In 2022, Omron announced an investment in Kirin Techno System, a subsidiary of Kirin Brewery engaged in beverage inspection machine manufacturing. In 2023, it was rebranded as Omron Kirin Techno System. The aim is to advance digital transformation (DX) in the food and beverage industry’s manufacturing processes, focusing on inspection data related to product quality
Mr. Hironobu Hosokawa, Director of the F&B Inspection Systems Business Division at Omron Industrial Automation Business Company and concurrently Representative Director of Omron Kirin Techno System, stated, “In beverage production lines, skilled workers have traditionally adjusted equipment based on product and manufacturing equipment conditions, inspection data, intuition, and experience. Additionally, they have regularly sampled products and checked quality. However, due to the recent labor shortage, there is a growing demand for further automation and devices that anyone can operate.”
At IIFES 2024, they exhibited an offline PET bottle inspection machine, which is scheduled for initial delivery around autumn 2024.
In the blow molding process, where test tube-shaped preforms are heated to form the shape of PET bottles, operations have become more complex in recent years due to the need to accommodate multiple varieties and lightweight materials, as well as the adoption of recycled materials. Offline inspection of PET bottles, often done visually, can be automated to convert data into useful information for the field, enabling “management dataization.”
Specifically, using Omron’s 6-axis robot and a camera and sensors attached to the arm’s tip, inspections are conducted for whitening, uneven thickness, and thickness conditions of PET bottles, resulting in quantified data. By synchronously controlling the robot and image sensors, Omron utilizes its “Flying Trigger” technology, enabling imaging and inspection without stopping the robot’s movement. The current exhibited machine can inspect approximately one bottle per minute. The method of inspecting whitening using ultraviolet light has been patented. Additionally, AI is employed to analyze inspection data and provide operators with specific instructions for adjusting parameters on blow molding machines, a task traditionally performed by skilled workers.
Source: Monoist
https://monoist.itmedia.co.jp/mn/articles/2402/26/news076.html
