Emerson has manufactured a new machine called the Rosemount CT4215, which can detect leaks and test the structural integrity of food and beverage packaging on production lines using laser-based technology.
The machine uses patented Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) laser technology to measure CO2 and other gases used in food and beverage packaging to determine whether there is a leak in the package.
A high-flow vacuum pump draws air from around the package or bottle and delivers this air to a measurement cell, and if gas from a leaking product passes through the measurement cell it will obscure some of the laser light, and the machine will determine that a leak has occurred.
The Rosemount CT4215 can detect leaks at a sensitivity level as low as 0.3mm and automatically rejects any defective packages on a production line without slowing down production, helping to maximise production volume and decrease product waste.
According to Emerson, the new machine can be installed directly onto new or existing production lines, and can be fitted with a variety of customizable sampling heads, which can test packages including trays, pouches, bags, bottles and boxes.
Peter Watmough, global leak detection product manager, Emerson Automation Solutions said: “In an industry being driven by an increasing consumer awareness of freshness and safety, manufacturers need solutions that allow them to assure these qualities while maintaining, or even increasing, efficiency.
“The Rosemount CT4215 provides packagers with an easy-to-install, easy-to-use assurance of freshness and safety. For the first time, food and beverage packagers can measure every package and bottle for leaks without having to compromise their production speed.
“The Rosemount CT4215 brings any food or beverage packaging facility up to current consumer and supermarket demands quickly.”
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