ProSpection Solutions uses EtherCAT and PC-based control technology from Beckhoff to optimize a low-density foreign object inspection system
With a series of conveyor belts controlled by Beckhoff servo technology and EtherCAT, the foreign object inspection system provides simultaneous inspection of the product from above and below, as well as fast and accurate rejection of defects.
KEYWORDS detection systems / equipment / food quality / food safety / inspection
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In 2017, ProSpection Solutions began transitioning from machine sales to OEM for engineering companies. One of the first products the engineering team developed was the IP69K-certified low-density foreign object detection and removal system. At Process Expo 2019, the machine won the Innovation Showcase Award in the meat, poultry and seafood category. This award validated the company's new direction and choice of control technologies to automate the machine, including EtherCAT and PC-based control. ProSpection Solutions, based in Kearney, Missouri, specializes in automating product and packaging inspections for meat, dairy and other food products to ensure product safety and quality.
"The Foreign Object Inspection System allows our customers to detect and remove foreign objects from their product stream with a much higher level of consistency and accuracy, and at a much higher rate than other inspection methods," says Jeff Youngs, president and CEO of ProSpection. The attention the foreign object inspection system has attracted has also helped us expand our other product lines." The company also offers inspection systems for rollstock, blocks and chubs, as well as checkweighing solutions.
Accurate inspection of automation technologies
The foreign object inspection system uses multiple camera angles to scan and inspect the entire surface of beef, pork, poultry, pet food, shredded cheese, pasta and other prepared foods. The device can detect a wide range of contaminants, including hard and soft plastics, personal protective equipment (PPE) and many items commonly found in manufacturing operations.
Commonly detected items include broken conveyor belts, plastic liners, broken containers, gloves, hairnets, gowns, earplugs and labels, as well as colored cardboard and wood. The machine then automatically ejects all spoiled products to protect the supply chain. Perhaps most importantly, the product does not have to be turned over to inspect both sides, and it requires a much smaller footprint than competing systems, according to Kyle Knudsen, vice president of technology. "A series of conveyors or a single distribution belt arranges the product in a uniform layer," he says. "During a transfer between two of our conveyors, cameras scan and inspect the product simultaneously from above and below. A retractable nose conveyor then ejects bad products onto a conveyor for rework or disposal."
ProSpection faced several challenges in developing and implementing the system.This provides an intuitive engineering environment and is also robust, comprehensive and deterministic.
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Stable control increases inspection reliability
In the summer of 2017, ProSpection began working with the local Beckhoff team, application engineer Marc Wilkinson and regional sales engineers Brian McKee and Brandon Snell, to design and program the foreign material inspection system. The solution consists of a CX5140 embedded PC running TwinCAT 3 automation software to control the machine. ProSpection's proprietary vision software runs on a standalone computer and communicates with the CX5140 in real-time via
As an end-to-end engineering and runtime platform, TwinCAT provides the PLC and motion control for the conveyor systems. At the time, however, the company's engineering team had limited programming resources because they had just transitioned to building machines. Knudsen credits the support they received from the Beckhoff team, and Wilkinson in particular, as critical to the system's success. "Marc programmed all the machine control for us when we first started. Marc integrated the communication with our vision software using ADS, and he made sure the base code was very easy to understand and modify for our semi-standard systems," Knudsen says.
Now ProSpection does its own PLC programming. Knudsen, who has a background in computer science, found the TwinCAT 3 platform easy to navigate because it supports programming in the IEC 61131-3 object-oriented extensions, predefined and user-defined function blocks, and Visual Studio standards. "Most of my training is in C++, so switching to Structured Text in TwinCAT 3 was an easy transition," he adds. "In addition to the support from the local team, the training at Beckhoff USA headquarters in Savage, Minnesota, definitely helped me expand my knowledge."
EtherCAT and integrated safety boost performance
Beckhoff's EtherCAT industrial Ethernet system and motion control solutions offered additional benefits. EtherCAT delivered real-time communication with free topology selection. "ProSpection also appreciated that Beckhoff offers EtherCAT couplers and gateways to more than 30 well-known communication protocols," McKee says. "As the company expands in the market, the ability to easily communicate with other fieldbuses, such as EtherNet/IP or PROFINET, on upstream and downstream equipment will be critical."
The foreign object inspection system uses several EL series EtherCAT I/O terminals from Beckhoff. The space-saving IP20 modules include standard inputs/outputs, lighting control for the cameras, and ultra-compact drive technology via EL7047 stepper motor terminals.
The ProSpection machine leverages the strengths of EtherCAT and TwinCAT to optimize safety and motion control. TwinSAFE technology integrates functional safety functions, such as STO, SS1 and more, directly into the same TwinCAT engineering environment, communicating via the standard EtherCAT network using a "black channel" approach. Beckhoff's open PC-based automation also simplifies programming and control of third-party conveyors, the retractable nose that rejects rejected products, and linear actuators for camera positioning. "The flexibility that EtherCAT provides was critical to the success of the machine," says Knudsen.
The foreign object inspection system offers ProSpection Solutions' customers a high-throughput machine with transparent results. With fast communication between the inspection software and motion components via EtherCAT, the system can process 10,000 to 25,000 pounds of product per hour with high accuracy.The automation system logs inspection results in an SQL database and stores cropped images showing all contaminants with time stamps, allowing the customer to review detected contaminants, troubleshoot equipment problems and reduce waste while maintaining high processing speeds and uptime. According to Youngs, it wasn't a straight path from the initial design to winning the 2019 Innovation Showcase Award, but the reliable technology and support made the journey easier.
"The product line went through several R&D phases, and we are now producing the second generation of foreign material inspection systems. We have worked continuously to improve the system, focusing on increasing detection performance, reducing manufacturing time and cost, and decreasing the overall footprint of the machine," Youngs explains. "Working with Beckhoff has made a huge contribution to Prospection's success. Beckhoff offers extremely reliable products, and the support we receive from Beckhoff is among the best in the industry. The Beckhoff components are high quality, compact and well supported, making it easy to design, commission and scale new machine lines."
Food inspection can be used as a quality management and control tool to safeguard the quality and safety of your products directly in their countries of origin and, therefore, in the first stage of the logistics chain.Globalization and technological advances have created a complex food supply chain involving many diverse stakeholders.
A lack of quality monitoring processes, complex logistics structures, as well as food handling methods and other factors can compromise and jeopardize the quality and safety of food.As a producer, distributor or provider of catering services, it is important to monitor and maintain healthy, hygienic and conducive environments throughout the supply chain in order to safeguard the quality and safety of your products.By implementing a food inspection, you can control a certain amount of samples within a specific lot and follow a sampling plan according to specific control points in order to identify any problems at source, maintain product consistency, ensure that regulations Local and legal are followed during transportation and enhance the image of your company.Intertek inspectors can support you in Production Inspection (DPI), Final Random Inspection (FRI), and Cargo Supervision (LD) with the objective of ensuring that quality and safety requirements are met.Production Inspection (DPI)Samples are taken during the production process to ensure that the required quality level is achieved and maintained.Final Random Inspection (FRI)Samples are randomly drawn and inspected at the end of the production process and prior to shipment to ensure that all required quality specifications are met.loading supervision (LS)Final products are inspected during the loading process to ensure that only those that meet all quality specifications are loaded and transported.
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Regulatory mandates in the healthcare industry to maintain compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices, increasing number of inspection checkpoints in production lines, growing number of product recalls, rising penetration of automated inspection systems in the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries, and technological evolution in inspection systems are the major factors driving the growth of this market.The global inspection machines market is projected to reach USD 774 million by 2024 from USD 592 million in 2019, at a CAGR of 5.5%.
Inspection Machine Market by Product (Vision Inspection, Checkweigher, Metal Detector, Software) Type (Automatic, Manual), Packaging (Ampoules, Vials, Blisters, Bottles), End User (Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices, Food).The fully automated machines segment is expected dominate the inspection machines market, by type, in 2019.
The large share of this segment can majorly be attributed to advantages offered by fully automated inspection machines (such as high-throughput, maximum inspection accuracy, high detection rate, and compliance with high-standard regulations), growing demand for quality requirements as part of the zero-error strategy, and the increasing adoption of automated machines by various end users.Ask for FREE PDF Brochure:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=81453085Pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies are expected to account for the largest share of the inspection machines market, by end user, in 2019.
The large share of this segment can majorly be attributed to stringent government regulations regarding packaging quality and the increasing need to combat counterfeit pharmaceutical products, product recalls, and the prevention of loss of business revenue.Region Covered in Inspection Machine MarketThe inspection machines market in the APAC is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
The high growth in this regional market can be attributed to factors such as the increasing number of regulatory mandates to maintain compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices; growing number of pharmaceutical & biotechnology manufacturers; significant growth in the pharmaceutical, food processing & packaging, and medical device industries; and favorable government initiatives to promote the inspection of products in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries in several Asia Pacific countries.Request for FREE Sample Pages:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=81453085Leading CompaniesThe prominent players operating in the global inspection machines market are ACG Worldwide (India).
Körber AG (Germany), METTLER TOLEDO International Inc. (US), Brevetti C.E.A SPA (Italy), Teledyne Technologies (US), Cognex Corporation (US), Omron Corporation (Japan), Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (Japan), Jekson Vision Private Limited (India), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Antares Vision (Italy), OPTEL Group (Canada), and Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany).
