Setting global standard for aluminium cap inspection

Already a world-beating solution for in-line inspection of plastic and metal caps, the Sacmi CHS360 is steadily winning over customers in the wine sector too. No less than four such solutions have recently been sold for the inspection of tall aluminium caps, an ever-more popular closure in the wine industry as it provides better sealing performance than standard corks.

The customers included two Chilean firms. The first, the branch of a major US multinational, installed and started up the new system a short time ago. The second, a local firm with 40 years' experience in metal cap manufacturing, was provided with 2 different machines. In Australia instead, the system was purchased by a leading Victoria-based producer of caps and crown corks for wine and beer products.

Note that the Sacmi CHS360 configured for the inspection of tall aluminium caps has recently been enhanced with new features, including 2 cameras (instead of just one) with dedicated lighting to improve inspection of the seal. A further camera was incorporated to inspect decoration: able to capture 2 images in mere micro-seconds, it improves system sensitivity in detecting scratches and dents (in this case too, the illuminator plays a key role) by assessing reflections from the bottom of the cap, generally coloured gold or silver.

Lastly, 4 lateral cameras inspect the decoration and anti-tamper band, bringing the total number of high resolution image capture devices to seven. Operating at up to 1000 caps per minute, the CHS360 module sets the industry standard thanks to high speed, precision inspection, now enhanced even further by the new features for this specific configuration.

For the two Chilean companies, this is their first experience with Sacmi inspection solutions. For the Australian customer, instead, this is a follow-up order to a recently purchased CHS solution for crown caps, another key area for this company.