Inspection of pharmacetucal ampules

For a leading company in pharmaceutical sector, a system has been developed that is able to carry out the analysis and quality control of pharmaceutical vials of various formats and shapes with the aim of intercepting defects and therefore minimizing the risk of non-compliance.

Thanks to an important optimization of the vision algorithms, the system is able to analyze a maximum rate of 100 vials/minute..

With a view to be compatible with Industry 4.0, an analysis of the production trend has been implemented through real-time graphics and the archiving of statistics in a dedicated database.

To achieve the desired result, three types of checks are carried out:

• Dimensional control;
• Checking the coding rings;
• Screen printing control.

Dimensional control:

A vision algorithm is developed to measure all the potential dimensions of interest of the ampules with the help of high-resolution camera combined with a telecentric optic. The measurements are a result of good precision and high accuracy (<0.1mm)

Inspection of coding rings, pre-breaking ring and scoring:

The system conducts the measurement, verification of the presence and integrity of the coding, pre-breaking and scoring rings.

Print Control:
Through an adaptive vision algorithm and integrated high frame rate cameras (up to 3000fps)it is possible to check the conformity (completeness and correctness) of the print, managing to compensate for vibrations and any eventual deformations intrinsic to the printing process, with a resolution of 0.1mm.