17.09.2010
Wrapped chocolate bars are imaged at Fazer Confectionery
Orbis' machine vision system for the food industry, Orbis Smart Vision, inspects both markings and package qualities. Fazer Confectionery Ltd.'s chocolate factory in Vantaa, Finland has introduced two Orbis Smart Vision applications in 2010. Orbis Smart vision inspects packages in an environmentally sustainable way and also reduces the number of customer complaints.
At the core of Orbis Smart Vision is the In-Sight vision system, a smart camera by the world leading machine vision system manufacturer Cognex. Smart cameras are available in a wide range of models from code readers and stainless steel enclosed models to five megapixel high-resolution cameras. Smartness is based on an advanced image analysis software including tools for reading standard linear and 2D barcodes, text recognition, measurement, and pattern recognition. Assembled by Orbis, Orbis Smart Vision is a ready-for-use package custom made for the food industry, programmed with application specific parameters and equipped with the necessary casing, electronics, touch screen, cables and sensors.
Machine vision for environmentally sustainable washing
Fazer Confectionery Ltd.'s confectionery factory in Vantaa produces millions of kilos of chocolate every year. After moulding, confections and smaller and larger chocolate bars are taken on automated lines through the storage to wrapping and then back to the storage. Products are conveyed for wrapping in grey crates; over 23.000 of them are circulating in the system. Even though the crates are washed after use, some chocolate stains may persist. Washed crates used to be inspected with a camera that, when detecting a stained crate, returned the entire pallet back to the wash. With the new Orbis Smart Vision, stained crates can be singled out from the line, and only stained crates are taken back to the wash.
"The number of crates returning to wash has reduced significantly. We wash roughly 10 % of what we used to, now that we have been able to eliminate unnecessary washing," says Production Manager Eino Määttä from Fazer Confectionery Ltd. Fazer has welcomed the benefits of the new system. Washing is now much more efficient and the saved time can be allocated to other tasks. Unnecessary washing was an environmental load. Targeted wash with less chemicals is also financially smarter.
Traditional chocolate bar brands travel through modern production line
In addition to washing and storage, Määttä is also supervising wrapping at Fazer Confectionery Ltd. "The Pätkis bar is a challenging product to wrap because of its round shape," Määttä explains. "Challenges occur with other bars too, like JIM, DaCapo and so on," he continues. The roundly shaped Pätkis bar is prone to falling over on the line, in which case it ends up between the seaming chisels in the Flowpack packaging machine. As the result, the package is either left open or some chocolate gets caught in the seam.
Fazer does not want to release badly wrapped products and receive customer complaints, so quality control of wrapping is essential. In a fast line with around 320 bars per minute, a human eye is not sharp enough to spot faulty seams.
The production volume demands certain investments, therefore the chocolate bar line is now watched over by an automatic eye: Orbis Smart Vision. The system images each wrapped bar against a back light. Each image is then measured, and excessive thickness of the wrapper ends reveals faulty seams. "The greatest challenge has been adjusting the communications between the Orbis Smart Vision I/O and the mechanical conveyor to the high line speed," says Jari Koskinen, Account Manager at Orbis.
Fazer Confectionery has several applications for machine vision, but thanks to the flexible software and accurate lighting design, all of them can be realized with a single system. Moreover, Orbis Smart Vision configuration is developing continuously. The latest improvement is embedding the touch screen into the door of the casing that protects the electronic components, which enhances usability substantially at the production line.
Finnish expert of machine vision Orbis is attending the PacTec trade fair at stand 6D29 to present its smart camera solutions and industry code readers. You are welcome to discuss the potential of machine vision with us!
More information
Orbis Oy
Phone +358 20 478 830 or email info(at)orbis.eu
Orbis Oy
Orbis is a Finnish family company established in 1949. Core competences include measuring and testing systems and data network solutions. While developing proprietary product, system and service solutions, Orbis also imports and distributes instruments and components. The products and applications are based on FR, fiber optic, measuring and machine vision technologies. Headquartered in Finland, Orbis has subsidiaries in Sweden, Estonia, USA, China and India. Orbis web pages are available at www.orbis.eu.
Fazer Group
The origins of Fazer Group lie in a family company founded in 1891 when Karl Fazer opened his first café in Helsinki. Today the Group offers meals, bakery and confectionery products and operates in a total of eight countries. Its operations are based on passion for customer, quality excellence and team spirit. The Group operates in two business areas which are committed to creating taste sensations: Fazer Amica and Fazer Bakeries & Confectionery. Fazer Group‘s turnover for 2009 was over 1.4 billion euros. The Group employed ca 17,000 people in 2009.
Fazer Bakeries & Confectionery
Fazer is Finland's leading bakery company and one of the leading companies in the Baltic Sea region and Russia. Bakery products are manufactured in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and in Russia, where Fazer operates under the name Hlebny Dom. In confectionery business Fazer is Finland's leading company and a strong player in the Baltic Sea region. The confectionery factories are located in Finland: in Vantaa (chocolate products), Lappeenranta (sugar confectionery) and Karkkila (chewing gum).