Infrared Imaging Allows Monitoring of Industrial Packaging Process
Challenge
Maintaining consistent seal temperatures is critical for airtight packaging, yet traditional inspection methods are slow, unreliable, and labor-intensive, especially under high production volumes. Manual checks often miss partial or flawed seals, leading to compromised product safety, shorter shelf life, and increased risk of returns.
Solution
Thermal cameras enable continuous, non-contact monitoring of sealing temperatures, capturing thermal profiles in real-time to ensure proper heat levels during the packaging process. This automated approach allows immediate detection of seal defects, improving quality control and minimizing reliance on inconsistent manual inspections.
Benefits
- Detects seal defects in real-time, preventing compromised packaging from reaching consumers
- Reduces manual inspection effort, increasing consistency and lowering labor costs
- Minimizes product waste by identifying and sorting faulty seals early in production
- Enhances overall packaging quality, improving customer satisfaction and brand reliability
- Supports energy efficiency by detecting overheating and optimizing sealing jaw usage
Why Infrared Technology is the Preferred Solution for Packaging Sealing
Sealing packaging in the processing industry, especially food packaging faces various challenges to ensure the integrity of the seal. However, this is also the case with industrial intermediate products in the chemicals sector, which are often packed and delivered in bags. The process typically involves sealing bags or pouches using heated sealing jaws, which melt and fuse plastic surfaces, such as polyethylene (PE) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), at specific temperatures (sealing takes place at approx. 160 °C). The primary challenge lies in monitoring these seal temperatures to ensure the seal is airtight, as undetected flaws can compromise the product’s shelf life and safety.
Traditional methods for testing sealing quality, such as applying pressure and checking for leaks, are time-consuming, expensive, and unreliable, especially when dealing with high production volumes. Manual checks are inconsistent, relying on operator attention, and may lead to significant variability in quality control. The need for more reliable and efficient methods has driven interest in non-contact temperature measurement technologies.
Temperature plays a crucial role in ensuring proper sealing. Packaging manufacturers can predict whether a seal will hold by monitoring the heat levels during the sealing process. Infrared temperature measurement, such as thermal cameras, enables continuous and non-invasive monitoring of the process, ensuring that seals are formed at the correct temperature and reducing the chance of product defects.
Triggering Thermal Imaging in Automated Packaging Lines
The packaging sealing process can be optimized using infrared cameras, such as the Optris PI 640i, Xi 80, and Xi 400 models, which provide real-time temperature monitoring. These thermal imaging cameras are critical for ensuring that the sealing process operates within the correct thermal thresholds, allowing manufacturers to detect defects immediately after sealing.
In practice, the infrared cameras are strategically positioned above the sealing station to capture the thermal profile of the packaging as it moves along the production line. The Optris PI 640i, with its high resolution of 640×480 pixels, is particularly suited for applications where even the slightest temperature variations need to be detected, such as in the food or pharmaceutical industries, where airtight seals are critical for product safety and shelf life. This infrared camera ensures that every part of the seal is captured in fine detail, enabling manufacturers to identify any inconsistencies, such as partial or insufficient seals.
The Xi 80 and Xi 400 models offer more cost-effective alternatives for applications where lower resolution is sufficient. The Xi 80, with its 80×80 pixel resolution, can reliably monitor seals in applications with more significant thermal gradients, such as when dealing with products where only significant sealing errors, like large leaks, need to be detected. On the other hand, the Xi 400, with its higher 382×288 resolution, strikes a balance between cost and performance, making it an ideal choice for many packaging applications that require moderate thermal resolution and extensive monitoring across the seal.
These infrared cameras are integrated into the packaging lines via a light barrier that triggers the camera when the packaging passes under it or through a software-based trigger, such as the “Event Grabber” feature in the Optris PIX Connect software. This software ensures that each thermal image is captured at the right moment, aligned with the sealing process, and can immediately alert operators if the seal does not meet the required standards. In addition, the cameras communicate with the packaging system’s Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to provide feedback on whether the seals are acceptable, ensuring that faulty packaging is automatically sorted out before it reaches the consumer.
By implementing these thermal cameras, manufacturers can streamline their sealing verification process, reducing manual inspection and increasing production throughput.
Reducing Waste and Costs in Packaging Sealing Processes
The integration of Optris PI 640i, Xi 80, and Xi 400 infrared cameras into packaging processes delivers measurable improvements in quality control, efficiency, and cost savings. These systems ensure precise temperature monitoring, which directly correlates to the integrity of the seal and, by extension, the reliability of the product’s packaging. By identifying defective seals in real-time, manufacturers significantly reduce waste, as faulty products are sorted out before they can continue down the production line or reach end users.
For example, in the food packaging industry, where airtight seals are crucial for preserving freshness and ensuring product safety, thermal cameras provide immediate feedback on seal quality. The high-resolution PI 640i camera, with its ability to detect fine temperature variations, is ideal for applications where minor defects, such as small gaps or misalignments in the seal, could lead to product spoilage. This ensures that only perfectly sealed packages are sent out, minimizing the risk of product returns and enhancing customer satisfaction.
The Optris infrared solutions also contribute to operational efficiency by automating the inspection process, reducing the need for manual checks and the associated labor costs. Moreover, the cameras can be configured to detect not only under-sealing but also overheating, which can lead to energy savings by reducing unnecessary power consumption in the sealing jaws. This not only lowers production costs but also contributes to the overall sustainability of the operation.
Optris infrared cameras offer several unique selling points that make them the preferred choice for temperature monitoring in packaging processes. Their ease of integration into existing production lines, the ability to capture high-resolution thermal images across various temperatures, and the compatibility with industry-standard software and hardware systems ensure a smooth implementation. Additionally, Optris products are known for their reliability and accuracy, ensuring that manufacturers can maintain the highest quality standards while also benefiting from cost-effective solutions.
By leveraging these advanced infrared temperature measurement tools, manufacturers can achieve consistent, high-quality sealing in their packaging operations, leading to increased productivity, reduced waste,
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Talk to us about your IR Temperature Measurement Requirements
There are over 300 different pyrometer variants to choose from in the Optris infrared pyrometer portfolio each optimized for material, spot size, distance from the target, and environmental conditions. Fortunately, there is a trained engineer to phone or chat with to guide you through the process of choosing the perfect infrared sensor for your application.
The same support is available for the extensive IR camera product line.
