All-in-one solutions: the next-gen of in-line quality control for food

 «These solutions go beyond and revolutionize the concept of the combined machine», explains Matteo Bandini, Business Development Manager at Antares Vision Group

In the food sector, it will no longer be necessary to have one machine for each type of quality control. In fact, with the new hardware and software design developed by FT System, part of Antares Vision Group, it will be possible to insert multiple inspections and technologies into a single machine. 

WHAT DOES ALL-IN-ONE MEAN?

A single in-line machine that integrates innovative technologies for quality control, such as laser and hyperspectral spectroscopy, with vision, weight, and X-ray technologies, to guarantee the quality and safety requirements of the products that derive from the requests of the various stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain.

WHY CAN WE CONSIDER IT A MILESTONE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY?

It is a new paradigm that revolutionizes the food sector inspection market and focuses on ensuring product quality control starting from its specific features to prevent recalls with consequent economic damage.

This results in developing unique food market All-In-One solutions.

All-In-One solutions can integrate into a single machine, all the necessary inspections to ensure compliance with regulations, the integrity of the containers, verification of any micro-leaks, contaminants, weight, labels, and information, such as expiration date, lot code, etc.

It will be possible to insert several inspections and innovative technologies for quality control in a single machine. It will no longer be necessary to have as many machines for as many checks.

WHAT CAN WE INCLUDE IN THE ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTIONS?

All the fundamental inspections required by the regulations, but also innovative applications, capable of:

• Verifying the presence of micro-holes on the packaging – An innovative in-line system for detecting micro-holes that can be used on trays and flow packs without changing the line speed or composition of the composition product preservation gas. Based on IR spectroscopy or gas sensors, it selectively, rapidly, and accurately identifies the presence of target molecules leaking from the package, indicating the presence of a micro-hole. As a target molecule, it is possible to use CO2 for all products packaged in MAP, alcohol for the bread and baked goods sector, and aromas for some particular products.  
• Verifying the presence of extraneous bodies – such as fragments of glass, bones, metal, plastic, or stones – that accidentally end up in the product during the production process or come from the raw materials are detected through the application of X-rays. 
• Product weight checking – Fundamental for avoiding the waste of food, monitoring and optimizing the efficiency of the production line, and complying with regulations (MID metrological approval). 
• Seal checking – It makes it possible to identify the presence of food in the seal, on both transparent and colored and covering packaging through hyperspectral technology. 
• Label and code checking – This avoids placing products on the market with incorrect labels or codes (expiration date, lot code, etc.) or other information.

OTHER FEATURES:

Smaller footprint (it is a similar size to a checkweigher), a single user interface that makes it possible to check what is happening for a single inspection. Differentiated reject and automatic setting of the recipes are additional immediate advantages of the All-In-One solutions. They offer lower energy consumption, with significant effects in terms of sustainability.

The All-In-One solutions are also interconnected with the digital platforms of the Antares Vision Group of Digital Factory to optimize the efficiency of the production lines and supply chain transparency for traceability of the product along the supply chain through serialization.

“Our All-In-One solutions revolutionize the concept of in-line quality control in the food sector,” explains Matteo Bandini, Food and Packaging director at Antares Vision Group, “because they provide the possibility of including all the necessary quality checks in a single machine to meet the safety and quality requirements of the various stakeholders, from large-scale distribution to the consumer. The All-in-One solutions are designed to be interconnected with digital data management platforms to optimize production lines and traceability along the supply chain. Companies will only have to think about which inspections are required to ensure quality and safety for the consumer, and no longer about how many machines to insert in-line because one will be enough – a machine from the Antares Vision Group All-In-One series”.