New technology seals the deal

New online seal inspection technology promises to revolutionise quality assurance for food and drink manufacturers, according to its supplier.

Seal-Scope and Seal-Cam inspection systems integrate into most existing packaging machines, without any modification, according to RDM Test Equipment, with each generating a ‘seal fingerprint’ for every package which is compared to statistical data to determine pass or fail.

The technology, which was been developed by a team of researchers at the University of Leuven, Belgium, is based around an advanced statistical algorithm that not only determines pass/fail, but also monitors trends in seal process capability, enabling early warnings when pre-set limits are reached.

“The system is capable of detecting incomplete seals, wrinkles, folds, creases, holes, and product or contaminates in the seal,” explains a spokesman for RDM.

“Seal-Scope analyses the vibration burst signal from a sensor on the sealing bar, and so is suited to most vertical and horizontal form fill seal machines. Seal-Cam captures an infrared image of the residual heat at the seal, and is suited to almost any type of package, including blisters and trays.”