Sacmi DECOCAP 360-3D and ULYSSE win over a can-making multinational

Brand new cap inspection systems developed by the Sacmi Automation & Inspection Systems Division tested successfully at the company’s Spanish plant. The world's first solution for total inspection of decorated twist-off caps, with results defined by the customer as “extraordinary”.

“Incredible results”. That's what a leading can-making multinational had to say after initial production testing of the DECOCAP 360-3D - the all-new Sacmi system for the inspection of twist-off caps - was successfully completed at their plant in Asturias, Spain. This multinational has always been attentive to the implementation of advanced quality control solutions and after getting in touch with the Sacmi team they immediately grasped the advantages of what is, today, the world's only total quality control solution for the entire decorated cap, walls included.

The DECOCAP 360-3D– which operates with the aid of 5 video cameras, one of which inspects the product from above as the other 4 inspect the side walls – allows perfect 2D reconstruction of the captured 3D image, thus eliminating any distortion that might stem from perspective, lid shape or surface reflection.

Designed to inspect caps with a maximum diameter of 110 mm at speeds of up to 1,200 caps per minute, this solution is flanked by ULYSSE, the new Sacmi “all-in-one” vision system that differs from previous units in that the electrical control panel and all relative wiring have been eliminated. With ULYSSE, the calculating unit is inserted directly in the image acquisition unit, a re-engineering of the machine that ensures greater compactness and user-friendliness.

Various configurations are provided, including the one chosen by this customer for interior inspection of lugged caps with extensive decorated areas (including curls and lugs). In this case too, the technological core of the solution is the exclusive, patented Chrometriq illuminator. This uses a mix of RGB and infrared light to capture two images per millisecond (DoubleShot technology), first with RGB light and then with infrared, thus allowing maximum inspection precision.

Compact and easy to install, this solution can, like the DECOCAP, inspect caps with diameters of up to 110 mm at rates of 1200 pieces per minute. For Sacmi, these two orders underscore the soundness of the CVS 360-3D technology developed by the Group's Automation & Inspection Systems Division: a technology that lies at the core of a wide range of packaging applications that include cap, container, label and preform quality control.