Inspection Systems

Antares Vision Group’s inspection systems are vision-based solutions designed to integrate with third-party machines and packaging lines in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. They cover three core inspection areas: packaging control, product integrity and weight control. Across formats such as blisters, bottles, cartons, vials, tablets and capsules, ampoules, syringes, gelatin capsules, labels, leaflets and foils, these systems help manufacturers detect defects, contaminants and non-conformities, supporting product quality, product integrity and patient safety.

Yes. The systems are designed for integration on new or existing packaging lines and third-party machines. They can be adopted by OEMs as part of new equipment, specified by pharmaceutical manufacturers when purchasing packaging machinery, or installed as retrofit/revamp solutions on existing lines without requiring a full line replacement.

Inspection systems and vision systems are typically integrated into packaging lines or packaging machines to control printed data, codes, packaging components, product presence and product integrity during the packaging process. Automated visual inspection machines are usually positioned at the end of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process or before packaging, and are more focused on product and container inspection, especially for injectable and parenteral products.

These systems are relevant for both OEMs and pharmaceutical manufacturers. OEMs can integrate Antares Vision Group technologies into new packaging machines, while pharmaceutical companies can request Antares Vision Group inspection systems in new equipment specifications or use them to upgrade existing packaging lines through retrofit or revamp projects.

Packaging control verifies the packaging process and packaging components, including OCR/OCV, printed materials, codes, foils, cartons, tubes and leaflets. Product integrity inspection focuses on the product or single product unit itself – such as tablets, capsules, dragees, powders, syringes, vials and ampoules – checking colour, shape, size, integrity, mix-ups and pattern matching.

The inspection systems can be configured for a wide range of pharmaceutical product and packaging formats, including blisters, bottles, boxes and cartons, vials, tablets and capsules, ampoules, syringes, gelatin capsules, labels, leaflets and foils.

These systems use vision technologies to perform OCR/OCV, colour correctness checks, shape and size checks, mix-up detection, crack and break detection, chipping detection, geometry and measurement checks, ring checks on ampoules, 1D/2D barcode reading, variable data verification, presence/absence checks, logo verification, foreign particle detection and integrity checks.

Blister packaging quality can be addressed through a combination of complementary technologies. BFC Blister Filling Control checks that each blister cavity is correctly filled. The Pinhole Detector verifies the integrity of the aluminium foil by identifying microscopic holes. BFC AI extends blister inspection with artificial intelligence, supporting more complex cases such as low-contrast products, gel capsules and granular formats, while simplifying configuration and daily operation for line operators. Together, these solutions can cover both the product inside the blister and the packaging material around it, and can be deployed alongside one another on the same packaging line.

BFC Blister Filling Control is an in-line inspection system that checks the correct filling of tablets and capsules across different blister formats. It inspects the complete blister surface, including the area outside the pocket, helping detect intermingled, missing or excess product. Developed by Antares Vision drawing on a long-standing partnership with IMA, a major blistering machine manufacturer, the system is designed to run at blistering line speeds so that inspection does not become a bottleneck. It can also be combined with other line controls, such as lidding foil checks, barcode and OCV verification on leaflets and cartons, case-packing verification and production traceability tools.

The Pinhole Detector is a high-performance backlight inspection system for detecting microholes in aluminium foil, either after forming and before product filling, or in rolled foil during the forming process itself. It uses dedicated LED lighting and high-sensitivity sensors to identify perforations, triggering visual alerts and output signals when a defect is found. The system is available in different sizes for foil widths of 165, 240 and 320 mm, and in Core or Premium versions to match different production needs, with a large OLED display for setup and error reporting.

BFC AI addresses increasingly complex blister inspection challenges, including low-contrast products, gel capsules, granular formats, long changeovers and the need to make inspection easier for line operators to manage. It extends blister inspection with AI-based capabilities designed to make inspection more robust, faster to configure and easier to operate, particularly where traditional vision systems may be harder to set up. Its capabilities include defect detection on complex or low-contrast images, recipe creation from a limited set of real images, no need for specialist vision expertise for everyday recipe setup, a deterministic and repeatable AI model, support for 21 CFR Part 11-oriented environments, heat-map diagnostics for defect localization and classification, and a retrofit-ready setup that may reuse an existing vision head depending on the configuration.

Yes. Weight control is one of the three core inspection categories, alongside packaging control and product integrity. Antares Vision Group’s inspection systems can include high-precision checkweighing solutions, including milligram-level weight control where required by the application.