Product News: Mettler-Toledo Joins Label Inspection with Checkweighing into All-In-One High-Speed Solution

Pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic and household chemical producers with limited factory floor space can now benefit from product label inspection and checkweighing at high throughputs with the CV3770 combination system from Mettler-Toledo Garvens. Offering accurate weight measurement and high-performance label inspection in one compact machine, the system helps manufacturers minimize product rework, retrieval and recovery, ensure accurate product weight, while complying with labeling guidelines and weights and measures legislation. 

Dr. Richard Reisbig, European Market Manager, Mettler-Toledo CI-Vision, explained: "Modern day production line speeds can typically produce hundreds, if not thousands, of wrongly labeled products before the defects are detected. Relabeling or repackaging products are costly in terms of time, labor and production downtime. If the production line has automatic secondary packaging, wrongly labeled products (commonly called "Label Mix-up") may be automatically packaged and sent to retailers. Costs related to tracking down, retrieving, and rework of the products then grow exponentially. In addition there may also be retailer fines. Finally, if the product gets into the consumer hands there are large recall costs. Until this launch, manufacturers had to integrate two separate systems or customize product inspection solutions to both inspect for label mix-up and checkweigh their products. Having the CV3770 all-in-one system now provides consumer product producers with the power to overcome these issues and focus on developing their top line business strategies."                

The CV377O system combines Mettler-Toledo Garvens' new innovative C3000 Series checkweighers with the capabilities of Mettler-Toledo CI-Vision's vision inspection technology. As such, the combined technology simultaneously measures product weight and performs multiple inspections of the crucial label information; namely label identification number, expiration date and lot number. This ensures compliance with weights and measures regulations, including the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006, and labeling guidelines, such as European Union (EU) Directive 2000/13/EC, while its small footprint and single rejection mechanism for both inspection technologies help shorten the production line, boosting throughput rate and optimizing use of factory floor space.

For the first time, a standard combined system, the CV3770 has the capability to handle large package sizes, big inspection areas and multiple inspections. This gives manufacturers the flexibility to inspect labels and checkweigh consumer products with a wide range of different widths, lengths, and weights. It features Mettler-Toledo CI-Vision's CIVCore software, enabling precision analysis of high-resolution images at up to 250 ppm, while the checkweigher's sensitive weigh cells and high-performance software make it capable of accurate weight measurement at high speeds, optimizing detection rates for defective products without compromising line productivity. It's easy-to-use touchscreen display, intuitive dropdown menus and graphic toolbars simplifies the set up process for product changeovers, enhancing flexibility and boosting production uptime.

The CV3770 system also features an easy-to-clean open construction, with sloping surfaces and tubular framework to minimize dirt traps and a robust stainless steel cabinet to protect internal mechanisms from water or dust ingress. The hygienic capabilities ensure that manufacturers can maintain the high standards of sanitation expected on pharmaceutical and food production lines.

Dr. Reisbig added: "As well as offering the high-performance technology in a compact footprint that consumer product manufacturers are looking for, the CV3770 has not only been designed to be robust and easy to clean, but also flexible, enabling manufacturers to optimize product safety and respond quickly to changes in market demand".

The all-encompassing options of the C3000 series as well as the inspection versatility of the CIVCore software makes the CV3770 easy to integrate into the most demanding of production lines. Consumer product manufacturers can now double their cost savings in one combined label inspection - checkweighing system.