Detecting Bottle Caps of Various Colors

Application: Assure cap is on bottle

Challenges: Washdown environment and caps can be various colors

Solution: IP69K Q12 ignores color and liquid in bottle

Benefits: Small, chemical resistant, reliable sensor

Challenge

Determining whether or not a bottle has a cap requires additional sensing controls when the production line runs products with various colored caps than when sensing like-colored caps. The sensing solution must be able to detect many colors at a specified distance, while ignoring the product inside the bottle.

Solution

As plastic bottles pass below the WORLD-BEAM Q12 Sensor, the fixed-field beam identifies bottles with caps—no matter what their color—and rejects bottles that are missing caps from the line. The Q12’s laser-like LED beam sharply cutoffs at 15 mm, 30 mm and 50 mm range, ensuring it won’t mistake objects inside the bottle for caps.

Q12 models are available with PFA chemical resistant jackets and can be used in 1200 psi washdown conditions and other harsh environments. The compact housing makes it easy to mount into tight spaces, which means the Q12 will fit almost anywhere along the line.

Alternatives:

Other sensing solutions that achieve similar results include:

* M12: Similar sensing features as the Q12 with a convenient 12 mm barrel housing

* QS18 Adjustable-Field: Adjustable background suppression up to 300 mm

* QMH26 Adjustable-Field: Hygienic design with adjustable background suppression sensor for food applications

* QS18U: For the most challenging colors, the QS18 ultrasonic ignores colors and will detect the cap by measuring its height.