Feature

Sensors ‘keep the lid on’ ketchup bottles

Some of the most compelling examples of automation are in food packaging, where the extensive use of high-speed automation means that equipment performance and reliability are valued because line stoppages are both costly and time consuming.

30/06/2022 11:46:16

Contrinex photoelectric fork and inductive sensors ‘keep the lid on’ and help get a bottle of ketchup to the customer’s table by ensuring that the ketchup is hermetically sealed and that the flip-top cap has been fitted.

Plastic bottles that have been filled with ketchup pass under a Contrinex inductive sensor positioned over the packaging line which confirms the presence of an aluminium-foil seal. Next, the fitment of a plastic flip-top cap is verified by a Contrinex photoelectric fork sensor before the bottle is released for labelling, packaging and despatch to customers.

The fork-sensor is switched between four operating modes according to the production batch, using IO-Link. Being a communication protocol, IO-Link feeds back information from the inductive and fork sensors, such as their preventative maintenance status, to the production line control system.

Read the full article in DPA's July issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.