in checking the presence and position of UV (Ultraviolet) label on the syringe s body using a colour camera and an UV lighting system. The label presence check is performed by extracting the coloured points of the label. The measure of the label height detects the vertical distance between the top border of the label and a reference point in the image. The resulting height (in mm) is compared with the threshold value to reject incorrectly applied labels. Check of syringe assembly This application consists in checking the correct syringe assembly. The programmable measure detects the light reflections that change when the syringe is not correctly assembled. The computation of distances, angles and number of extracted points ensures high quality checks to reject defective syringes. Check of glass fragments in the vial This application consists in the check of glass fragments on the bottom of empty vials before their filling. The check is performed inside a circular area of interest whose position is changed depending on the centre of the vial. Inside the region of interest the programmable measure detects the presence of fragments identifying the edge of the foreign bodies. Cosmetic Solutions Check of ampoules sealing This application consists in checking the ampoule sealing and the neck-tip distance using a back-light, which brings out the borders of the ampoule. The programmable measure extracts distances and edges and calculates convexity parameters to identify non-sealed ampoules and ampoules with defective seals.
French coding Software licence: French Coding all inclusive licence (characters, code, ANSI grading, standard printer management) Track & Trace This application checks the 2D Datamatrix code (22*22 points) and the variable data (13-digit CIP, batch number, expiry date), that are in line printed on the carton s flap or body according to the French Coding standard. The OCV OCR check ensures the printout accuracy and readability through character recognition and measure. The Datamatrix code check guarantees that the code is compliant with the international standards (GS1, ISO 15415) and that it is readable, through the in line print quality check (Ansi Grading). Very high resolution cameras, multi-core processors and dedicated algorithms for the printout detection provide this check with solidity and reliability, at high production speed (400 cartons per minute), too. The control system offers a guided method of production data entry at batch start (configured batch start), aiming at reducing possible data entry mistakes. The configured batch start verifies the validity of the entered data, it encodes the Datamatrix data automatically and it sends those data to the in line printing device, ensuring its correct programming. Serialization Software licence: serialization all inclusive licence (characters, code, ANSI grading, standard T&T printer management) This application checks the serialized 2D Datamatrix code (26*26 points) and the variable data (GTIN, batch number, expiry date, serialized number), that are in line printed on the carton s flap or body. Every carton is in line encoded with a random serialized number that identifies the carton univocally, ensuring its traceability. The serialized number is encoded inside the Datamatrix code and it can be printed in a readable format. The inspection station is mounted immediately after the printing station, in order to guarantee the carton s check and its possible reject with accuracy. Besides all the checks according to the French Coding standard (variable data OCV OCR check, Datamatrix code print quality, configured batch start), the control system verifies the serialized code validity and readability (through the OCR technique). Every serialized number has to belong to a database that can be provided by the customer or created within the system, using a proprietary algorithm that creates univocal serialized numbers. The control system is with the in line printer interfaced, both for the batch start data programming and for the serialized data transfer per carton. The product line traceability is guaranteed through an inspection station (camera) at every packaging level (carton, bundle, case). Progressive pharmaceutical bollino Software licence: progressive code on bollino This application checks the progressive codes (pharmaceutical bollino) applied on cartons. Every product is identified by a code composed of a fixed string and of a variable part with progressive numbering. For each product, the control system verifies that the code s fixed part is the same as the one of the reference model, entered at batch start. Moreover OCV checks the progressive code s variable part, ensuring the non-progressive codes reject.
Images data export formats in CSV format OCV and Harlequin control systems offer a measure results storage function of a production batch in CSV file (i.e. commaseparated values), which can be imported as data table. The created file, one for each production batch, presents general information about the production batch (batch number, work article, checks to be performed) and it contains the measure result (good or reject) for each learned image by the cameras. This function offers the chance to store and export the good and rejected images for each performed measure in jpeg format, too. Oscilloscope function OCV and Harlequin offer an internal oscilloscope function that registers the system s input and output signals during the machine running. The oscilloscope file contains the switching of all the input and output signals from the machine start until some seconds after the machine stop. The oscilloscope s display instrument shows the signals logic level (high, low, switching) to a 1 millisecond resolution per division. Master/slave connection among vision systems The master/slave connection links several SEA Vision systems via the net, in order to perform the batch operations from a single vision system, named Master. The Master system spreads the commands to the connected Slave systems, centralizing the user interface. The possible operations are: - batch configuration - batch start - batch end From the user s point of view it is possible to enter the batch data related to all the in line systems into the Master system, only. Wizard for guided programming Harlequin and OCV offer a work article guided creation instrument. Through a series of steps and a dedicated graphic interface, the Wizard procedure allows the user to perform certain operations easily, in order to create a new work product. The Wizard ensures that all the necessary steps to the creation of a new work article are performed correctly, providing the user with suitable instructions. Special Software Features Work articles cross-check Harlequin provides the user with an automatic instrument that evaluates the risk of different products mix-up. For each work article couple, Harlequin compares the first product s geometrical and pictorial values with those of the second product, showing the number of parameters that enable to distinguish the two products and their possible mix-up. OCV offers a characters cross-check automatic instrument. Through a comparison of all the characters fonts, it detects the presence of critical characters that can be confused each other (for instance 0 and O, D and O, 8 and B). OCV creates a report containing the results of such comparisons, indicating those characters that are not recognized correctly.
SeaVision Via Folla di Sopra 21 27100 PAVIA +39 0382529576 www.seavision.it info@seavision.it Sea Vision France 17 rue Notre Dame 91450 Soisy Sur Seine +39 0169899485 info@seavision.fr RC Electronica S.L. Av.Universitat Autònoma n13 Parc Tecnològic del Valles 08290 Cerdanyola del Valles Barcelona Spain +34 935923110 info@seavision.sp Sea Vision USA 41 Stonehouse Road Basking Ridge New Jersey 07921 USA +39 0382529576 edw@seavision.it