System functions
The vision system for the quality control of biscuits verifies the integrity of the shape of the products and checks the fillings such as jam, cream and chocolate by quantity and position.
The application made for biscuits is suitable for other non-regular-shaped products such as crackers, chocolates, breadsticks and other baked goods.
For products as leavened products, in which height is a critical characteristic, we offer three-dimensional controls.
The system visually checks the cooking level. It detects the presence of any foreign bodies and pollutants that cause color anomalies.
Performed checks
The main controls performed by the system are:

Realization
The system checks the shape of the perimeter and checks the quantity and position of the filling. It also analyzes the color of the product, to judge the conformity of cooking level and search for possible foreign bodies and pollutants.
On the aesthetic aspects, therefore, the system takes into account the unevenness of production, tolerating the variations due to the production process, and discarding the irregularities that make the product uninviting to the consumer’s eye.
If the analyzed product does not comply with the set quality specifications, the vision system activates the reject signal.
3D laser scanning
The products moving on the conveyor belt are scanned by a laser line, from which the system reconstructs the height map.
Not only is it useful for checking the shape in height, but sometimes it is the only solution to detect the perimeters: when the conveyor belt/grid is dirty, it is not contrasted with the products, for example when it is sprinkled with chocolate, sugar powder or other covering.

Integration in robot lines
The vision systems for the quality control of biscuits and crackers were integrated with a robot guide system.
We have carried out integrations in lines with groups of robots, with products that travel in many rows, even if they are not aligned, at a rate of over 1000 pieces/min.
We can also manage a multi-belt line with a single vision system, even with belts at different speeds.
We are able to interface transparently with all brands of robots and/or PLCs with many field buses.
