LINE CLEARANCE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: ANTARES VISION GROUP PRESENTS A SOLUTION THAT IMPROVES THE EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF PLANTS

The solution makes the line clearance process safer and faster

Antares Vision Group presented at the recent Interpack – the leading processing and packaging trade fair – DIAMIND, the most intelligent and integrated ecosystem of solutions that simplify the technology environment, make businesses grow, and enable a data-driven, tailored journey to digital innovation.

Part of this integrated ecosystem, DIAMIND Factory is a cloud and on-premise modular solution to support, trace, and control production activities in compliance with regulatory requirements. It is designed to help companies enhance production efficiency and quality, improve planning and factory maintenance, and speed up agile decision-making.

DIAMIND Factory includes a dedicated functionality to facilitate Line Clearance, a mandatory procedure in the Life Science industry to guarantee that the equipment and work areas are free of products, documents, and residual materials between production of batches, helping operators prepare for the next scheduled process and avoid mislabeling or product contamination.

The solution Antares Vision Group is presenting involves the digitalization of the clearing and cleaning operations and the introduction of cameras integrated with Artificial Intelligence on each machine on the line, capable of detecting foreign objects when the line is stopped.

The A.I. Detection Tool embedded in the cameras is trained to take pictures of the line when it is empty, enabling the Artificial Intelligence to understand the right situation. Every time the A.I. Detection Tool detects a foreign object, it sends an automatic alert for the operator to check the line, remove the object, and conduct the checking step one more time. The solution guides the operators along the complete process and is part of DIAMIND Factory Quality.

Line Clearance: phases

The Line Clearance process has 3 phases:

• Clearing: The physical removal from the line of all materials from the previous batch, such as unused parts, labels, and packaging, which are not necessary for the next process.
• Cleaning: Disinfection and drying of all surfaces and equipment used. The depth of cleaning depends on whether the line clearance occurs between batches of the same product or a product changeover.
• Checking: The operator is notified to inspect the line thoroughly before the next scheduled process can begin. The date and time the line clearance was completed must be documented.

As a result, the DIAMIND Factory Line Clearance solution makes the line clearance process more secure and faster. Less time spent on clearing, cleaning, and checking operations guarantees increased machine availability, productivity, and overall efficiency of processes, improving line efficiency and reducing risks for the operator and inspection times.

Line clearance functionality is part of the DIAMIND Factory Quality module, which can be run on its own or in combination with DIAMIND Factory Efficiency, Maintenance, Plant Manager, Traceability, and Sustainability.