Is Perfect Print-and-Apply Workflow Dependent on Machine Vision?

Yes, if you want a completely automated and compliant process. Learn how to evaluate label presence, positioning, quality, and accuracy with this technology.

Trust but double-check.

They claim it's the easiest way to avoid getting into trouble, especially if you're a manufacturer, warehouse operator, or other downstream supply chain organization that has to adhere to a slew of industry, government, and consumer regulations. So you teach folks how to check every item and completed good going off the line for quality consistency and design conformance. Machine vision systems can inspect everything from automotive and electronic components to food, beverage, and pharmaceutical items for production, assembly, and fill accuracy automatically. You're aware of the dangers of mistakes in terms of customer safety and financial consequences.

But are you devoting the same amount of thought and resources to the creation and verification of the labels that will be applied to those products or their packaging? Or do you just rely on the fact that your print-and-apply system is set up and working properly?

LABEL VALIDATIONS NEED TO HAVE MORE VALUE ASSIGNED TO THEM

Despite the fact that the print engines employed in today's print-and-apply systems are known for their accuracy, it's unsafe to assume that every label is placed in the correct location and reflects the correct information. Print engines are still programmed by humans, and printers are still print engines. Printheads will ultimately need to be replaced, and until that time comes, the quality of labels may suffer briefly.

It's pointless to have someone on the line keeping an eye on every labeled product or package that passes through the print-and-apply system. It may be difficult to verify every labeled item thoroughly without slowing – or stopping – activities. Furthermore, the individual in charge of ensuring the quality and correctness of labels may overlook mistakes. I've had a document evaluated by six separate persons, all of whom missed a major error, with the seventh person pointing it out after it was published. In my case, I was able to make quick changes to the document and republish it. However, once a label is out into the supply chain, you won't be able to fix it if it's wrong or non-compliant.

If caught by an inbound team at a warehouse, for example, the next recipient may be able to correct the label issue. They might also be able to halt the transportation of mislabeled goods in the future. But what if a regulatory inspector or a consumer notices the labeling error? What if the package is sent to the wrong individual, or if the address is incorrect or unreadable, causing the parcel to be stopped at a sorting station? The ramifications might be severe and expensive.

That's why, in labeling applications, especially print-and-apply labeling applications, we're witnessing a trend toward automated "trust, but check."

HELPING BUILD TRUST IN LABELING WITH FIXED INDUSTRIAL SCANNERS AND MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS

There are a few reasons why 1D and 2D label validations in print-and-apply systems should be automated. You must be absolutely certain....

• As soon as the label is printed and (ought to be) attached, the information is correct. In highly regulated industries like pharma, automotive, and food and beverage, label integrity is vital to compliance. You could be held financially accountable if lettering isn't bold enough, isn't the appropriate color, or if a lot number is absent. A missing label, of course, is never a good thing, since it leads to waste and delays in fulfillment.
• The data on the labels can be read. Although a person may claim that a barcode or address is readable, a scanner may disagree. As goods move through the supply chain, it's critical that all data can be extracted by scanners.
• The label has been placed correctly. As I already stated, people's perceptions are subjective. It's possible that if a label is put even a half-centimeter off from its proper location, the human eye won't notice, and you'll be declared non-compliant.

By putting fixed industrial scanning and machine vision systems next to your print engines on the line, you'll be able to catch and correct any issues with label quality, placement, or data accuracy before the affected goods make it to the loading dock or further downstream in the supply chain.

Machine vision systems can be trained to seek for a shape or logo (called a "Model") on a label, whereas fixed industrial scanners can look for the presence or absence of labels and data. In an outgoing inspection application, as the item passes under the machine vision camera, it will look for that Model to guarantee its presence and good alignment. If it's being utilized for sortation, it'll look for the courier's logo and direct the package to the appropriate line for distribution. Within a search region on the label, machine vision systems can also measure the brightness or perform a pixel count. Within a set of restrictions, you can define the inspection criteria, and products that violate these limits will fail.

The benefit of an automated validation scan like this is that it may double as a progress report and doesn't require any manual interaction until the system detects a problem. I don't think I need to inform you that product traceability is becoming increasingly important for a variety of reasons. As a result, whenever you can validate that an item has passed a certain checkpoint, you and other stakeholders obtain vital operational knowledge that may help you plan, report, and optimize your organization. You will free up personnel to focus on even higher-value duties by simultaneously eliminating product or packaging touchpoints throughout your processes. And that will only improve your ability to maintain your production, fulfillment, and distribution operations compliant and on track.

Let's set up a time to talk about how a fixed industrial scanner or machine vision system could be integrated into your present print-and-apply process. We can look at your complete operational workflow as well as your labeling requirements right now to see how we can automate validations and increase trust in the results. Contact us today.