Packaging

Checkmat inspects packs in a sealed carton

Tuesday 23. November 2010 - Consumers' quality expectations are getting ever more demanding. Containers with poorly applied labels or open secondary packs are left lying on the shelves. As a logical consequence, the requirements posed for the inspection units in the dry end are also becoming ever more stringent. Automated sequences in order-picking, for instance, demand dependable legibility of barcodes or product names, so as to guarantee reliable function sequences.

Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, has accordingly developed an inspector, the Checkmat 761 CR-CX, which uses X-rays to verify that the complete number of primary packs are present in a sealed carton. Moreover, four cameras check all four sides of the carton for correct label positioning, correct barcode or a correctly applied carton sealing tape. What’s new here is the combination of X-ray- and camera-based monitoring, which now enables complete end-of-the-line inspection to be performed. The machine is currently dimensioned for an output of up to 3,600 packs an hour and will be premiered to the trade public at the Pack Expo in Chicago.