WIPOTEC-OCS, a manufacturer and supplier of precision in-motion weighing and X-Ray scanning equipment, introduced a quality control solution combining its checkweighing technology with visual inspection. The company’s HC-A-V Checkweigher is applicable for an array of consumer packaged goods, including food & beverage items. It will be officially introduced to the North American market at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, September 27-29, 2021.

The new quality assurance system adds high-resolution camera inspection to WIPOTEC’s HC-A Checkweigher. Like all WIPOTEC checkweighers, the HC-A features a customer-specified high-tech Electro-Magnetic Force Restoration (EMFR) weigh cell, a differentiating engineering design that guarantees precise weighing results. The HC-A-V builds upon this precision checkweighing with a company-developed vision control system that checks items from both above and below. The benefits include cover film verification, sell-by date confirmation and 1D/2D barcode examination.

The HC-A-V Checkweigher can handle up to 200 items per minute. WIPOTEC can customize the machine’s various configurations — including weigh cell type, conveyor types/lengths/widths, product eject mechanism and product handling — to meet customer and product requirements. For seamless product transport, the HC-A-V Checkweigher utilizes NT30 conveyor belts with knife edge and comfortable belt width. WIPOTEC servomotors ensure speed, and digital light curtains provide product identification.

The unit offers a common software interface with consolidated, menu-driven control over its two complementary quality assurance functions, and allows for product-specific inspection parameters and KPI statistics. Images of any rejected items are archived for reporting and troubleshooting.

“Manufacturers in F&B and consumer packaged goods segments are seeking more extensive quality control solutions, as well as sufficient process documentation, with the number of features to be inspected and reported upon consistently evolving,” says Michael Schlaeger, VP at WIPOTEC-OCS. “At the same time, floor space limitations continue to push manufacturers toward compact, often multi-faceted quality control equipment. The HC-A-V is an attractive option for maximized inspection capabilities with minimal space requirements.”