In the food industry, quality control plays a fundamental role in ensuring the quality and safety of products. Until a few years ago, these controls were based on manual inspections and sensory tests, which resulted in a long, slow process with possible human errors. Fortunately, in recent years, artificial vision has become an essential tool for quality control in the food industry. Do you want to know how artificial vision systems are revolutionizing quality processes in the industry? Keep reading to discover more!
What are artificial vision systems?
Artificial vision systems are a discipline that combines artificial intelligence with computer vision, enabling machines to process, analyze, and understand images or videos. These systems rely on algorithms and mathematical models that enable automated systems to analyze and make decisions based on the visual information captured by cameras and sensors.
One of the main benefits of artificial vision in quality control in the food industry is its ability to perform inspections quickly and accurately. Artificial vision systems can process large amounts of data in real time. This allows for the automatic identification of products that do not meet quality standards.
This technology can be used for other purposes within the sector, such as detecting contaminants and foreign bodies on the production line, whether they are metal, plastic, or glass pieces, before they reach the end consumer.
Another of the many benefits of artificial vision is the improvement of quality control consistency. Unlike visual inspections that can be performed by people, artificial vision systems are capable of maintaining a constant level of accuracy and consistency, which helps reduce human errors and increase the efficiency of production lines.
Indeed, artificial vision systems play a crucial role in quality control in the food industry due to their enhancement of precision, efficiency, and consistency in the inspection process. Exactly, artificial vision systems can detect various contaminating defects in food products, reduce human errors, and ensure the safety and quality of the products offered to the end consumer.
What applications does this technology have in the food industry?
Artificial vision systems are equipped with spectral detection mechanisms that can instantly recognize elements that may compromise consumer health or affect product quality in a non-invasive manner. These hyperspectral vision systems shine in the food industry due to their ability to inspect both the exterior and interior of food items, thereby reducing production times and improving quality control results. What applications and solutions do these systems offer? Here’s what we can tell you:
This technology is commonly used for quality inspection of foods such as fruits, grains, vegetables, meats, and more. Beyond internal inspection, it is also used externally to monitor an entire production line and effectively detect defects, scratches, discolorations, and other imperfections that are virtually invisible to the human eye.
Package inspection is one of the most common uses of artificial vision in the food industry. It is used for solutions in automation and inspection of packaging and wrapping. This allows for detecting defects such as improperly sealed bottles, packages with incorrect quantities…
Detecting foreign objects during production is an uncommon issue but can have devastating consequences. We may run the risk and have to recall the products from the market altogether. In both medical materials and food companies, ensuring the safety and quality of their product is paramount. In these industries, reputation and quality are of the utmost importance.
Final product inspection and traceability are another set of applications for artificial vision systems. This allows for the implementation of continuous improvement models, as well as ensuring overall post-processing quality control, in an automated manner with a solution for the final assembly line.
The implementation of artificial vision systems and the various hyperspectral functionalities for food analysis and inspection provide companies with operational efficiencies, improve quality, and ensure customers a product without consumption risk.
At i-mas, we know that automation and quality control are not an option; they are a matter of food safety. Therefore, we have developed various solutions for products and packaging using technologies such as Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence across the entire spectrum (visible and invisible).
We know firsthand the criteria demanded by the food industry, consumers, and authorities. Therefore, at i-mas, we have the best solutions for our clients. Do you want to learn more? Discover all the information on our website. Contact us and tell us about your project!
