Eagle Product Inspection upgrades SimulTask PRO image analysis software

Eagle Product Inspection has made enhancements to its SimulTask PRO image analysis software. The software, which detects and rejects contaminants and product defects inside closed packages, now incorporates seal integrity, fill-level inspection, check weighing and component count features.

The software allows simultaneous X-ray inspection of different products within many formats and sizes of packaging. The system inspects for a number of contaminants, such as metal, glass, dense plastics and calcified bone, in packaged products on multiple production lanes at high-throughput speeds. The weighing feature examines the density of the product which is then used to calculate the total weight while also verifying the presence or absence of specific items and verifying count. The software can also weigh separate compartments in packaging such as ready meals, enabling automatic removal of packages that fall outside the pre-agreed limits.

Product defects can occur when the product and/or package is exposed to extreme conditions such as moisture, freezing, thawing and salinity. Varying atmospheric environments can also cause deformations in the packaging, affect fill levels and seal. The X-ray technology automatically identifies any abnormalities so the inadequate product can be removed from the production line.

The user interface provides access to statistics and reports. Data specifying the weight of products, number of products inspected, amount of rejects and the breakdown of the reject types between contaminants and other defects are all captured, allowing compliance with hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) principles and food safety regulations. The diagnostic capabilities of the software enable proactive maintenance to be scheduled.