In industry today, which many have called industry 4.0, there is no sector or productive activity that can keep a high level of competition without using different technological innovations. These include systems for artificial vision in the food industry, like the ones we have at E2M COUTH. In this post, we will talk about how these systems have improved the production efficiency of this industry.
The big challenges in the food industry are focused on exhaustive quality control and detecting all defective products, as well as automation of other tasks related to logistics and handling different product batches. Vision systems for food are a revolution in the sector, firstly benefiting consumers since they receive quality products.
What challenges does artificial vision in the food industry help to overcome?
The role of artificial vision is to capture, process, and analyse images during the different stages of a production line. Applications for these systems can vary greatly, so we are seeing them increasingly used in different kinds of sectors, as well as for many tasks within production.
From the automobile sector to aerospace, and everything in between like electronics and food. All these sectors can benefit from the different advantages of having a system like this, which can extract high-quality and very useful information through image processing and data analysis after different sensors and cameras have collected said images and data.
When you use these cutting-edge technology systems, you remarkably reduce the margin of error.
With this, we can see how the industry benefits in the following aspects:
- Process optimisation: Increased efficiency in repetitive tasks.
- Improved quality processes: Detect mistakes and use patterns to rate the product.
- Collection and processing of more exact data: You will handle more and better information.
Which processes can artificial vision systems conduct in the food industry?
Artificial vision in the food industry has gained a great deal of importance. This is because it has a huge capacity to conduct a wide variety of processes with a fairly high degree of precision. These are the processes that it can conduct:
Quality inspection
Artificial vision systems in the food industry can inspect the quality of each one of the products. This means that they can analyse their shape, colour, texture, and different defects they may have. These systems are able to identify and classify defective or contaminated products, such as fruits and vegetables in poor condition, meat with bones, products with mould or insects, and other problems.
Fill and packaging control
Artificial vision systems in the food industry are also essential to guarantee that food products and correctly filled and packaged. These systems can verify that the amount of product put inside the container is correct and ensure that all packaging seals are properly placed.
Labelling
Moving on to another one of the actions that these systems can conduct, we will now address proper food labelling. They can read and check the labels that these food products have to always guarantee that they are correctly printed and meet all industry standards. They are able to verify information that is important, such as the expiry date, batch code, and the ingredients in the product.
Detection of foreign objects
Artificial vision systems in the food industry are able to detect the presence of undesired foreign objects in food products. From metal fragments to pieces of plastic or glass. These systems can detect during the production process.
Classification and selection
Another feature of artificial vision in the food industry is that it can classify and select food products based on different criteria. For example, it can separate fruits and vegetables based on size, shape, and even colour. This can also be extrapolated to other foods, such as seafood, which can be classified by size and quality.
Monitoring and traceability
Artificial vision in the food industry can capture important information, such as bar codes and QR codes, and can track the source and journey of food products throughout the supply chain. This helps a great deal to guarantee food safety and to ease product recall in the event that the food as a problem or is contaminate.
Detecting defects in food
These systems are able to detect all kinds of defects in food, such as stains, discolouring, cracks, and surface damage. This is useful to inspect products like grain, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, where surface quality is a very important factor.
Portion and weight control
With artificial vision in the food industry, just like you can control product fill, you can also control food or food product portions. This way, you can guarantee that they are meeting established weight and size standards. This is fundamental on production lines where food is packed into individual portions.
Contaminant detection
With artificial vision, you can also detect contaminants in food, such as chemical traces, pesticides, and microorganisms. This is a huge help to guarantee food safety and avoid the presence of all harmful substances for consumers.
Cooking control and sensory quality
These systems are also able to assess the quality of food in terms of cooking, colour, texture, and appearance. They can determine whether a product is totally cooked or meets sensory quality standards.
The benefits of having artificial vision systems in the food industry
As you have seen, artificial vision can play many roles in the food industry. As follows, we will explain the main benefits of applying these systems to production lines in the food sector:
Improved product quality
Vision systems are able to conduct precise, fast inspections of food. They can detect defects, contaminants, and other anomalies that would affect a product’s quality. This way, you can meet established quality standards, reducing the presence of defective products on the market.
Increased efficiency and cost reduction
By automating inspection processes and quality control with artificial vision systems, you have greater speed and precision in detecting problems with products. This way, you reduce production times and cut down costs associated with labour and errors caused by humans.
Greater safety
These systems can ensure a greater degree of food safety. They can detect and remove all foods that are contaminated or have undesired foreign substances, contributed to improved safety. Their importance lies in preventing the presence of harmful substances or allergens in foods, reducing the risk for consumers.
Compliance with regulations
Artificial vision systems in the food industry can automatically verify product labels, including mandatory information like expiry dates, ingredients, and batch codes. This helps to guarantee compliance with regulations and industry standards, avoiding sanctions and legal issues.
Traceability and transparency
By reading and monitoring bar codes and QR codes, artificial vision systems can monitor traceability of food products along the supply chain. This provides greater transparency and allows for identification and fast recall of products in the event of problems or contamination.
Optimisation of production processes
Using artificial vision systems allows you to analyse and optimise production processes in the food industry. This can help to identify areas to improve, reduce waste, increase efficiency, and maximise productivity.
Fewer complaints and returns
When they detect and remove defective or contaminated products, artificial vision systems help to reduce customer complaints and product returns. This improves general customer satisfaction and protects the brand’s reputation.
Inventory optimisation
By guaranteeing precise product inspection, vision systems help to control and optimise inventory. You can quickly identify products that do not meet quality standards or that are nearing their expiry date, which makes it possible to make the right decisions regarding distribution or removal.
Improved traceability and incident response
Artificial vision systems in the food industry, which collect monitoring and traceability data on products, provide identification and a rapid response to incidents or product recall. These helps to reduce the impact on consumers and streamlines recall processes.
Packaging optimisation and reduced waste
Artificial vision systems can evaluate product packaging and appearance, guaranteeing compliance with established standards. This helps to prevent packaging errors, reduce material waste, and improve the visual appearance of products.
With all these benefits, it appears more than necessary to have artificial vision systems in the food industry. You will have total control over all processes, with no problems flying under the radar, so that all products that leave your plant always offer the best possible quality to your clients and they can keep trusting your products.
Get the best artificial vision systems at E2M COUTH
With all the information we have given you in this post, we hope that you have been able to see the different features and advantages of having artificial vision systems in the food industry. This sector requires high precision to always offer the best quality in each one of the products that reaches their clients. To complete on today’s market, you need to meet these requirements; otherwise, the other companies will run you out of business.
At E2M COUTH, we have a wide variety of artificial vision systems for the food industry. All our devices are high quality, so you can have exhaustive control over your entire production. You can find different kinds of artificial vision systems in our catalogue, such as rejection, orientation, marking, and inspection systems.
Additionally, our artificial vision systems can be used in different sectors like the beverage, chemical, industry, and Pharma & Cosmetics industries, and more. It is clear that artificial vision is a huge revolution in the production industry, regardless of the product.
Also, if you have any questions or would like to learn more about our artificial vision systems please, contact us and we will be delighted to help you.