Identification Solutions for reliable data acquisition（II）
Checking codes on cheese labels at Arla Foods
In the Arla dairy in the Swedish town of Götene, up to 3000 cheese packets are weighed and labelled correctly every hour. No cheese can be made available on the market without a complete and clearly readable label. The print-and-apply machine manufacturer Autolabel AB developed a labelling system for Arla which works with photoelectric sensors, 2D vision sensors and barcode scanners. The barcode scanner checks whether the label is in the right place and whether it is readable. Cheese packets with non-compliant barcodes are rejected automatically.
Waterproof reading performance
In the wet areas of dairies, slaughterhouses, meat-cutting plants, filling lines or food-processing facilities, barcode scanners must deliver impressive reading performance, even under the harshest of conditions. As the systems are cleaned frequently and intensively, the machines and their components are constantly exposed to water jets and aggressive cleaning agents.
The stainless steel housing of barcode scanners
provide chemical material and corrosion resistance, ensuring reliable code
reading, even in harsh conditions. Maier Packaging GmbH from Germany has
developed a component for identifying barcodes on aluminium yoghurt pot lids.
This component was designed to be used in the packaging system of the European
market leader for dairy products. The company chose to integrate a scanner solution for wet areas
as the pots and lids are cleaned in PSDI mode before the yoghurt is added and
the lid is affixed. Once the lid has been affixed, the barcodes are read while
the machine is at a standstill. The scanners are protected by IP69K housings
with a plastic disc that can be cleaned using high-pressure cleaners and are
resistant to acids and cleaning agents. The barcode scanner can also
cope with the cold, and is suitable for use in freezers down to -35°C.
