Olmec Wins ‘Most Innovative Machine Vision Award’

Olmec-UK has won the PPMA Group ‘Most Innovative Machine Vision Award’ for the development and installation of a multifunctional 8-camera, two stage inspection system for woundcare ‘island’ dressings in their heat-sealed paper packaging pouches. This provided novel automated vision control of product position within the packaging to minimise ‘trapped in seal faults’, together with fully automated rejection of any defective product.

The judges awarded the prize to Olmec-UK for its ‘successful execution of a complex and complicated application, using a mix of camera, lighting and software’. The panel also praised the company for demonstrating the ‘long-term value of an investment in a machine vision solution’.

The company was also given ‘Highly Commended’ recognition in the ‘Partnership of the Year ‘category for its work with with Rofin-Baasel and Universal Converting Equipment in the development of ‘VisionPerfoControl’. This is a vision-based system for true real-time monitoring of perforation quality in laser perforated flexible modified atmosphere packaging.

Olmec Technical Director, Robert Pounder, said: “This was a challenging project both in terms of the vision requirements and the limited space available in which to integrate the vision components. Not only has it significantly reduced the number of trapped in seal products produced, the system can provide information on trends in the manufacturing process and is used by the production team on a daily basis to understand system performance and to drive improvements.”

“We are very proud that this is the second time in three years that we have received this award”, he continued. “It is a very public recognition of all the hard work that everyone in the team at Olmec puts into each and every project we undertake.”