There is now a rotary conveyor with an empty bottle inspector available at the VLB for instructional and research purposes

New inspector improves training

A conveyor loop with an empty bottle inspector is available for research and training at the VLB* since the beginning of October 2004.

This group of machines was donated by Heuft Systemtechnik, Intralox heavy machinery repair and installation and Stöber motive power engineering. The aim is to better qualify students and graduates of the VLB by putting the latest technology into practice.

The special technical feature of the Heuft empty bottle inspector is its object detection. In addition to the histogram detection certain shapes can be identified and differentiated with this. Moulding seams or drops of water can be differentiated from actual faults and the false rejection quota can be reduced. "The software is the very latest available at this point in time", Dr Jan Schneider the director of the research institute for machine and packaging technology (FMV) of the VLB was pleased to say at the official opening for the conveyor loop. "The suppliers´ market of such machines is easy to keep track of because only a few mechanical engineers have mastered the precise coordination of mechatronic and optoelectronic systems. Our students will now not only become familiar with this technology in theory but also directly at the machine." Graduates from the English and Russian brewery courses could also profit from this technology. Heuft has committed itself to holding overall responsibility for this project.

*Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin
Research and Teaching Institute for Brewing in Berlin/Germany

(A translation of the German article "Neues Inspektortechnikum verbessert Ausbildung"