Fill level
Underfilling and overfilling against the tolerance band of your format – reliably separating the foam head from the liquid level.
Full-bottle inspection with AI
Fill level, closure, label and code – every full bottle inspected
nScan inspects filled bottles behind the capper and labeler. The AI tells foam from the liquid level, detects tilted closures and wrong labels, reads batch and best-before date and checks the bottle itself for geometry and glass damage – because defects also occur during filling.
- Inspection modules
- 12inspection modules for product, packaging and bottle
- Label
- 360°label inspected all round with several cameras
- Fill level
- Foam ≠ fill levelthe AI measures the liquid level below the foam head
- Test
- free of chargefeasibility test with your own bottles
Inspection tasks
Everything that matters on a full bottle
Twelve inspection modules for product, packaging and bottle. They can be used individually or combined and are matched to your bottles, closures and labels.
Product and packaging
Closure
Crown caps, screw caps and swing tops checked for presence, fit, tilt, damage and complete crimping.
Label all round
Body, chest, back and neck label: correct variety, position and height, creases, flags, damage and missing labels.
Coding
Read batch and best-before date by text recognition, check legibility and compare with the specifications of the line control.
Neck foil and tamper-evident ring
Fit and integrity of neck foil, capsule and tamper-evident ring as a sign of an intact product.
Cases
Crate or tray complete, all bottles correct – missing, wrong or fallen bottles are detected.
The bottle itself – even after filling
Defects also occur during filling and capping: glass-to-glass contact in the filler, pressure of the capper on the finish, splinters from nearby glass breakage, deformation of PET bottles. That is why nScan also checks the filled bottle for geometry and glass damage.
Bottle geometry
Height, diameter, contour and tilt – deformed, compressed or crookedly capped bottles are detected, including PET deformation after filling.
Sidewall and shoulder
Cracks, chips, breakouts and scuffing on the outside – in front light and, for light-colored beverages, also in backlight.
Finish rim at the closure
Chips and cracks directly below the closure, as they can occur during capping – a common cause of leaking bottles.
Base and heel
Breakouts on the heel and bearing surface, for example from knocks during transport or in the filler carousel.
Mold number
Digits, letters and dot codes on the base or heel – every defect is traced to its glass mold, even when the bottle is full.
Contour, color and foreign bottles
Foreign bottles, wrong formats and deviating glass colors that slipped through to the filler are rejected before packing.
Fill level
Foam is not a fill level
Conventional fill level inspection measures the first edge it finds in the image – with beer, often the foam head. This leads to false rejects or to underfilled bottles slipping through. nScan detects foam, meniscus and liquid level separately.
- The liquid level is measuredeven with varying amounts of foam after filling.
- Robust with condensation and colored glassfogged bottles, amber, green and flint glass as well as PET.
- Confidence in the nominal fill quantityUnderfilled bottles are reliably rejected, and the statistics per shift serve as proof.
Label and code
Inspected all round, even with many varieties
Several cameras capture the bottle from all sides. Together, the camera images cover the entire label – front, back and neck label included.
Correct variety
Mix-ups during a variety change are detected before wrongly labeled goods are shipped.
Position and quality
Height, skew, creases, flags and damage – with tolerance for permissible print variations.
Code read
Batch and best-before date are read and, if required, compared with the line specifications.
Quickly taught
Teach new labels with a few sample images and call them up by selecting the format.
In the line
Inspection points on the full-bottle side
Full-bottle inspection sits where defects occur: directly behind the capper, behind the labeler and coder, and after the packer.
- Fillerfills the beverage into the bottles.
- Capperapplies crown caps, screw caps or swing tops.
- Full-bottle inspectionFill level, closure, geometry and glass damage directly behind the capper.Inspection point
- Pasteurizerheats the product for preservation where required.
- Labelerapplies body, chest, back and neck labels.
- Coderprints batch and best-before date, for example on the neck or back label.
- Label and code inspectionVariety, position, creases and print behind the labeler and coder.Inspection point
- Packerputs the bottles into crates or trays.
- Case inspectionCrate complete, all bottles correct.Inspection point
- Palletizerplaces the cases on pallets.
Why Wahtari
Built for the bottling hall
AI instead of rigid templates
Tells defects from permissible deviations – fewer false rejects with foam, print variations and many varieties.
Retrofittable
Integration into existing conveyors, coordinated with your line builder, via PROFIBUS, PROFINET, OPC UA or digital I/O.
Every reject with an image
Defect, defect class and camera image on the operator panel, statistics per shift and data transfer to production data acquisition or MES.
From empty bottle to case
Together with the empty-glass inspection, Wahtari covers all inspection points of the glass line with one operator interface.
Project
Test first, then decide
- free of charge
Feasibility test
Your sample bottles inspected in our lab, with a test report, images and a cost-effectiveness calculation.
- 4 weeks
Test unit in your line
Optional: test a demo unit under your own conditions.
- after the order
Survey and quality test
Set up at our site and tested with your bottles before the system leaves the factory.
- Commissioning
Delivery and training
Ideally scheduled during a shutdown, with a performance run, acceptance and training of your team.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Full-bottle inspection
How is the fill level measured?
A camera captures the bottle neck in backlight. The AI detects the liquid level, meniscus and foam head separately and measures the level against the tolerance band of your format. Underfilled and overfilled bottles are rejected.
Does foam interfere with fill level inspection?
With beer in particular, foam is the most common cause of incorrect measurements by conventional systems. Our AI has learned to tell the foam head from the liquid level and measures the actual fill level – even with varying amounts of foam.
Which containers is camera-based fill level inspection suitable for?
For transparent and translucent containers, i.e. glass and PET bottles in all common colors. For cans, kegs or opaque containers, other methods such as X-ray or high frequency are common; we are happy to advise you on the right combination.
Which closures are inspected?
Crown caps, screw caps and swing tops. We check presence, fit, tilt, damage and – depending on the closure – crimping, the tamper-evident ring or a closed swing top.
How is the label inspected all round?
Several cameras capture the bottle from different directions and together cover the entire label. We check presence, variety, position, height, creases, flags and damage – on the body, chest, back and neck label.
What happens when the variety changes?
The new label is taught with a few sample images and then called up by selecting the format on the operator panel. With many varieties, the AI has an advantage over rigid template images because it tolerates small, permissible print variations.
Can the printed batch and best-before date be read?
Yes. The coding is read by text recognition, checked for completeness and legibility and, if required, compared with the specifications of the line control. A wrong date is noticed before the goods leave the hall.
Which defects occur during filling and capping?
In the filler, bottles touch each other, in the capper there is pressure on the finish, and glass breakage nearby can scatter splinters. This causes chips on the finish rim, cracks in the shoulder and sidewall, breakouts on the heel and, with PET, deformation. The empty-glass inspection before the filler cannot see these defects – that is why nScan also inspects the filled bottle.
Is the bottle geometry inspected?
Yes. Height, diameter, contour and tilt are measured. Compressed, deformed or crookedly capped bottles as well as foreign bottles are rejected before they reach the packer.
Can a filled bottle be inspected for glass damage?
Yes, on the outside in front light and, for light-colored beverages, also in backlight. Defects inside the bottle or behind dark contents are detected more reliably by the empty-glass inspection before the filler. Together, both cover the glass line completely.
Can full-bottle inspection be retrofitted?
Yes. The inspection stations are integrated into existing conveyors behind the capper and labeler. All it needs is some conveyor length, a rejector and a signal connection to the line control via PROFIBUS, PROFINET, OPC UA or digital inputs and outputs.
Can I test it in advance?
Yes – with a free feasibility test on your sample bottles, including a test report and a cost-effectiveness calculation, or with a test unit in your line for four weeks.
The whole glass line from a single source
Empty-glass inspection before the filler, full-bottle inspection after it – with one operator interface, one set of statistics and one contact person.