Microscan: Solutions For Error-Proofing Packaging Lines At Packology 2013

Microscan, a global technology leader in barcode, machine vision and lighting solutions will demonstrate its latest innovations for track, trace and control at its booth # 193 in Hall C1 at the Packology trade show in Rimini, Italy, 11-14 June 2013.

Microscan’s AutoVISION machine vision suite of products, including smart cameras and machine vision software, addresses common challenges such as preventing mislabeled and mis-shipped products, and unreadable barcodes. At the booth, Microscan will highlight three solutions that can help food & beverage, consumer goods, and pharmaceutical manufacturers error-proof their packaging line:

1. Inline Verification checks that every product is processed and shipped with high-quality barcodes, ensuring cradle-to-grave code readability and overall process efficiency. AutoVISION 2.0’s 1D and 2D Symbol Quality Verification Tool evaluates a code’s quality against standards such as ISO 15415, ISO 15416, and AIM DPM. Verification parameters can be modified for custom validation to ensure consistently readable codes for each process’s particular quality requirements.

2. OCR & OCV: Packaged products must be marked with information such as batch/lot codes, date codes, or serial numbers to meet legal requirements or customer specifications. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) can be used to check that the human readable data printed on the product is correct by matching it to a stored preset (a “match string”). OCV (Optical Character Verification) is used to verify the legibility of the printed text and check if the printer is operating properly.

3. Mix-Up Detection is about identifying when incorrect labels or packaging materials are used for a product. Usually, this type of error is caused by an operator loading the wrong label stock onto a production line or by wrong labels/containers escaping into a batch of correct ones. AutoVISION allows mix-up detection on the basis of OCR and barcode. The Locate Tool can also be trained on the artwork of the correct packaging, allowing mix-up detection where no barcode or human readable text is present.

Microscan’s AutoVISION line includes compact smart cameras and the intuitive, scalable AutoVISION software interface, enabling users to quickly and easily implement machine vision inspection and identification in their process.

In addition, the company will also present their latest 1D and 2D barcode imagers, such as the Ethernet-enabled MINI HAWK Xi and MS-4Xi imagers, which are the ideal barcode reading solutions for almost any automation environment, with powerful decode algorithms to read nearly any 1D/2D symbol, including the most challenging direct part marks (DPM).

The visitors can also try out the HS-21 and HS- 41X handheld barcode readers, which are equipped with a 1.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor and dual field optics to provide reliable reading of codes ranging from large 1D barcodes to tiny high density 2D symbols. These imagers are ideal for any high-contrast automated data application from clean rooms to industrial environments.

For more information, visit www.microsan.com.