Optical inspection with counting and cruise control

Symetix has introduced the features cruise control and counting on its VeriSym optical solid dose inspection systems

Cruise control precisely regulates VeriSym’s throughput, optimising the inspection system to accurately remove defects and foreign softgels and tablets. The counting tool eliminates the need for a weigh scale by enabling VeriSym to fill bulk boxes/containers to the desired count, which reduces capital costs, better utilises floorspace and improves the accuracy of the count.

These software-driven capabilities are available as an option on all new VeriSym systems, including the compact VeriSym SE, mid-size VeriSym SL and full-size VeriSym. The upgrade can be installed on any VeriSym in the field, with the addition of Symetix’s infeed shaker on select models.

VeriSym verifies product colour, size and shape, identifying and ejecting defects and foreign softgels and tablets from the product stream to ensure product quality while reducing labour costs. Ideal for product manufacturers and co-packers, operating continuously inline or in batch mode, the compact VeriSym SE inspects up to 300,000 softgels or tablets per hour and the full-size VeriSym inspects up to 1,000,000 doses per hour.

While VeriSym’s camera ‘sees’ each dose for the purpose of analysing product characteristics and making accept/reject decisions, the intelligent cruise control and counting software calculates the throughput and counts the number of conforming doses. This flow rate and count are used to control the system’s vibratory infeed shaker.

With Cruise Control, the optimal throughput for each softgel or tablet is programmed into the password protected user interface. It increases and decreases the amplitude of the infeed shaker to maintain optimal product flow from the hopper to the inspection belt, eliminating under-feeding and overdriving the system. Product is evenly distributed for presentation to the camera and ejection system as a monolayer of singulated softgels/tablets at a consistent speed and without clumps, which maximises the removal of foreign doses and defects and minimises false rejects.

With the Counting tool, the user sets the target count for each product, typically from 5,000 to 10,000 doses per box/bag. The software controls the infeed shaker to run at its full preprogrammed speed until the bulk package gets close to the desired count, then the amplitude of the infeed shaker is reduced and, in dribble mode, softgels/tablets are slowly added until the target count is reached. The system then stops the product flow until an operator replaces the full box/bag with an empty one or the automated indexing table swings an empty box into position, and the cycle repeats.

VeriSym is FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant with secure and encrypted logs, secure password management, parameter histograms and guided changeover.