Optel Vision has launched an ultra-compact, high-speed carton handling solution with advanced inspection and fully controlled ejection.
As demonstrated for the first time at Interpack 2014, the Flying CartonTracker is a stand-alone unit allowing printing and inspection on cartons with the ability to reject any single carton on the fly. Gripping the carton from the top, this unit is installed over an existing line without cutting or modifying the line layout. The system can handle a wide range of carton sizes with speeds of up to 400 cartons per minute. The unit can be either mobile or fixed into position and can be integrated just after a cartoner or at the end of the production line. This system can be fed automatically or manually by operators.
The benefit of this unit is its ability to minimize downtime by quickly integrating into any installation so less production time is lost. Changeovers are now very fast with only two simple adjustments. The ability to run a large range of carton sizes increases the line agility between various products.
While the printing and inspection on the cartons is done in a continuous motion without stopping the item, a camera ensures that the printed information is of good quality otherwise it will be retained and rejected at the top of the machine. Other inspections are also possible such as dimensional measurement of the item, verification of pre-printed information or bar code grading.