Delamination
4 contrôles
- Layer separationfilm separating at the seal
- Peeling sealraised edges, open sealing area
- Blistered or creased filmaltered film appearance around the seal
- Colour variationlighter or duller area where the seal is weak
demonstration
Seal inspection in action at high speed, in a sterilized zone
High-speed quality control of food pouches in a sterilized zone, on a real project carried out with MCA Process for a food industry manufacturer.
Seal inspection in three key figures
< 90 ms
Vision cycle time
From image capture to verdict, to keep pace with the line.
2
Sealing technologies
Heat and ultrasonic, inspected with the same approach.
100%
Of pouches inspected
Every seal is inspected, not a sample.
Which seal defects can be detected on a pet food pouch?
Here are the seal defects we detect on a pet food pouch, whether the seal is made by heat or ultrasonic technology.
Bubbles and stains
4 contrôles
- Air bubblesair pockets trapped in the sealing area
- Blistersfilm swelling caused by heat or gas
- Stains in the sealproduct, grease or dirt visible on the sealing area
- Size and positiona bubble or stain on the edge is not as serious as one in the middle of the seal
Missing / incomplete seal
4 contrôles
- Absent sealno seal on part or all of the side
- Interrupted sealpattern cut, discontinuous or with gaps
- Open channelpath left open through the seal, a source of leaks
- Narrow or misaligned sealinsufficient width, wrong positioning
the challenge
Why pet food pouches are demanding to inspect
High speed
The pouch moves fast: image capture, analysis and decision fit within a vision cycle time of under 90 ms.
Highly variable packaging
Formats, films, prints, gloss: a pet food line often changes reference, and the vision system must adapt to each one.
Thin, subtle seal
A seal a few millimeters wide, on a glossy or printed film: the defect is easily mistaken for the pattern or a reflection.
Sterilized conditions
Psycle can work under sterilized conditions, as on the project shown in the video above.
sealing technologies
Heat or ultrasonic: one and the same vision inspection
A seal does not form the same way, but the inspection stays the same. The AI is trained on the appearance of your seals, whatever the technology.
| Heat seal | Ultrasonic seal | |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | The film is melted by the heat and pressure of heated jaws. | High-frequency vibrations heat the film at the seal location. |
| What machine vision inspects | Seal presence and continuity, delamination, bubbles and stains, film appearance. | Presence and continuity of the seal pattern, delamination, bubbles and stains, film appearance. |
MCA Process and Psycle: a partnership since 2023
Automation and machine vision, working together on pouch inspection
MCA Process
Automation and robotics
In autoclave environments.
Designer and builder of automated processes for the food industry.
- Loading and unloading of sterilization baskets
- Autoclave environments
- Automated processes for the food industry
Psycle
Machine vision
High speed, highly variable packaging.
AI-based pouch seal inspection, at line speed.
- Vision cycle time under 90 ms
- Widely varying formats, films and prints
- Heat and ultrasonic seals
formats
All pet food pouch formats
Stand-up pouches and doypacks
With or without zipper.
Stand-up, bellows or gusseted pouches, with or without zipper, for dry food, wet food or treats.
Retort pouches
Sterilizable.
Retort and sterilizable pouches, multilayer or aluminum, for wet food, inspected including under sterilized conditions.
Flat pouches
Three seals.
Flat three-seal pouches, from single-serve portions to family-size formats.
Vacuum pouches
Leak-tight seal.
Vacuum pouches, where seal tightness determines how well the product keeps.
Looking for
integration advice?
Discover our standard solution for inspecting stand-up pouches: cells, lighting, speed and interfacing already proven.
See the industry solutionFrequently asked questions about pet food pouch inspection.
Go to the FAQPet food pouchesHow do you inspect the seal of a pet food pouch with machine vision?
A camera images the seal area of each pouch, and an AI trained on your pouches judges the seal: presence, continuity, delamination, bubbles and stains. A non-conforming pouch is flagged to the line, which rejects it according to your configuration. The image is time-stamped and archived.
Pet food pouchesCan heat and ultrasonic seals be inspected with the same system?
Yes. A seal does not form the same way from one technology to the other, but the inspection approach is the same: the AI learns the appearance of your conforming and defective seals, whatever the technology.
Pet food pouchesWhich seal defects are detected on a pouch?
Delamination, bubbles and stains, missing or incomplete seals. The list is completed with your own defects during trials.
Pet food pouchesAt what speed can pouches be inspected?
The vision cycle time is under 90 ms. The actual speed of your line depends on the format, the inspection cell and the integration, and is validated during trials on your pouches.
Pet food pouchesCan retort pouches be inspected under sterilized conditions?
Yes, Psycle can work under sterilized conditions, as on the project carried out with MCA Process, a specialist in automation in autoclave environments. The installation is defined with you according to your requirements.
Pet food pouchesHow do you handle the variety of pouch formats and prints?
Psycle’s AI learns each reference from examples of your pouches, with their films, prints and reflections. A change of reference is prepared through training, without starting from scratch.
psycle solutions
A defective seal on your pouches must not reach the consumer.
Machine vision inspects every seal at production speed.