Design and Planning of a Camera Vision Based Inspection Model for Promo Crown Quality Assurance

Abstract

A project was carried out to improve the quality assurance process for promo crowns produced at the company, a leading supplier for Vietnam’s beer market. Promo crowns play a key role in marketing campaigns for major beer brands such as ABI, Sabeco, and HBL. However, manual inspection methods previously used by the company failed to guarantee the accuracy and readability of inkjet-coded crowns, leading to quality concerns and potential losses in customer trust and revenue. The objective of the project was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a camera vision system to automate crown inspection and reduce the defects associated with manual checking. To achieve this, a case study approach was applied. Alternative solutions for crown handling and inspection were explored, including the development and installation of an offline conveyor system integrated with inkjet printers and inspection hardware. Key stages of the implementation included simulation using NI Vision Assistant, local fabrication of custom components, system integration, and trial runs under production conditions. Data related to production efficiency, defect rates, and power consumption were collected and analyzed. The results showed an 84% reduction in production capacity loss per promo crown and significant improvements in coding speed, power efficiency, and code accuracy. The camera inspection system—prepared for implementation in July 2023—was expected to enhance the reliability of quality control further. In conclusion, automation of the inspection process using a camera vision system proved to be a feasible and beneficial improvement, contributing to higher product quality, better customer satisfaction, and increased production efficiency for the company.