APRIL Eye - 100% Quality with AI-based Vision
Ensure 100% product quality with powerful AI image inspection.
Date Code Verification with APRIL Eye
Close the loop and verify the date code printed on the pack with the world's most powerful AI vision system. Originally developed with a major UK retailer in 2019, APRIL Eye has two key use cases:
Scenario 1, you have a fully automated secondary packaging with no human visual inspection. Generally, humans are good at spotting missing or blurred codes. If no human will see a pack before it hits the consumers hands, assessment is critical to ensure code quality.
Scenario 2, you use printers outside of automated control. Most companies utilise automatic printer control, but if a printer breaks, a printer outside of automated control could be used, exposing the business to the risk of human error.
APRIL Eye (AE) Hand scanning
Take a picture of the date code using the hand scanner on the line terminal. The AE software will analyse the image, confirm the date code and verify against the running job. This check can be undertaken during job start-up checks and ongoing timed checks, effectively sampling print quality every 10 minutes.
APRIL Eye (AE) Online verification
A camera mounted on the packaging line takes a picture of every date code. The AE software analyses the image, confirms the date code, and verifies against the running job. If an error is detected, a signal is sent to stop the line or a pack reject system.
The image shows an example of an APRIL Eye-hand scanning check. The operator takes a picture of the printed date code with the hand scanner. AE reads the date code in the image “07 Aug” and verifies against the running job.
AI Label Verification
Capture an image of every pack and verify every element using APRIL Eye, powered by Cognex.
Verify the content of every label at rates up to 200 packs per minute (ppm) including:
Packaging artwork
Date code, use by or best before
Variable field information, including “Country of Origin” & “Grower”
Promo label presence and content
Finished product (if visible)
How does APRIL Eye work?
APRIL Eye combines machine learning and artificial intelligence to transform the traditional date code verification process. Packaging lines run faster with fewer operators (eyeballs), increasing the likelihood of an error.
Rather than relying on operators to check the date code is printed correctly, APRIL Eye automates the task.
Using a camera, the system takes a photo of each date code, reads the date code in the image, and verifies it matches the programmed date code for that product run.
The verification process is fully automated, eliminating costly errors and enabling you to achieve unmanned operations and full traceability. Capable of operating at speeds of over 1,000 packs per minute means you can increase throughput without compromising product safety.
If the wrong date code is detected. The system can either stop the line or reject the pack ensuring no incorrect labels can be released into the supply chain, protecting your consumers, margins and brand.
How is APRIL Eye different to a normal vision system?
Traditional vision systems have relied on optical character recognition (OCR), designed to read specific characters. Due to the prevalence of inkjet printers in the food industry, which have a higher degree of variability, these vision systems have not been widely implemented as they have struggled with:
Varying fonts and sizes
Font distortion
Missing or incorrectly positioned text
Packing changes
OAL therefore developed APRIL Eye, which uses standard cameras backed up with an artificial brain to deliver a vision system that can deal with variations such as lighting, positioning, print quality and placement inherent in a food or beverage plant and read anything that is also legible to the naked eye. In this way, APRIL Eye eliminates errors, offers full traceability and protects consumers and your brand while at the same time reducing labour costs and waste.
