Page 45 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 2-2020
P. 45
imec Applied Vision risk of delamination and breaking
Technology is dedicated of the glass. To limit this residual
V to designing, building and stress in glass, the products go
validating visual inspection sys- through an annealing lehr during
tems and monitoring solutions the production process. During
for the worldwide industry of this annealing process, the vial
pharmaceutical glass packaging. is heated at a controlled tem-
The hardware and software are perature to decrease the residual
developed in house, which ena- stress inside the glass.
bles to raise product and process
quality to the highest level. QUALITY INSPECTION
Vimec supplies dimensional, Vimec offers with its residual
cosmetic and print inspection stress in glass inspection the pos-
systems for ampoules, cartridges, sibility to detect the remaining
syringes and vials. The product stress that is inside the glass after
portfolio also contains handling the annealing process. Our in-
solutions for pharmaceutical line solution ensures that every the image is darker, the presence
glass packaging like conveyors glass product is monitored. The of stress in glass is lower.
and end-of-line packaging sys- stress in glass measurement is
tems. In this way, Vimec is the available as a stand-alone in- MEASUREMENTS:
partner for quality control as line system or as an additional The following methods are
well as handling and monitoring functionality to several existing available in the Vimec VCenter
solutions. inspection systems. software to identify and measure
Vimec has a unique and in- With our in-line inspection stress in the vials:
dept knowledge of high-end system, Vimec introduces a big - Maximum stress level
glass production and stringent advantage over the sample tests - Axial uniformity. The stress
quality control, including GAMP that are typically being per- level is averaged in the cir-
validation as a key asset. Vimec formed, where only a few vials cumferential direction of the
strives for continuous improve- per timeslot are being inspected. vial. The axial variation of
ment with its highly qualified The Vimec inspection system this average is used to detect
and trained experts who promote reduces the risk to pack vials that ‘bands of stress’.
active knowledge sharing within have a high level of remaining - Average stress level Q
the multi-disciplinary organiza- stress, while it is also more time
tion. efficient for the operators.
‘ONE OF A KIND WAY OF WORKING
The residual stress in glass will
TECHNOLOGIES’
Vimec has been active world- be inspected by an optical camera
wide for more than 25 years and set-up, a diffuse light source and
is proud member of the ‘One multiple optical filters. These fil-
of A Kind Technologies’ group ters make the inspection system
since 2014. Located in tech-city sensitive to optical retardation in
Eindhoven, The Netherlands, the glass, which is directly caused
the group contributes to a safer by residual stress.
and more sustainable world with The optical set-up inspects the
smart vision solutions for the body of the vial. By rotating the
pharmaceutical, agriculture and vial while continuously taking
food market segments. Besides images, a full inspection of the
Vimec, the group holds the com- vial is being performed.
panies Smart Vision Center, As visible from the first image, VIMEC APPLIED
Beltech and Crux Agribotics as vials typically contain high levels VISION
well. of stress before they undergo the TECHNOLOGY
annealing process. The stress will Te: +31 (0)40 – 255 06 07
decrease when the vial is heated E-mail: sales@vimec.nl
STRESS IN GLASS
Residual stress in pharmaceu- in the annealing lehr, as can be www.vimec.nl
tical glass packaging increases the seen in the second image. When
glass machinery plants & accessories 2/2020 43
