the integrity of the spot gluing was determined by periodically doing destructive testing on several samples . This was time-consuming and costly .
Because the glue is heated , a thermal imaging camera can “ see ” through the cardboard to check the pattern and size of the applied glue spots . The camera can be set up to look at predefined areas of the flaps where glue should be applied , and verify spot sizes and their temperatures .
The digital data collected is used for a pass / fail decision on each box , so bad boxes can be immediately removed from the production line . The data is automatically logged into the QA system for trend analysis , so a warning can be generated if an excessive number of boxes begin to fail .
Yet another application for thermal imaging cameras is monitoring container filling operations . Although this is seldom a product safety issue , it does affect yield and compliance with regulations . Different areas on the bottle can be defined and used to trigger an alarm and remove bottles that are overor under-filled . Thermal imaging cameras are a better alternative to visible light cameras when a bottle or jar is made of dark colored glass or plastic .
Automating measurements
Application software currently available for thermal imaging cameras includes a wide variety of functions that support automated food processing applications . This software complements and works in conjunction with firmware built into thermal imaging cameras . The imaging tools and libraries in these packages are hardware- and language-independent , making it easy for food processing engineers to quickly implement thermal monitoring and control systems .
Thermal imaging cameras themselves provide the user with different operating modes that support correct temperature measurements under various conditions . Two functions commonly found in these cameras are a spotmeter and area measurements .
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Thermal imaging cameras themselves provide the user with different operating modes that support correct temperature measurements under various conditions .
The spotmeter finds the temperature at a particular point . The area function isolates a selected area of an object or scene and usually provides the maximum , minimum , and average temperatures inside that area . The temperature measurement range typically is selectable by the user . As an adjunct to the temperature range selection , most cameras allow a user to set up a color scale or gray scale to optimize the camera image .
In conveyor oven applications , the area function is typically used because pieces of cooked product are often randomly located on the conveyor . The camera can be programmed to find and measure the minimum and maximum temperatures within the defined area . If one of those setpoint temperatures were to fall outside the user-defined limits , an application program running on a PC or PLC would instantly trigger an alarm , alerting the operator to check the thermal image on a video monitor or PC to find and remove the bad product , and / or adjust the cooking temperature .
In the case of local monitoring , an IR camera ’ s digital I / O can be used to directly trigger an alarm device without additional software . However , food processing often benefits from higher level analytics that are available in third-party software that runs on a PC .
These out-of-the-box solutions do not require the writing of application source code . By adhering to commonly used machine vision interface standards such as GigE Vision ® and GenICam ® a wide range of functionality is supported by this software .
A simplified block diagram of conveyor monitoring is shown . One thermal imaging camera is adequate for many applications , or a thermal imaging camera may be combined with a visible light camera to record other target object attributes , such as color .
Unlocking Strategic Advantage
Incorporating thermal imaging monitoring in food and drink production offers significant strategic advantages . This technology enables consistent quality and compliance with safety standards while reducing the risk of contamination . By leveraging real-time data and details to make proactive adjustments , minimize product waste , and enhance operational efficiency it is driving streamlined , reliable production processes that can build consumer trust , optimize resource use , and contribute to a stronger competitive edge .
To discover how you can unlock the advantage of thermal imaging contact Antoine to learn more . Antoine . Billardello @ Teledyne . com www . FLIR . com