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Detection of Foreign Particles in Filled Bottles

MBAA TQ vol. 36, Number 3, 1999, Pages 329-333 VIEW ARTICLE

Berco C.J. Landman. Paper presented at the MBAA 111th Anniversary Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September, 1998.

Abstract
Heineken, in co-operation with PA Consulting Group Cambridge U.K., has been developing an inspection device to detect foreign particles, including glass fragments, in bottled beer. The operating principle for this full bottle inspector (FBI) is to (1) quickly spin each bottle, causing the beer to spin thereby suspending any foreign particles, (2) quickly stop the bottle, leaving the beer and any unwanted particles spinning, and (3) examine the spinning beer with a computerized video camera. If differences between consecutive images are found, indicating the presence of particles, the bottle is rejected. The inspector is a rotating carousel, which can hold 36 bottles. Each bottle has a dedicated camera, which moves with the bottle and takes multiple images as the carousel rotates. As the computer compares differences between each image it is specifically looking for moving particles against a stationary bottle, the accuracy of the detection is not influenced by embossing, scuffing, or flaws in the glass. A proof of concept machine is operational and statistical tests have shown that the inspection technique performs according to a high level of sensitivity and reliability on even tiny particles.
Keywords: foreign particles, glass inclusions, glass inspection, full bottle inspector (FBI)  

Sintesis
La Heineken, en cooperaci�n con el Grupo Asesor PA de Cambridge R.U., ha estado desarrollando un instrumento de inspecci�n para detectar part�culas extra�as, incluyendo fragmentos de vidrio, en la cerveza embotellada. El principio de operaci�n de este inspector de botellas llenas (17131) es el de 1) girar r�pidamente cada botella, lo que causa que la cerveza gire y por lo tanto se suspendan las part�culas extra�as, 2) el parar r�pidamente a la botella, dejando girar a la cerveza as� como todas las part�culas extra�as indeseables, y 3) el examinar la cerveza que est� girando con una c�mara de video computarizada. Si se encuentran diferencias entre im�genes consecutivas, indicando la presencia de part�culas, la botella se descarta. El inspector es un carrusel rotatorio, que puede contener hasta 36 botellas. Cada botella tiene una c�mara dedicada, la cual se mueve con la botella y toma im�genes m�ltiples a medida que el carrusel va rotando. A medida que la computadora compara las diferencias entre cada imagen, est� buscando espec�ficarnente part�culas m�viles contra una botella estacionaria y la precisi�n de la detecci�n no esta influida por los grabados, marcas o defectos del vidrio. Una m�quina de prueba de concepto esta ya funcionando y las pruebas estad�sticas han demostrado que la t�cnica de inspecci�n funciona de acuerdo a un alto nivel de sensibilidad y seguridad aun en las part�culas m�s peque�as

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