Method and a system for detecting features of a water layer between enclosure layers of single unit dose products
AssigneeFameccanica.Data S.p.A.
InventorAnselmo Cicchitti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a system are disclosed for detecting features of a water layer in layered enclosures of single unit dose products. Thanks to the method and the system of the invention, the layered enclosures may be manufactured to higher specifications and quality owing to real time control of the features of the water layer between the enclosure layers. The technical advantage of the method of the invention consists in the possibility to detect the features after formation of the layered enclosure is complete—hence inspecting the finished product—and to feed back the detected information to the very water laying device for a real time adjustment of the features of the water layer at the areas where acceptance criteria are not met.
Claims15
A method for detecting features of a water layer provided for bonding a first layer and a second layer of a layered enclosure of a single unit dose product, the method comprising:
- acquiring an image of the water layer,
- obtaining an intensity-based image of the water layer,
- mapping the intensity-based image according to an intensity indicator, and defining one or more thresholds for said intensity indicator, and
- comparing the intensity indicator at one or more selected areas of the intensity-based image with said one or more thresholds to detect said features of the water layer.
A machine for forming a layered enclosure for single unit dose products, the layered enclosure comprising a first layer and a second layer bonded by a water layer set therebetween, the machine comprising:
- a first layer feeding unit configured for feeding the first layer in a machine direction,
- a second layer feeding unit configured for feeding the second layer in the machine direction,
- a water layer laying device configured for providing the water layer onto said first layer, the water laying device comprising an adjustable water delivery,
- a layered enclosure forming unit configured for:
- forming one of the first layer and the second layer into a plurality of reservoirs, filling each reservoir with a product, and applying the second layer onto the first layer to achieve bonding thereof through the water layer set therebetween,
- the machine further comprising at least one of:
- a first water layer diagnostic unit arranged upstream of the layered enclosure forming unit and configured for:
- imaging the water layer onto the first layer prior to application of the second layer thereon, obtaining an intensity-based image of the water layer, and mapping the intensity-based image according to an intensity indicator, and
- a second water layer diagnostic unit arranged downstream of the layered enclosure forming unit and configured for imaging the water layer in the layered enclosure following formation thereof, obtaining an intensity-based image of the water layer, and mapping the intensity-based image according to an intensity indicator,
- wherein the adjustable water delivery is operable as a function of the intensity indicator from the first water layer diagnostic unit and/or the second water layer diagnostic unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.